Gardening for Life - Exploring New Ways To Feed The World

How to Build a Garden Without Money

2012-02-14T09:14:00.000-08:00

This garden was built without money

These African folks in Malawi gathered up old unused clay bricks to build the sides of this Food Factory Kitchen Garden. They dug up nearby topsoil, hauled in aged livestock manure, added some wood ash and mixed these organic materials together to made their own garden soils.

They also constructed a compost pile made nearby with dry grass, green plants, old livestock manure, top soil, water, all thinly layered in a pile 3 meter tall (3 feet) to later feed (top dress) the soils in this small kitchen garden.

The key to this free food system is making wise use of unused local resources. Note they even shaded new transplants with a broken plastic tube and added dry grass for mulch. Also you can set down on the sides of this handy raised bed garden, saves sore backs. When possible, plant open-pollinated (non-hybrid) seeds to insure that you can save pure plant genetic traits for your next crop.

Bucket Gardening Idea

2012-01-27T05:52:00.000-08:00

A simple way to grow HEALTH food

We have tested this idea and were able to grow 35 mid-size tomatoes in one bucket. They were ahead of the same tomatoes growing in our good soils in raised beds. See photos later in these posts.

Wintertime Vegetables

2012-01-18T09:00:00.000-08:00

Wintertime indoor vegetables Jan 18, 2012 in Montana at -2 deg F outdoors Yummmy!
Left to right: red cabbage, black seed sunflowers, radish and rat tail radish (hand on plants) and mixed microgreens. For more information go to www.growingmicrogreens.com

Why Plant Gardens?

2012-01-13T13:25:00.000-08:00

Organic Food Factory Gardens are simple, inexpensive and low maintenance. They can provide year-around food, because it's never too late or too early to plant no matter where you live. Gardening for Life is really God Made - a great food system that brings hope, health and healing. "We Plant, We Pray and God Grows"

How to harvest and store carrots in the winter video

2011-11-11T14:54:00.000-08:00

Click on this link to watch digging carrots in the winter

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0T5IkOT6X5k

Our Mission Statement

2011-10-25T15:10:00.000-07:00

Planting seeds for those in Need

Winter Gardening in Montana with a Hoop House

2011-10-18T08:39:00.000-07:00

You are looking on the inside of a Food Factory Garden Hoop House that never gives up producing healthy food. We will test this idea far into a Montana Cold Winter and tell you how it worked!

Photo taken Oct. 18, 2011

What is Gardening for Life?

2011-10-16T13:35:00.000-07:00

Gardening for Life is a collection of methods for raising homegrown, super foods, that are great tasting, nutrient diverse that will bring health and healing to people in need on a year-round basis thus becoming FOOD FACTORY GARDENS capable of feeding families, to give away to others, or for sale or trade.

WHO? Anyone in need

WHY? To save lives, prevent certain health problems and improve general health conditions

WHEN? We believe it's never too late to plant a Food Factory Garden, no matter where you live

WHERE? Anywhere around the world

HOW? Making healthy soils out of local recourses, healthy diverse compost that produces healthy plants that produces healthy foods that produces healthy people

Comming soon to this blog ... learn how to build a FOOD FACTORY GARDEN that never gives up producing healthy food year-round.

"Wagon Hoe"

2011-09-22T07:54:00.000-07:00

Cute moveable Kitchen Garden

Tomotes and Peppers Galore

2011-09-21T08:05:00.000-07:00

Extend your Gardening Season

2011-09-14T10:31:00.000-07:00

Rock_on Gardening View this video 2010 garden

2011-07-28T11:32:00.000-07:00

Click on this link and enjoy the sounds
These methods are all about relationships ... View the kids in this video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7uo_G6auwE

Our Garden on July 11, 2011

2011-07-28T10:51:00.000-07:00

Sold over $550 so far out of this garden at Farmers Market
All money generated will go to teaching gardening to people in need
The garden boxes are filled with homemade compost.

Spinach in Montana in February 2011

2011-02-04T14:21:00.000-08:00

This nice looking spinach is growing outside in our Montana garden
in February even after -20 below F weather. Amazing!
It's staying green under 2 old shower stall doors folded together
to form an A frame.

Eating vegetables in the snow

2011-01-03T08:12:00.000-08:00

The before and after in Jamaica

2011-01-02T14:53:00.000-08:00

This is the same garden after about 70 days. NOT BAD Thank you Lord!

