GROWING VEGETABLES – NATURE’S WAY TO WEALTH

WHAT?

No need to rest your garden in winter?

No need for crop rotation?

Your garden virtually looks after itself? 
AND  produces many times more than other growing methods,
PLUS it regenerates itself year after year, all by itself?

No pests  in your vegetable patch?

Virtually no weeds?

No digging your vegetable garden?

Your vegetable patch needs very little water?

Surely not.

Oh! yes, it is true.

The Food4Wealth’s special planting arrangement mimics nature on the same principle as one finds in a forest.

The forest does not plough, nor does it burn.
Where the leaves and branches fall, that is where they lie.

And in the carpet that forms in the forest, aerobic and anaerobic microbes set to work.
Nature has had these things under control for millions of years.
It’s only humans who have made things more complicated. 

In the same way, ecological vegetable gardening provides interdependent relationships
between the living components.

These relationships mutually benefit the various components,
so the vegetable garden actually runs all by itself.
because the Food4Wealth vegetable plot is a natural ecosystem. 

Regular harvesting maintains the ideal vegetation balance required to run the garden like a natural ecosystem. 

It’s the ultimate win-win situation.  

Harvesting is good for people, but it’s also good for the garden. 

The biggest challenge that faces modern vegetable growing,
is to incorporate –

pest ecology
plant ecology
soil ecology, and
crop management
into a method that is reliable and efficient.

Until now this has never been achieved.
BUT!
The Food4Wealth method naturally combines all of these factors without any effort. 

Most of us don’t have much time to spend in the garden.  Jonathan White only invests around eight hours per year to growing his food, and although he lives on a small farm, he only uses a space of around 6m x 6m.  That’s an area that could fit into many suburban backyards several times over. 

Jonathan’s vegetable garden

The most wonderful thing about this method is that he knows he can ignore his vegetable garden for months and it won’t miss a beat. 

So, if you believe growing food is only for tough, bearded warriors with a lot of time – think again.  

ECOLOGICAL gardening is JUST the thing for YOU.

GROWING VEGETABLES – AND GUINEA FOWL

Town brings in Guinea fowl to control tick population

I would never have believed that Guinea fowl could be useful around vegetable gardens.

There are only three things I know about Guinea fowl:

1. They are pretty
2. Initially, I had only seen them portrayed on quilts, pottery and toys
3. Then in June 2012 I saw them “in the flesh” for the first time – and they were disciplining a recalcitrant member of their posse.

But at lunch with a friend at Ninos coffee shop one day I turned to Mary and said, “You are famous. Your veggie bathtub is on the internet.”

Johannesburg Zoo

This set off a discussion on vegetable gardening and pest control, and soon Mary was telling us that the Johannesburg Zoo keeps Guinea fowl to reduce the rat population and insects.

I was fascinated by this snippet. Rats can play havoc with your vegetable garden.
I know that lemon mint repels rats.
But this was the first time I had heard that Guinea fowl kill them.

Conversation turned to stopping snails in their tracks with coffee grounds and crushed eggshells, only to learn that Mary, having worked at the Johannesburg Zoo for 26 years, collected vegetable devouring snails from her garden and put them in a tub in her fridge freezer! As soon as she had a goodly amount, out came the tub of snails which she took to feed the birds at the zoo.

Back to vegetable gardens and Guinea fowl
You will be pleased to know that this bird is very useful in your garden.

• It seldom, if ever, bothers your vegetables or flowers; living instead on insects and grasses.
• They control deer ticks, wood ticks, grasshoppers, box elder bugs, flies crickets, and all other insects.
• Apart from eating mice and small rats, their noisy call will actually discourage rodents.
• They also kill snakes, and,
• if you are security conscious, they will alert you to anything unusual going on, on your property (perhaps neighbours who may covet your vegetables in the deep of night?)

So, give it a thought – if you are struggling to control pests and insects in and around where you are growing vegetables, get yourself a posse of Guinea fowl.

You can actually train them to come when you call.

And if you have a problem with bees, hornets or wasps, all you have to do is show it where the insects congregate, and you’ll be able to move around your garden without fear of being stung – the Guinea fowl will do the rest.

A wonderful addition to your vegetable garden, don’t you think?

GROWING VEGETABLES – eBOOK AND VIDEO PACKAGE

WHAT WILL YOU GET WHEN YOU PURCHASE THE FOOD4WEALTH eBOOK AND VIDEO PACKAGE?

1. Firstly, Food4Wealth is a sustainable, ecological vegetable growing model, professionally produced by the environmental scientist, Jonathan White
2. It is extremely easy to read and easy to understand.
3. The Food4Wealth model will show you how to setup your own organic food garden completely.
4. You will be taken through the entire process of growing your own vegetables in in a very small amount of space – for just a few hours effort. 

