By Simon Kaiwai | Project Leader
It's green again and the rivers are running full. Such a contrast to the light tan, dusty months preceding the summer rainy season. With the rain has come the opportunity for farmers across Bolivia to start cultivating again.
In Mizque, the neighboring farms have started to request our natural fertilier "BokPow" and yield enhancer "BioEngordo". We have installed an independant production system in a local school and provided training to them and their students. While always cost conscious, the owners of the school (nuns), were quick to adopt it given the 3 month payback on investment. They'll not only be able to use their own organic fertilizer but also sell an excess.
Its amazing what a little piece of land can produce with very little effort. Presently a walk around the farm could harvest specialty seeds and crops including drought resistant fodder (spineless cactus), organic heritage sorgum seeds, organic fennel seeds, organic cherry tomatoe seeds and much more. If we resume the volunteer program we will expand our production significantly. In the meantime we are regenerating the soil with chop and drop crops and a fair smattering of colorful flowers to improve the view.
New/old technology: solar hot water system. Starting simply is always better then procrastinating. Our largest electricity usage was the electric shower head. We put a roll of black polytube on the roof in line to deliver a shower every 20 minutes during the day. An upgrade is planned to allow mulitple showers and heated water to be stored over night but for now there are few complaints.
We have workshops scheduled in three other locations with the aim to pass on our learnings and to establish at least one person in each place to produce for local farmers and make a living from it.
We are close to productising a muitipurpose pest repellent, curative and fortilizing spray which uses essential oils. Our aim is to offer this alternative in the main cities in Bolivia for residential use.
Hope you are all well and thanks again for all of your past support.
By Simon Kaiwai | Project leader
By Simon Kaiwai | Leader
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