Carrots growing in all compost

2010-11-09T15:34:00.000-08:00

Picked Nov. 9th. Now that is a meal

It's all in the soil that feeds the plants

Slide Show Why Small Gardens Work?

2010-11-09T12:47:00.000-08:00

Click here for a slide show on why small gardens work

21 new Jamaica Gardens for LIfe

2010-11-01T12:29:00.000-07:00

YA MON! (a common Jamaica saying). After another successful Gardening for Life mission trip this time to the Caribbean Island of Jamaica.

Here is a great photo of all the help that God sent from the SouthBrook Christian Church from Dayton, Ohio (a 31 person mission team). Together with their help and the support of ACE (American Caribbean Experience) in a few days ... 15 garden boxes were constructed with Bamboo poles for the sides all staked down on a steep erosive hillside. Plus 7 more Food factory gardens were constructed for individuals.

The success has started as these boxes held together in two torrential rainfall events (like several inches of hard rain in a matter of minutes). The boxes have germinated all kinds of vegetables thanks to the Good Lord and a very generous donation from the Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company. One miracle (a unplanned blessing) happened, for soil amendment we ended up using several sacks of old chicken manure mixed in with small wood chips that we added to each box. The native soils are mostly hard clay, which is a poor growing environment. The wood chips became a surface mulch and held the soil in place during the wind driven downpour. Strong mulching is a great aid for any gardening efforts in the tropics. Again, thank you Lord.

Here we go again ... off to Jamaica to teach "Gardening for Life" for 3 week in Oct 2010

2010-10-08T18:06:00.001-07:00

Wayne contacted "Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company" out of Missouri wanting to purchase some good quality seeds. During the visit, he told them about our upcoming mission trip and they donated 2010 seeds. A huge box arrived at our doorstep with $2,875.00 worth of seeds. Holy Cow, God knows how to Bless people. If you want to look up where we are heading go to:
www.acexperience.org/Home.aspx What a vision they have to help people in need!

Food for life

2010-08-14T09:38:00.000-07:00

Harvest Mid August 2010 Montana Garden

Update on Gardening for Life

2010-08-06T13:58:00.000-07:00

Update on Gardening for Life (learning how to grow food from small places with less weeds, less water, less work and more fun). And we are starting to think in many pounds (kilos) of food.

The 2010 Montana USA test gardens - we have changed our ways, all because one African fellow looked at the small garden and said: "My 10 kids could eat that puny looking garden in one day" This has caused us to start thinking bigger gardens, larger blocks of food, such as 1,000 carrots in one small bed 4 foot wide by 8 foot long or can you raise hundreds of tomatoes from just a few plants or a wheelbarrow full of lettuce? Stay tuned, as this is what we are learning this summer. See the following photos:

2010 Test Garden Photos

2010-08-06T13:53:00.001-07:00

Food Gardening Manual

2010-05-28T06:49:00.000-07:00

Please click on the following link to view AN ILLUSTRATED GUIDE FOR GROWING YOUR OWN FOOD - Gardening Manual

http://www.scribd.com/doc/32115700/Gardening-Manual-2010

How to grow HOMEGROWN "FAST FOOD"

2010-05-24T16:32:00.000-07:00

http://www.scribd.com/doc/31878262/Gardening-for-Life-Saddleback-s-Power-Point-Slide-Show-Small-File#source:facebook

Growing food in the snow

2010-05-11T08:15:00.000-07:00

Growing food in April

2010-05-11T07:36:00.000-07:00

Page 5 Food Factory Garden Manual

2010-02-06T08:25:00.001-08:00

Page 4 Food Factory Kitchen Garden Manual

2010-02-06T08:11:00.001-08:00

Page 3 Food Factory Kitchen Garden Manual

2010-02-05T15:26:00.000-08:00

Page 2 Food Factory Kitchen Garden Manual

2010-02-05T15:17:00.000-08:00

Page 1 Food Factory Kitchen Garden Manual

2010-02-05T14:57:00.000-08:00

Gardening Kits in Africa

2010-02-01T11:38:00.000-08:00

These are illustrated HOW-TO Gardening Manuals
called "Food Factory Kitchen Gardens"
They come with seeds and we left all them in Ethiopia.
Pray that they help the people there!

Garden Manual

2010-01-22T13:17:00.001-08:00

They are now teaching others from this success

Success in Africa

2009-11-25T11:25:00.000-08:00

Ya Hoo Mountain Dew! Here comes some
of our first Salmon River Pumpkins in
Rwanda, Africa. These guys have the
potential to feed a lot of people. The next
step or question is? Will they love eating it?