• His Food4Wealth ebook contains 80 pages
• and 60 minutes of videos.

The Key Principles of the Ecological Gardening Method

1. Plant densely
2. Plant a diversity of plants within a given area
3. Get a good composting system set up and use the compost as a surface mulch on bare patches
4. Allow some plants to go to seed
5. Only interfere with the system when a single species of plant over-dominates and simply scratch out excess plants when they are small. 

His vegetable growing package also includes:

• project plans
• checklists
• a maintenance plan
• materials list
• provides detailed tips, tricks and techniques to grow organic food successfully 
• email support with all replies sent within 24 hours.

FREE REPORT:  “What is ecological gardening?” click here.

TO
PURCHASE
YOUR VERY OWN
eBOOK and SET OF VIDEOS
CLICK HERE.

GROWING VEGETABLES FOR THE LESS FORTUNATE

“WHO IS MY NEIGHBOUR?”

One of SUCCESSFUL GARDENING PROJECTS’ aims is to encourage us all to think not only of ourselves, but of our neighbours and those in need.

Elkhart County (USA) are doing exactly this.

May the reblog of their August post spur you and whatever group you are part of, to do something similar in your own community

Elkhart County Grassroots Hub

Helping hands come in all shapes and sizes.

Elkhart County’s community gardens bring people together of all ages and from every walk of life. You DON’T have to be an experienced gardener to be of assistance. One woman who picked beans last night told me that she had never before picked a bean in her life. But, she said she likes how working in the garden makes her feel. “This feeds people here in our community,” she explains. “We can get a little sweaty and dirty for someone else. Giving back is a good thing.”

‘Seed to Feed’s’ coordinator, Dave Hochstetler, says that the vegetables are coming in so plentifully that “Seed to Feed” needs 30 pickers each time: Mondays at 9 a.m., Tuesdays at 7 p.m. Tell your churches, tell your clubs, tell your families. Great group project. Call Dave for details: 574-349-4905 or dhhooch@aol.com .

Related articles

• How to get emergency assistance in Elkhart…

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VEGETABLE GROWING – KEEP THE SOIL “ON THE GROUND”

Soil erosion

Is your vegetable garden’s soil frittering away through soil erosion?

Here is a shocking statistic – though soil erosion is a natural process, human activity accelerates soil loss up to 24 billion tonnes every year. [1]

This is even more concerning, especially as topsoil contains most of the soil’s nutrients and organic matter. As one author put it, “Soil erosion: it can run away with your farm.” [3] (or even your vegetable patch!)

Add to this, wind, and the speed at which rain drops hit the earth (4.5 to 19 mph), can you afford to turn your hand at vegetable gardening or farming if the soil just won’t lie down?

HOW TO KEEP THE SOIL IN YOUR GARDEN – ON THE GROUND

The short answer is – mulch your vegetable garden . (You knew that, didn’t you.)

But here is something you may not know – don’t dig over your soil.
You’re probably wondering,
“If I don’t dig over the soil, how will I plant the seed/seedlings?”

To answer this question let me first tell you about two microbial life forms in your vegetable patch:
1. Aerobic microherd – these are all microbes that absolutely need oxygen in order to survive.
2. Anaerobic microherd – these are all microbes that don’t need oxygen to survive, but may or may not use oxygen in their life cycles.

If you dig over the soil in your vegetable garden, the microbes assigned their place in life will be turned upside down, and will die. Aerobic and anaerobic microbes are there to help you grow your vegetables to their optimum potential by improving he soil’s health and texture.

Consequence of digging over your garden?
Bang! goes your attempt at growing vegetables.

The answer?
Don’t plough, don’t overturn the soil like our predecessors taught us.

Here’s what you do:

• You dig only where you will place the seed or seedling – click here to see how it is done.

Mulching
I had a wonderful time in Mwinilunga (Zambia’s North West Province). In 2009 Chief Kanyama invited me to train 36 villagers in the Farming God’s Way method (or, Foundations for Farming). They had never heard of mulching. But as soon as they understood the value of retaining moisture and keeping the ground “on the ground,” they set to it with vigour, collecting straw and old maize stalks to cover the land. They are now reaping harvests not heard of in their farming history.

The Benefits of Mulching[4]
• Mulching is essential to the survival of your landscape during a drought. Mulch will reduce the amount of water that evaporates from your soil, greatly reducing your need to water your vegetable plants.

