Agriculture – Sustainable Farming

Sustainable Agriculture meets the needs of the present without compromising the needs of future generations. It does so by embracing three main goals — environmental health, economic profitability, and social and economic equity. The following documents offer a means to this end.

Village Volunteers is committed to the conscientious use of resources.
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Bee Keeping

• Bee Keeping Gloves
  Gloves are especially important for beginner beekeepers and when bees are very vicious. The best bee glove does not allow stings to go through, and allows you to work in a confident way.

• Bee Keeping Mask
  Learn to make this veil to protect your head and neck while bee keeping.

• Bee Keeping Terms
  Vocabulary and definitions that aid in the understanding and management of bees.

Chickens

• Raising Chickens
  Introducing soft management practices to a family or village flock of chickens increases yields of both eggs and meat.

• Chicken Tractor
  Learn about adaptable housing design for village chicken flocks.

Composting

• Compost for Soil Enrichment
  Design a compost bin, creating an ecosystem for macro- and micro-organisms that break down raw organic material into dark nutrient rich soil.

• Vermicomposting
  Learn to manage vermicompost (also called worm compost, vermicast, worm castings, worm humus or worm manure), the base-product of the breakdown of natural material by earthworms used as a nutrient-rich, organic fertilizer, and soil conditioner.

General Agriculture

• Community Grain Banks
  Grain banks store grain within a village, making it available to people at fair prices during times of shortage. Learn to assist in community building and management of one.

• Organic Farming Can Feed the World
  Switching to organic farming would have different effects according to where in the world you live and how you currently farm. Studies show that the less-industrialized world stands to benefit the most. Learn more!

• Case Against GMO
  Learn 10 reasons why genetically modified food can’t deliver a safe, secure future food supply.

• PILLARS and KEY STRATEGIES for Sustainable Agriculture for Africa
  Increase food security by introducing small-scale farmers to farming practices that make efficient use of limited resources, require few, if any, external inputs, and protect natural resources (particularly soil fertility) for future generations.

• Sustainable Organic Agriculture (SOA)
  Sustainable implies satisfaction of changing human needs from generation to generation and within a generation. Organic farming systems are based on organic natural input. Learn how these ideas are put into practice.

• Sustainable Organic Agriculture (SOA) for Rural Communities in Development (RUCID)
  As individuals, farmers face many difficult choices with broad scale impacts, albeit with limited understanding of all factors involved. This guide teaches the principles and techniques of SOA.

Organic Farming

• Biointensive Farming Training Manual
  Biointensive farming is a self-help food raising method based on building and maintaining soil fertility and using NO chemicals. It is simple to learn and use, based on sophisticated principles dating back 4000 years in China, 2000 years in Greece, and 300 years in Europe.

• GROW BIOINTENSIVE®
  GROW BIOINTENSIVE® agriculture is less dependent on expensive external inputs, is space intensive, water conserving, depends on less labor, and creates minimal pest problems. Learn eight key steps to GROW BIOINTENSIVE®.

• Pesticides
  Learn how pesticides, which are lethal to insects, vermin, and plant disease, pose significant health risks towards humans as well.

Seed Saving

• Seed Saving Guide
  Learn the seed-saving practices of our ancestor which often resulted in resistance to local disease and pests while gradually adapting to regional climate and soil conditions.