Mama in Training

2009-11-18T21:59:00.001-08:00

It is unusal to ever see an African child
with a toy but this cute one in Kigali
had her teddy on her back and she
was so cute and such a proud Mama.
It reminded me so much of my
granddaughter, Dezmarie when she
was that age. The real Mama is out
at Rusera and very young. Her baby
is so cute. I bought her a little dress
and put it on her and it was
unbelievable cute. She is so precious,
her name is Lisa.

Connie & Esperansi

2009-11-12T13:00:00.001-08:00

Pastor Cosmas harvesting lettuce

2009-11-12T12:58:00.000-08:00

Hauling Firewood

2009-11-12T12:56:00.000-08:00

African Demo Kitchen Garden in Rusear, Rwanda

2009-11-12T12:54:00.000-08:00

Kitchen

2009-11-12T12:51:00.000-08:00

Salmon River Pumpkin Growing in Africa

2009-11-12T12:32:00.000-08:00

New Cow in Cow House at Pastor Isaca Home

2009-11-12T12:30:00.000-08:00

Mother's Union at Rusera, Rwanda

2009-11-12T12:28:00.000-08:00

African Mother's Union making donuts

2009-11-12T12:22:00.000-08:00

Garden Prayer

2009-11-12T12:20:00.000-08:00

Playing with baby

2009-11-12T12:18:00.000-08:00

Donuts and the Cow

2009-11-12T09:52:00.001-08:00

Connie teaches a Women's Union how to make donuts
on a 3 rock outdoor fire, as the Cow looks on!
This is the completed project

Nov 12 update from Africa

2009-11-12T03:44:00.000-08:00

New update from Rwanda, Africa

November 12, 2009

We have been in Rusera, Rwanda for a week. It was a great week!!! I had the honor on Sat. of teaching 30+ ladies how to make donuts. I showed them how, and then had them do it. We had more donuts than Krispie Kream. It was so much fun because they are such an eager group. Some with babies tied on their backs, some old, some nursing babies, and some taking notes. They moved the three stones out into the open for a fire so the ladies could see the demonstration better. (Thank you God) I hate that smoky cookhouse. (I’m probably going to come home with lung emphysema due to all the smoke from the cook house.) Try to envision 30+ ladies on old wooden benches out behind the church house on red dirt with chickens scurrying after bugs and the traditional cow (very big horns) watching us. I have a picture I wish I could post, of three washtubs of donuts on the dish drying rack with the cow with huge horns in the background with the cow saying, “Where are mine?”

They loved the donuts plain, when I put sugar and cinnamon on them they all said, “too sweet.”

Later they all share their struggles and encouragements with each other. They also pray and read their bibles. It is a monthly meeting called, “Mother’s Union.” They asked me to share with them. It was Nov. 7 the day my son, Chuck died so I shared with them about my children and you can never love and encourage them enough. ( I pray God used some of my deep regrets and mistakes for good with them).

I had just read a book written by a Kenyan author about Obama (his dad is from Kenya) and it said in there that at age ten, he had written a paper at school that he wanted to be President. His Mom asked him why? And he told her he wanted to help people. She encouraged him that that was a good reason. His Mom did a lot of things to encourage him and made a big sacrifice when she sent him to her parents in Hawaii around age 10; because she felt he wasn’t getting an adequate education living in Indonesia.

After he graduated from high school, Barack said he was going to college in Hawaii and she said No, you need to set higher goals and he followed her advice. Anyway I told them the biggest gift you can give your children is to encourage them to dream big and pray for them.

Then I showed the women how to play with their babies by picking up a baby and playing Peek a boo and this little piggy and singing Jesus loves me this I know with him. He smiled and they laughed and laughed.

I truly love these ladies and you would to. I wish you could meet them and experience their love.

On Sunday, Wayne and I wore our matching Rwandan clothes they had made for us. Church officially started at 9:30a.m.( but they had been singing an hour earlier). After
many choirs singing, we gave the message. I can only believe God used our attempt and graced it with His words and meaning into their lives.

It was a great honor and a special day filled with lots of hugs.
In front of the wooden pews, they put down mats for the children to sit on and for 3+ hours they sit there without crying, or fighting. They love music and make hand, arm movements and sing along. It is amazing.

Monday we walked 5 kilometers about 3 miles to catch a van taxi to Kabango to build a garden at the Anglican Diocese. I have a wonderful friend there named Gorette, who was at the Pastors conference in Sept.

