We finally got to see a long-time dream fulfilled in being able to host a 3-day seminar on sustainable farming, with 120 delegates from all over Tz - paradigm shifts galore with Grant Dryden & Carl Schmidt, two of the most influential trainers today.
Carl Schmidt - somewhat dwarfed!
We didn't realize just how honoured we were, as this was only the second time that Carl and Grant have done a seminar together.
In keeping with "Teach a man to fish..." this is one of the most powerful and effective ways to help the poor in this country, given that it is approx 80% agrarian and almost crippled with drought.
A friend informed us that he harvested 11 100kg bags this year off his shamba (field). The other yields in the village are 0-2 bags of maize. The rains were very little this year.
Another was 25 100kg bags compared to his neighbours highest yield of 5 for the same acreage.
With poverty and malnutrition rife, we can't afford to keep this a secret.
I heard Anderson Cooper (CNN) a couple of weeks ago, claiming that the Somali and Ethiopian famines are avoidable, as other parts of the continent suffer similar conditions without famine, due to responsible alternate farming methods.
We've planted two comparative plots in our church's front yard, one traditional, the other FGW - not too pretty, but the message is loud and clear to anyone who walks by!
We'll post pictures of these as growth kicks in...
More pics of the seminar at Arusha Vineyard
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