GlobalGiving.org: Vegetable Gardens & Internet for Indian Youth

Two New Demonstration Gardens

Amy McMillen — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 19:57:25 GMT

Thanks again to the generous contributions from individual donors in the Global Giving community, this project has moved into Phase 2!

EarthBoxes will now be introduced and tested at two garden sites in Bangalore. One is a school where the after-school Eco Club will care for the large vegetable garden and learn various sustainable growing techniques including the EarthBoxes. The other is at a local NGO that promotes rooftop and terrace gardens throughout Bangalore, Vittal Mallaya Scientific Research Foundation. They have worked in conjunction with our partner AME Foundation to conduct workshops on organic, sustainable gardening techniques that allow people to grow food despite land constraints.

Through these on-site demonstrations we hope to learn more about the use of the EarthBox with local inputs, in a variety of settings with a variety of different types of growers in India. It's is our goal to be able to share some of their stories with you here through the Global Giving site, and through our website www.thegrowingconnection.org. Also, because the students at the school site speak English, we intend to connect them with student growers in the United States so that they can share best practices and learn from each other.

In addition to these two new sites, AME will continue to maintain the rooftop demo garden at their location and to conduct workshops. If you are in Bangalore and want to learn more about the EarthBox or rooftop or terrace gardening in India, please contact them (www.amefound.org).

In the next update, I hope to share with you pictures of the two new demonstration gardens!

Substrate Trials Report Received!

Amy McMillen — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 20:39:41 GMT

Hi Everyone,

AME Foundation has been busy conducting horticultural trials on the EarthBox to identify local inexpensive substrata and fertilizers that can be used in the box. The trials are complete and the results are in.

Dr. Viswanath recommends the following blend of inputs readily available in and around Bangalore for use with the EarthBox.

Growing Medium

1 part soil
1 part sand
8 part Special Compost
Special Compost
- 1 part coir powder
- 1 part worm compost
- 1 part Regular Compost

(Rooftop terrace garden boxes use a 1-1-8 formula. Ground garden boxes use a 1-1-4 formula because they can use more sand and soil as there are no weight issues.)

EarthBox® Preparation Process

1 to 2 inches of coir (outside fiber from coconut) placed on the bottom plastic grate and put into the open corners of the grate
6 inches of Growing Medium
Remaining 1.5 inches is left vacant on top

Dr. Viswanath explained that, in his opinion, no chemical pesticides or insecticides are needed. He did suggest that organic pesticides can be used.

Organic Pesticide Recipe:

1 part garlic (50 grams)
1 part chili pepper
1 part ginger

Grind all of above and mix together

5 parts water

Blend water and mixture into a liquid paste.

5 parts water

Stir liquid paste and additional water together and pour into spray container.

In addition to identifying the appropriate blend of inputs that will adequately wick water from the basin of the EarthBox throughout, the AME team evaluated the technology for local use. They noted several advantages. "The chief of them are listed as follows:

In the very first place the supplied boxes immensely help in saving water apart from saving labour. Because, watering can be done once in 3 days as against daily watering in case of other boxes.
Its ability to support any local growing media effectively is another equally important benefit.
Another aspect worth mentioning is that the boxes are comparatively light weighted. Thus, they provide easy portability which is prime requirement for terrace gardening
Lastly – though not least – the EarthBoxes are compact and easy to handle."

We are pleased with the results and will now be moving into a second phase of testing. This time to use the box with different groups of beneficiaries to determine if the EarthBox and The Growing Connection program can be an effective tool in achieving food security.

Thanks for your continued support!

Pictures from EarthBox Trials by AME Foundation

Amy McMillen — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 16:49:04 GMT

Planting the EarthBoxes

Please see the new photos we've received from AME Foundation of the EarthBox trials. Studies are underway to identify low-cost local substrate and fertilizer that will produce equally well in the EarthBox as what is used currently in the United States.

In the photos:

Row T1: Control (Supplied materials including earth box, coir brick, plant nutrient, dolomite, plastic covers)

Row T2: Growing medium: Red Earth , Sand and worm castings (1:1:1) with coir mulch

Row T3: Coir pith and Organic manure (1:1) with coir mulch

Seed Germination

Brindal Growing!

TGC gardens in India record great results

Leah Nevada Page — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 13:59:13 GMT

TGC demo and test garden site at AME Foundation

The first planting results are in from The Growing Connection sites in India and they're overwhelmingly positive. In Kadapa, three varieties of greens are growing - rapidly! (Update from the field: "We planted some green leafy vegetable seeds that sprouted and grew an inch in three days!")

At AME Foundation in Bangalore, the new TGC demo and test garden is growing beans, bhendi (okra), brinjal (eggplant), tomato and a local green called palak.

The rooftop garden at AME Foundation in Bangalore

India garden and internet project gets a new partner!

Leah Page — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 13:35:10 GMT

The AME Foundation of India

The Growing Connection is pleased to announce that The AME Foundation [http://www.amefound.org/] has agreed to collaborate in the development and expansion of The Growing Connection in India. The AME Foundation, based in Bangalore, brings over twenty years of experience in developing sustainable agriculture solutions for India and a commitment to creating livelihood improvements through agriculture.