As usual several ladies showed up dressed as if they were attending a wedding, who pitched right in hoeing, moving dirt, hauling rocks, planting seeds. We made and planted two gardens and also some salmon river pumpkin seeds (which are really winter squash), then we all join hands and Pastor Cosmas pray’s for God’s blessing. Afterwards, Gorette fed us lunch at the guest house which is quite nice. Out behind they are cooking the traditional lunch of rice, beans, meat in tomato sauce, cooked green bananas, and cooked greens. It takes over an hr. while we sip on warm fantas (soda in bottles). For dessert, we get delicious tiny ripe bananas. After shopping for a few groceries, we catch a van taxi to Rusera turnoff and walk home another 1.5 Kilometers.

The next two days, Wayne spends visiting each Pastor’s home, taking photos of their new cows that they paid a % of, the remainder through Roc and Mary Paez, our team leader with Saddleback. This is all done on the back of a motorbike taxi, traveling up and down some of Rwanda’s thousand hills. Some of these places are very remote and Wayne said the kids cry out, “Musunga, Musunga” (white person) as they run out to see and wave with big smiles. These Pastors and wives love their cows and are so appreciative. As one Pastor, John Paul, said, “Cow in life” -milk, manure, meat, and baby calves and money.”

A huge bonus for Wayne is that they all show him their kitchen gardens and compost piles. They took every word that he had taught them and put it into practice. It was truly heartwarming for him. He also saw many Salmon River Pumpkins growing! One bigger plant had 12 small pumpkins on the long vines and our interpreter said that the pumpkins need family planning.

We caught a very crowded bus back to Kigali while waiting in the rain and received a warm and loving welcome home from Adeline and Pastor Straton and their family and extended family.
It blessed our sox’s off. We went out to her new kitchen garden and harvested lettuce we had planted and I made a huge salad for our dinner completed with delicious avocado slices. It was so scrumptious.

We hope all is well with you, our friends and family. We love and miss you ALL. We thank you so much for your prayers and remember that you are also in ours.

More teaching New Ways to Feed the World

2009-10-17T07:45:00.000-07:00

Here we are planting a year-around Food Factory Garden in Rwanda, Africa

Note the small babies that never make a sound durning our classes

Pastor Straton's Family in front of home Kigali, Rwanda

2009-10-17T05:12:00.000-07:00

Pastor Straton, Carole, Clarisse, Rebeccah, Adeline and Jonathan

(Son David is in school)

Pastor Straton and his Proverbs 31 wife, Adeline

2009-10-17T04:59:00.001-07:00

Pastor Straton

2009-10-17T04:53:00.000-07:00

Adeline at her farm

2009-10-17T04:45:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 31 Woman

2009-10-17T04:44:00.000-07:00

PROVERBS 31 WOMAN

I met the Proverbs 31 Woman in Kigali, Rwanda. Her name is Adeline Kibatega Gataha and she is “a wife of noble character.” She is tall and regal and “worth far more than rubies.”

Her husband, Pastor Straton, “has full confidence in her” and who wouldn’t? She is an amazing woman. They purchased a plot of land on which to build their home. For years, they had dreamed of living on this hill with a beautiful view of Kigali. God gave them the desires of their heart. They first lived in a small home in which they raised 5 children and only recently were able to build their elegant, yet simple larger home.

“She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.”
As the contractors cleared the land and poured cement, Adeline would arrive at 6 a.m. and leave at 6 p.m. to oversee that everything was done correctly. She started landscaping, planting hedges and trees including numerous fruit trees. Adeline has planted many flowers and also has vegetables growing all along her buildings in containers. Their yard is beautiful enough to host a wedding, which it did a few years ago as their oldest daughter, Carole, had her traditional wedding here. As a dowry, the groom gave them two cows.

“She considers a field and buys it” This Proverbs 31 woman is not just a gardener; she is a farmer and a very good one. Several miles from her home she has a large plot of land. She often walks there which takes her over an hour one way. She smiles and says it is good for her to get exercise.

On her land she grows a field of rice and a large plot of vegetables. She also grows elephant grass for her 5 cows. This work is all done by hoes by hand. As we sit in the shade of the clean cow house with 3 young men, her workers, a mother hen and 5 tiny baby chicks scratch in the dirt. The hen clucks softly as she teaches her chicks how to uncover bugs for their lunch.