• …improves the quality of your soil by breaking up clay and allowing better water and air movement through the soil. Mulch provides nutrients to sandy soil and improves its ability to hold water.

• …acts as an insulating layer on top of soil, keeping it cooler in the summer.

• …keeps weeds down, and the weeds that do grow are much easier to pull.

So! Are you ready to grow vegetables successfully?

Let me know how this has made a difference to the health of your vegetables.

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Acknowledgements

[1] http://www.envirothon.org/pdf/CG/using_the_USLE.pdf

[2] http://www2.kenyon.edu/projects/farmschool/types/soil.htmhttps://www.google.co.za/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=speed+at+which+rain+hits+the+soil&oq=speed+at+which+rain+hits+the+soil&gs_l

[3] http://faq.gardenweb.com/faq/lists/organic/2002114848008095.html

[4] http://www.ccwater.com/files/Drought101Mulch.pdf

GROWING VEGETABLES – THE “COMPANION PLANTING” WAY

Margaret Roberts’ passion for growing vegetables and herbs is clearly evident in the way she writes in her book titled, “Companion Planting.”

Each herb and vegetable is introduced with a short history of the plant, its culinary, medicinal and pest repellent properties. She has trialed each and every entry in her many books, and pioneered organic methods before the word “organic” was ever coined.

There is so much to garner from her books.

The first book I bought I gave to a Chief in Kanyama, Mwinilunga District, Zambia. I could not do without my own copy for along, so, I bought another copy – and was robbed!.

So I bought a third copy.

As you can tell, I am passionate about growing vegetables the Companion Planting way. There is much information to be culled from it. For instance, I set up two Excel schedules: one reflected the medicinal properties of the herbs and the ailments it can either relieve or cure. The other dealt with herbs that could control pests.

Margaret Roberts also provides recipes for sprays to protect your vegetables and herbs, and provides references to herbs that break down compost.

In her book, “The Essential Margaret Roberts, my 100 Favourite herbs,” she outlines how to plan a herb garden, propagation of vegetables plants, and much-much more.

For more information on Margaret Roberts Herbal Centre, click here.

WHAT IS “FARMING GOD’S WAY”?

Farming God’s Way, as the middle word attests, is a farming model unashamedly based on biblical as well as practical principles, like no other.

No burning/ploughing
It overturns the idea that one has to plough the land and burn the old maize stalks and bean vines.

Debunks the myths of poverty
On another level, the biblical training addresses the myths of poverty. Those who have implemented Farming God’s Way confirm that, not only does Farming God’s Way work (agriculturally), but it has set them free to prosper.

Soil improvement
By addressing the consequences of ploughing and burning the fields, farmers mindsets are challenged to implement zero tillage, mulching, and composting.

Click here to read more: BROCHURE.

ANSWER TO “WHY PLANT USING THE FOOD4WEALTH METHOD?”

Food4Wealth vegetable garden

WHY BUY THE FOOD4WEALTH PRODUCT?

It is the leading gardening information product

Food4Wealth is the leading information product in a new market of DIY’ers, families and retirees seeking to grow their own food.

The motivation for buying the Food4Wealth manual and videos is simple – there is an ever growing concern over

food security,
quality,
and affordability around the world.

Food4Wealth is a simple method explained in a way that any person can easily start growing their own food and take control of their food supply.

ANSWERS TO INCREASED YIELDS
Food4Wealth provides answers for a growing market of gardeners seeking new ways of solving the many problems they face in their gardens. Food4Wealth has helped hundreds of seasoned gardeners increase their yield and reduce their workload with fresh, innovative ideas.

ORGANICALLY GROWN PRODUCE vs ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION

People are creating more demand for organically grown products as commercial agriculture continues to contribute to large-scale environmental degradation.
Food4Wealth is the most environmentally and ecologically positive method of growing organic food.

Jonathan White

ABOUT THE FOOD4WEALTH AUTHOR

Jonathan White, an experienced, professional environmental scientist and gardener. Growing food has been his lifelong passion.

With over 20 years’ experience and personal research, Jonathan has developed a comprehensive package of techniques to allow gardeners to enjoy growing food in their plots with higher yields and less work.

His easy-to-understand style makes Food4Wealth perfect for beginners and advanced gardeners alike.

Childhood
He started his first vegetable garden in his parent’s backyard at the age of seven.
Most of his childhood was spent bare-footed in the Australian bush, where a deep love of the natural environment was born.

University

After finishing school –
he completed a Bachelor of Applied Science in Ecology and Natural Resources,
and later gained qualifications in Horticulture and Landscape Design.

It is little wonder that he has developed a system of growing food that incorporates his two disciplines: horticulture and ecology.