TGC gardens and internet programs expand in India thanks to Global Giving!

Leah Page — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 13:31:44 GMT

More kids are growing food in India thanks to Global Giving!

Thanks to everyone at Global Giving, The Growing Connection's initiative in India is flourishing!

Horticultural trials to evaluate high-impact local inputs and the best growing techniques for the region are currently underway and The Growing Connection is preparing to take the findings of these trials directly into the schools and community groups that are using The Growing Connection EarthBoxes in and around Bangalore, India. This is a huge expansion of the project that would not have been possible without the generous support of donors like you at Global Giving.

Thank you to everyone who has joined us in our mission to improve nutrition and break the cycle of poverty around the world.

More Photos

Amy McMillen — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 13:05:18 GMT

Hi everyone,

Thought you might like to see some more pictures from the project!

Amy

Recent articles and reports about India

Amy McMillen — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 21:05:38 GMT

In case you are interested, here are some sources to learn more about the situation facing the Indian people.

1. New York Times Article, March 13, 2009 “As Indian Growth Soars, Child Hunger Persists” :

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/13/world/asia/13malnutrition.html

“Small, sick, listless children have long been India’s scourge — “a national shame,” in the words of its prime minister, Manmohan Singh. But even after a decade of galloping economic growth, child malnutrition rates are worse here than in many sub-Saharan African countries, and they stand out as a paradox in a proud democracy.

China, that other Asian economic powerhouse, sharply reduced child malnutrition, and now just 7 percent of its children under 5 are underweight, a critical gauge of malnutrition. In India, by contrast, despite robust growth and good government intentions, the comparable number is 42.5 percent. Malnutrition makes children more prone to illness and stunts physical and intellectual growth for a lifetime.”

2. Info Change India, Social Development Report – April 3, 2009:

http://infochangeindia.org/200602065997/Governance/Books-Reports/Poverty-in-India-increasingly-region-group-specific-says-Social-Development-Report.html

“Whereas India accounts for 17% of the world’s population, 36% of the world’s poor (those surviving on less than US$ 1 a day) live in this country, as do 68% of those afflicted with leprosy and 30% of people suffering from tuberculosis. India also accounts for 26% of vaccine-preventable deaths among under-5-year-olds.

A report prepared in April 2004 by the United States-based financial services leader Goldman Sachs observed: “India is often characterized as a country of contradictions. This idea is exemplified by the popular phrase that India accounts for close to a third of the world’s software engineers and a quarter of the world’s undernourished.”

The only piece of good news, according to the report, is that India has defied the doomsayers’ predictions that such a disparate country could never succeed as a single nation state. Instead, it has emerged as one of the fastest growing countries of the world.”

TGC Selected to receive up to $25,000 in Matching Grants from Global Giving!

Amy McMillen — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 15:57:31 GMT

Great news! The Growing Connection India Project has been selected to be a part of Global Giving’s Earth Day ½ match Campaign! Global Giving has $25,000 they will draw down by giving a 50% match for every donation that is made to a selected group of projects from April 4th – 28th . Once the money has been drawn down it’s gone. So we are encouraging all supporters to contribute early!

Please consider supporting this project that will allow communities surrounding Kudapa to grow their own fresh, nutritious vegetables directly impacting the nutrition of the most vulnerable. With enough support these gardens can be fully integrated into The Growing Connection network allowing young people access to information and education otherwise unattainable.

More EarthBoxes!

Amy McMillen — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 14:51:33 GMT

Thanks to the contributions from Global Giving donors and others we now hope to send a considerably larger shipment of EarthBoxes to establish a demonstration garden in Kudapa. This garden will allow the community to see first hand the potential of the EarthBox technology to grow a large amount of fresh, nutritious vegetables in very small spaces and to overcome common agricultural challenges like too much or too little rain. We will use the garden to draw attention from local authorities, farmers and families, potential donors and local organizations to partner with us in our efforts to overcome chronic malnutrition and poverty in this region. Due to some delays in shipping quotes and the high cost of shipping the Jan - Feb trip was delayed, but we hope to ship soon and be ready to install the demonstration garden this summer. The mission for this trip is to start to identify reliable and effective partners in the region that can provide on-going horticultural support to local farmers and to do research on low cost or no cost local planting media.

Update October 2008

Stacy Cooper — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:40:59 GMT

My next trip to the TGC sites in India will take place in January or February 2009 to oversee the planting of over 20 new Earthboxes. Fr. Donahue's Mercy Home for Boys in Chicago helped to raise funds for gardens at Fr. Vijay's School in Bakrapet, and donations from GlobalGiving will go towards gardens and training at that location, and our other locations in Chinumachupali Village and St. Ann's Home for the Mentally Retarded.

For further reading, I have attached a PDF file that documented my last trip to the region.

Attachments:

Travel Journal (PDF)