“She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks. She sees that her trading is profitable.”
Adeline pays her workers weekly hence providing many families with an income and several, a home. They all seem happy and laugh often as she talks to them in their native tongue, Kinyarwanda. We pray over one of her workers, who is sick possibly with Malaria. Adeline says she will buy him some tablets that will help him.

As we continued to walk, she showed us her banana plantation. It is big with green bananas hanging in the branches. Adeline had become concerned for a young family with three small children without a home. She built them a small brick home and told them they could plant vegetables between the
banana trees in exchange for taking care of the plantation and they are now very happy.

Adeline said the purpose of her farm is to feed her family and to bless others with healthy food. Adeline is a good cook and the cooking is still done outback on coals and the meals are 5 or 6 courses and very delicious.

“She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.”
After the 1994, Tutsi genocide in Rwanda, while her husband was away studying, she opened her home and welcomed in 30 young men who had been left homeless. She laid mattresses on the floor and would make large amounts of porridge for breakfast. She would have them all get in line with a cup including her own children.

“Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.” Pastor Straton has a large church called “Eglise Vivante de Jesus Christ (The living Church of Jesus Christ) in Kigali. His church is a Purpose Driven Church setting an example for many churches in Africa. On the roof in large letters is painted JESUS CHRIST. In his office, sets a picture of him with President George and Laura Bush. Pastor Straton has 30 branch churches that he oversees, some long distances from Kigali. They also have a large ministry to street kids which they prepare meals for twice a week. They also have a large outreach to people with HIV/AIDS. If you would like to view a video of Pastor Straton, please go to this web site http://www.thepeaceplan.com/ Then click on video and click on the name Straton.

Adeline takes sacks of her homegrown rice, fresh milk from her cows and homegrown vegetables to the HIV infected. She delivers it with her love and prayers and it makes them very happy.

“She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.”
Adeline’s laughter and humor rings throughout their home. One night after one of her delicious and healthy homemade dinners, she and Straton showed us how they used to dance. While the children laughed, she continued to hum and dance alone. Pastor Straton said we’d all have to pray to get her to stop. One of her beautiful daughter’s Clarisse, laughed so hard she was holding her stomach.

“She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.”
One morning before breakfast, she had hoed up the land by her back gate in preparation to planting a kitchen garden. She also has a nice compost pile cooking in her back yard.

“Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:”
Adeline and Straton have five children and they are all very loving, beautiful and respectful. They lost their 1st born son, Serge, at sixteen to leukemia. Adeline uses her walk through grief to help others. When she hears of the death of a child, she immediately goes to comfort the family. She says, “Sometimes I just hold them and cry with them, as a look of sorrow crosses her beautiful face.”

After the loss of their brother, the children pleaded with them to have another child. When their youngest, Rebeccah was 6 years old, God blessed them with a baby boy, Jonathan. He is now 10 yrs old and continues to fill their lives with joy.

“Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.”
Adeline’s deep love for God and her faith is so real it’s almost tangible. In her prayers, she always thanks Jesus for everything and then asks Him to help those who don’t have food to eat. Adeline puts feet under her prayers as she is always blessing someone. After a severe rain, her neighbor’s house flooded. For several hours, Adeline and her workers were out cleaning a canal to channel the water away from her home. This lady so appreciates the help and tells Adeline she is the only one who understands. Her lifestyle is one of love, serving, it encourages and helps many people. Her neighbor’s husband is in prison and she is raising 4 children by herself. She provides for her family by putting a large basket of fruit and vegetables on her head and walks the street selling them.

“Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting: but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring praise at the city gates.” Adeline is greatly admired and respected wherever she goes. In Africa, older woman are called Mama by younger people. People call Adeline, Mama Pastor or ‘Mama Serge’ after her first born son. She offers hospitality to anyone and everyone. Hers is a lifestyle to be modeled by all of us.

Teaching How to Grow a Year-around Food Factory

2009-10-03T02:08:00.001-07:00

Teaching people how to build and experience
a year-around food factory so they can teach others.
Rwanda Africa

Connie Loves Babies

2009-10-03T02:06:00.001-07:00

Bicycles used as Trucks

2009-09-26T09:57:00.000-07:00

Ye BaBa Wa! Means WOW

Easier than a stroller

2009-09-26T09:53:00.000-07:00

Happy Baby

Church Compost Pile

2009-09-25T07:55:00.001-07:00

Making a compost pile with the ladies at Pastor
Straton's church, Vivante Church in Kigali, Rwanda.