He has written and published
a number of books about in­door plants and interior landscaping and, currently teaches  a range of horticulture, landscape design and environmental science courses with Lifestyle Learning Direct, a well-respected adult education facility. In fact, he wrote their Garden Design and Landscaping Course and has helped hundreds of students graduate in a range of professional courses.

His main aim in life is to help people of all walks of life expe­rience the wonder and joy of living a simple, healthy life.

He lives with his wife and children on a small farm surrounded by a menagerie of animals, and of course, a flourishing Food­4Wealth plot.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BOOKS BY JONATHAN WHITE

The Ecological Gardener
* Garden Design and Installation
* New gardens and existing garden makeovers
* Specialist in Native and Drought Tolerant Gardens
* General garden maintenance
* Fully Insured and easy to deal with
Qualifications: Degree in Ecology & Natural Resources.

 

GROWING VEGETABLES – A SUCCESS STORY (cont’d)

Clearing a field in Kanyamaland

Later, after I had shared with him about Farming God’s way while we sat under a thatched gazebo he kept repeating something to his retainer (assistant) in the Lunda dialect.

I noticed there was a hint of tears in his eyes. His retainer turned to me and translated: “The Chief says he’s overwhelmed. He’s overwhelmed…overwhelmed!

Apparently over a period of six years the Chief had promises from two guys who had offered to train his villagers in Farming God’s Way, but they had failed to follow through on their promises. Now here before him was an “old” lady who had come all the way from South Africa – whom he did not know – who was available and offering to do the job. 

2010/2011

A fall in February 2010 in which my collarbone and thumb broke meant I could not return in May 2010 to follow up on the training with Chief Kanyama’s villagers. This was particularly disheartening as the accident set the five-year oversight programme back a full year.  But by July 2011 my passion (and the Lord’s) to settle in Mwinilunga could no longer be delayed, and by 15 December 2011 I was on my way, lock, stock and barrel (the saga is recounted in http://backthewaywecame.wordpress.com/).

Sadly, all communication was lost between Chief Kanyama and myself between 2009 and 2011due to consistent cell phone and internet network failure, and miscommunication at other times, via an intermediary.

2012

It was therefore only in June 2012 that I learned of the “first in a lifetime” abundant harvests being reaped in Chief Kanyama’s Kingdom as a result of implementing the training they had received – Farming God’s Way . A staff member at Keepers International, a civil engineer working on a hydro project in Kanyama Kingdom, the District Commissioner and members of the Department of Agriculture in Mwinilunga were all equally amazed at the results of this training.

This truly is a success story and validates the belief that Farming God’s Way is the way to go when training the poor. Not only that they may have food to eat, but they will learn to run their farms as a business to enable them to send their children to school, build homes for their families, afford medical treatment, and much, much more.

For further information about Farming God’s Way, click on this link – FGW

GROWING VEGETABLES – A SUCCESS STORY (Part 1)

Maize fields

JULY 2009

(Farming God’s Way)

Double harvests in Chief Kanyama’s kingdom

“You should meet Chief Kanyama”, said my friend, Vincent when I told him about Farming God’s Way. “I’m sure he would want to hear about your program. But unfortunately, he’s already left the boma” [village].

What a pity, I thought. To train a chief and the poor in his village would be just the environment in which to showcase the effectiveness of the Farming God’s Way model of cropping. Disappointed that I had missed him I decided to take walk in the warm July sun, and directed my steps to the KwaKuwahi Lodge situated on the banks of the Lunga River.

Later, on my return to the boma, while thirstily downing two orange Fanta drinks one after the other on the Lido Restaurant verandah , I noticed four men approaching as if to pass by. They looked like an interesting group so I called out to them, and we spent some time chatting awhile. Just as they were about to go on their way a black Pajero drew up at the steps of the Lido’s veranda. Out of the vehicle stepped a tall, well-built Zambian man dressed in an orange-white-and-black Hawaian-type shirt, black trousers, and wearing a black cowboy hat.

“That’s Chief Kanyama”, whispered one of the four men, in hushed tones.

“Chief Kanyama!” I squeaked. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, he replied.”

Like a star-struck teenager I dashed up the stairs after him, and hearing my footsteps he turned to see who was behind him.

“Are you Chief Kanyama?” I asked. “Yes,” he replied, hesitantly, a bit bemused. I quickly introduced myself to him and asked whether he would be available that day, as I would like to tell him about Farming God’s Way. And graciously he agreed to a 16h30 appointment.

Later, after I had shared with him about Farming God’s way while we sat under a thatched gazebo he kept repeating something to his retainer (assistant) in the Lunda dialect (continue here).