Prison Gardens

2009-09-25T07:42:00.000-07:00

We explained how to make compost and improved
gardening tecniques to the prison warden. He was
quite interested.

Building a Compost Pile with Widows in Kigali

2009-09-25T07:31:00.000-07:00

These are Genocide Widows learning new ways
to grow their own food.

They support each other by making baskets and jewlry
out of rolled up paper that are very pretty.

Staying with Pastor Straton and Adeline

2009-09-25T07:18:00.000-07:00

Life in Africa

2009-09-25T06:46:00.000-07:00

An overview of our life in Africa

We did it! We pulled up our Montana stakes, and are now pitching camp in Africa for 6 month. The first two weeks my wife, Connie, and I had the privilege of teaching 8 days in the very rural village of Lobi, Malawi. This was the first part of our new lifetime adventure.

First in Malawi on a garden production assignment for a CNFA Farmer to Farmer Project, next in Rwanda connected with Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church P.E.A.C.E. Plan and then on to Look Development, a new orphanage project in Ethiopia founded by Matt and Amanda DeSarro’s our good friends in Montana.

When I say teaching, I’m really saying learning how millions of Africa people are living similar to how people lived way back in the biblical days and then adjusting our modern ways of thinking to become effective teachers.

These people are people of the land. They walk everywhere, most have no transportation and live without - without electricity, no running water, without cars, indoor bathrooms are rare, no flashlights, no stoves, or refrigerators or washing machines, etc. Clothes are hand washed and usually hung on bushes to dry. Most Africans cook on open fires in small huts even in the nicer homes in the larger cities. We are learning how they live well with what we would call WITHOUT. Like - Hot water comes only from an open fire.

For example, we American Newbie’s (new to Africa) stumble down a dirt road, in pitch darkness holding a small flash light, while thousands of very happy African people especially small children, easily navigate these very rutted roads in total darkness. I’m still in awe as how they do that, perhaps because many go barefoot, they somehow see with their feet. I don’t know.

The reason I can say “live well” WITHOUT, we hear no grumbling or complaining but instead laughing and singing fill the air. The Malawian’s are hospitable and proud as they offer us sima (a cooked maze, a white corn dish that some eat three times a day and seems to love it). Another area of adjustment for us and perhaps to teach them, they don’t consume raw vegetables as we do. Change comes hard.

They have large families and often take in orphans besides, where they live in very small brick and/or mud buildings. Daily we see thousands of people packing tons of water from bore holes and muddy streams. Picture this, smiling children, water on each child’s head, happily chatting away or singing, as they make their daily trip to the water hole.

Millions of African farmers work very hard, chopping away at rock hard clay soils with a large hoe planting corn and beans on small farm plots. Even woman with small babies strapped to their backs, swinging the heavy hoe, which is really their plow. It’s amazing how happy they all are as they smile and wave as we pass by.

My wife asked a young mother to show her how to tie a small child tightly to her back. Immediately the baby just calms down with his stomach pushed flat against Connie’s back. Then my wife goes outside to inspect where this family can plant a kitchen garden and the baby is as happy and quiet as if still in the womb. Connie said it was very comfortable and she even practiced hoeing and she could hardly feel the baby on her back. Also their children can set through a 3 hour church service appearing content and happy. There is something we could all learn from this.

Actually we are teaching about new ways to grow food in very small places, both in Malawi and in Rwanda,where we are living now and later in Ethiopia. It appears that African’s agriculture food production is mainly rain dependent. We are learning how to slowly change the rain dependent mind-set (paradigm) which is very hard. As we travel about teaching new gardening techniques such as home kitchen gardens that require very little water or trenched-in compost gardening and portable bucket gardens, we have some success.

We also teach sessions on how to make really good compost, and then we actually go out and build a compost pile. We feel successful as the people become excited and start teaching each other. However; the challenge is, they don’t see the potential on the same scale that we do. Again change comes hard.

We see very important resources going to waste such as burning fields everywhere. Daily the skies are full of smoke sending valuable carbon up in to the atmosphere, instead this life supporting resource could be sent downward into the soil where it, the compost that we call black gold, would greatly improve their soils, crops and gardening practices.

I would like to make a bumper sticker that says: “SAVE AFRICA – DON’T BURN – COMPOST!” With all the international attention on climate change these days all of us must consider better ways to store carbon in soils. After all if you don’t feed the soils, the soils won’t feed you.

That is part of our small effort while here in Africa, to teach people that they can grow very healthy food right next to their homes with very little effort. Our hearts go out to all these people packing all that water daily from all the bore holes and ponds.

We have a few teaching gardens started using clean recycled wash water placed in 5 liter water bottles with holes drilled into the lid. The people just squeeze the bottle onto each seed planted in a small dish shaped impression planted in good top soil. That way, they do not waste their hard earned valuable water. This also slows down weed germination by not watering the whole garden area.

We are starting to accomplish the real purpose we have traveled so far from home. We visited a Prison in Kigali, Rwanda the capital city of 1,000,000 people and presented some of our ideas, they are going to have us come back an assist them with build compost piles and demonstration gardens. Also schools, a widow shelter, a hospital, and several churches have requested these new gardening ideas. It’s rewarding when they say they get it! It’s rewarding when they say they get it! Ya Baba Wa! which means WOW!

These ideas are catching on with our focus; WORK LESS – GROW MORE - a motivational incentive that we keep talking about. African is teaching us how to live without, as we teach them new ways to grow food. Change comes hard as I said. Please pray for us to be successful in teaching teachers to spread these new ideas to those in need.

Wayne & Connie normally reside in Absarokee, Montana USA, and will pull stakes again and head back home sometime in March of 2010.

Malawi Photo

2009-09-04T03:51:00.000-07:00

Lobi, Malawi Market

Afruca Bound Part 1

2009-09-04T03:44:00.000-07:00

AFRICA BOUND (Part 1)

Our journey toward Africa began when we hooked up our little camper trailer and headed for warmer weather in California on Dec 27, 2008.

We met Donna and Barry Woodbridge, at Eden, Utah when we attended the Square Foot Gardening classes. Wayne had been visiting with Barry via e-mail and he and Donna invited us to the Rose bowl Parade. We accepted their invitation and it was wonderful to experience the warm weather and so many flowers. I LOVE FLOWERS, maybe I AM A FLOWER JUNKIE.

We had a wonderful time with Donna and Barry. They treated us like old friends and they took us to many wonderful places that we would never experienced without them. Donna included me in her circle of friends and she became very dear to me. She is always helping someone, they have an outreach to the homeless through their church that she heads up.

One night Barry and Donna invited friends over for dinner and showed the movie, “Faith Like Potatoes” that we had bought while in South Africa. We handed out Salmon River Pumpkin Seeds from Mt.

Barry had helped a team from Saddleback Church that had gone to Rwanda so one Sat. night we went together to church. We fell in love with Saddleback Church and Rick Warren’s messages. It truly is a Purpose Driven Church and they practice loving people very well!!!!! Their outreach is truly amazing.

After service we went to the Soup Plantation where we met Roc and Denis Paez, Donna Mchaffey, Carri, Lori. They were so warm and showed us their Rwanda Photos from their mission trip through Saddleback. Almost immediately, they asked us if we would want to join their next trip to Rwanda.

We were amazed!!!! We knew it was a God Thing, which made it very exciting and humbling.

Before we knew it, we were living in Rancho Santa Margarita, Ca, with Donna Mchaffey. The first night as I lay in bed, I pinched myself wondering if it was a dream.
Donna and I became fast friends. She was such a sweet, giving person, always laughing or loving. She hosted most of the team meetings and it was always so great.

Denis and Roc were just as wonderful. Wayne enjoyed them so much. Roc even treated Wayne to a men’s retreat that he really enjoyed. He and Denis went to Foundations class and men’s bible studies, THE HERD (grooooowl.) I don’t know if Wayne’s ever had such a good time being with those great God-loving guys. I watched him grow in the Lord!

We did everything we could at Saddleback to prepare to go to Rwanda. We attended a Peace conference, first aide classes, 101 classes etc. It was a very special time for us.

We watched sadly as plans changed for people in our team. I really didn’t want to go without our dear friends, Donna & Denis but Wayne was bursting with an urgency to go asap and before long our team consisted of Roc and Mary, me and Wayne. We continued to meet with them via internet and phone until our departure in August. Russ Carter met with us weekly as our coach and he helped us all so much.

In Montana, Wayne put together a gardening booklet and we started receiving invitations to give talks to many organizations, churches and groups just as we had in California. God definitely surrounded us with His favor as people would buy the booklet and give donation toward our trip to Africa. We earned enough for one airline ticket, a huge blessing.

In June, Donna and Denis came to visit us in Montana all the way from Southern California. They helped us with a portable garden which was hauled to a parade in Fishtail, Montana. We called this effort “Have Garden - Will Travel” -Help us take these ideas to Africa. Our time with them was full of fun.

As our departure date to Africa grew closer, I felt more and more inadequate. One day I told my friend, Cricket that I didn’t know why God would allow me to go to Africa? I couldn’t sing, dance, play a guitar, sew, etc. What did I have to offer? She so sweetly said, “But the greatest of these is love, and you love people well.” I was so blessed and encouraged by her words.

I had been telling Jesus the same things and I asked Him if he could help me find something special that I could share with the African people. He answered in the most unusual way.

On a trip home from Iowa where Wayne had given a series of workshops, we were in Yonkers S.D. I saw this park full of people and thought it was a Farmers Market. We went to investigate and found that it was a huge outreach to Native Americans. I walked over to a booth that had a banner that said, ‘Need Prayer’. As I watched, I saw a lady ask a couple of boys if she could share the Good News bracelet with them. In a few minutes, she told them the meaning of the 5 beads, which was the salvation message. She put the bracelets on them and gave them a tract with scriptures and deeper revelation.

I became so excited that I was jumping up and down inside knowing that God had blessed me with this simple idea to spread His love across Africa. It was just as if Jesus had given me a million dollars.

I found out the name of the lady that had made them. She lived in Florida and I contacted her, Lisa Williams, to ask if I could duplicate the bracelets and the tract. We had a nice visit and she said she would send me the tract through the computer on Word.

Instead ten days later, I received a box from Florida full of Good News Bracelets and tracts in little plastic bags. I was so surprised and blessed and again very humbled. It was Lisa and her family’s gift to take to the African people. Some people are just too nice for this world. I know God will richly bless them for this amazing gift. Proverbs 11:25 “A generous person will prosper; he who refreshes others will be refreshed.”

Thank you so much Lisa and family or in Kinyarwanda, mwakoze cyane in Rwanda. In Malawi the language is called Chichewa and thank you is Zikomo, anyway we say it, it would never be enough.

If the good Lord is willing, we will spend 90 days in Rwanda teaching gardening and helping in any way that He leads.

In Dec. we plan to go to Ethiopia to partner with our dear friends/adopted family, Matt and Amanda DeSarro. They have an outreach to orphans through a non-profit they organized called, “Look Development. Take a look at their Web site to learn more. http://www.hoperanchofmt.org/lookdevelopment.htm
We want to stay there 90 days and start gardens with these kids so they can become sustainable, raising enough veggies to feed themselves, others and also to sell.

Saddleback Church stresses that everyone needs to be in a small group that meets weekly. Rick Warren says he knows people will grow and become healthy in a small group. Matt and Amanda and their 4 beautiful children became our small group. We did the series, “40 days of Love”. We learned so much and enjoyed the fellowship and fun with the DeSarro family.

Stay tuned for the rest of the STORIES

Key Hole Seed Saver Garden

2009-09-01T10:41:00.001-07:00

Wayne and Connie in Malawi - in a Key Hole
Garden designed to save seed from some
rare vegetables.

Malawi Gardeners

2009-09-01T08:37:00.001-07:00

We were sent to a rural African village called Lobi, Malawi
with the Farmer to Farmer CNFA project.
They built their first home garden 1 meter by 2 meter
It worked will and some of these folks were going home and build one
for themselves. Just what we wanted to teach.
Most did not have gardens close to their Mud and Brick homes

2009-07-22T05:45:00.000-07:00

African Style Kitchen Garden

2009-07-22T05:17:00.000-07:00

Homegrown "Fast Food"

2009-07-21T19:01:00.000-07:00

This is how this effort started

2009-07-21T16:56:00.000-07:00

On a farmer to farmer trip to South Africa in 2008 our modern agricultural ideas would not work under certain African conditions especially near "informal settlements".
Many African folks have very little money to spend and if food is available for easy picking it is taken by others in need.
While on the plane ride home (some 36 hours) I came up with the above drawing, thinking about portable food gardens ("meals-on-wheels") that could be grown just outside the door of a small dwelling. It could be watered with wash water (gray water).

newwaystofeedtheworld

2009-07-21T15:50:00.000-07:00

NEW WAYS TO FEED THE WORLD
By Wayne and Connie Burleson

Bucket Gardening Ideas

Follow us as we journey to Africa on a humanitarian Vegetable Gardening Mission Trip

Healthy Soils = Healthy Life = Healthy People
Click on above link for more information