URGENT: GBC must implement varnasrama-dharma

[Guest guest]

Samba das wrote:

 

Even in the cities. Using modern natural

> > farming, it has been shown that 4000 Sq feet is enough to feed a family

> > for a year, using a particular natural farming method (grains in

> > rotation with veggies).

 

Madhava Gosh Prabhu wrote:

 

> Possibly in the tropics

 

Sorry that should have read 4000 Sq feet per person, not for a family. This

comes from data supplied by John Jeavons (I think he works in California).

He is the guy who wrote a book called something like 'How to grow more food

on less land than you can imagine', and also a book entitled 'The

Sustainable Vegetable Garden'. These figures are the results of 27 years of

research and development.

 

When I first heard the title, I thought it was probabaly another one of

those over hyped books. But then, an heirloom seed company that I just

started subscribing to in New Zealand, came out with a very in depth review

of his work, and their head man, actualy went to the US to attend a course.

This company has now fully embraced Mr. Jeavons methods.

 

Have you read any of his stuff?

 

The gist is to grow heirloom type grains over 60 percent of your area, with

the rest being, mostly root crops, and 10 percent vegetables, The heirloom

grains (as opposed to modern agribusiness grains) produce high levels of

carbon (the straw etc) which is what is required for soil building activity.

The balance is to provide the proper nutritional value for a person, as well

as optimum soil building material, with no external input.

 

Here is his summing up of his system which he calls 'biointensive farming'

The principles of which were used in China, also by the Mayans, the Greeks

and the Bolivians, at some time or another.

 

First prepare the soil initialy to 24" deep, sort of quadruple digging. The

goal is to improve soil structure. The minute the soil structure is improved

however, you dont double dig it any more, you simply loosen the soil in the

upper 2" and surface cultivate.

 

Second, you use compost

 

Third due to the deep soil penetration, allowing the roots to grow down

instead of out, you can plant your crops closer together, so that the leaves

touch, or barely touch. this increases the yields drasticaly over 'normal'

patterns, i.e. leaving barren rows.

 

Fourth. is companion planting.

 

Fifth, You have to follow the whole system, simply planting closer together

wihtout the right soil preparation wont work.

 

Sixth, carbon gardening, and farming for compost materials, seventh, Calorie

gardening, and farming for complete diet growing, and eighth, the use of

open pollinated seeds for the preservation of genetic diversity.

 

YS

 

By the way. Should we continue to add Vedic psychology to this thread? I

dont know how we got here to begin with.

[Guest guest]

>

> Have you read any of his stuff?

 

No.

 

>

>

> The gist is to grow heirloom type grains over 60 percent of your area, with

> the rest being, mostly root crops, and 10 percent vegetables, The heirloom

> grains (as opposed to modern agribusiness grains) produce high levels of

> carbon (the straw etc) which is what is required for soil building activity.

 

Yes, even in my life span I can recall the older varieties of wheat being

replaced by the modern varieties. We used to call them dwarf wheats, as they

were so short.

 

>

> First prepare the soil initialy to 24" deep, sort of quadruple digging. The

> goal is to improve soil structure. The minute the soil structure is improved

> however, you dont double dig it any more, you simply loosen the soil in the

> upper 2" and surface cultivate.

>

 

In my raised beds a use a broadfork. it is about 18" wide with 1 foot long

tines. We hoe the surface and dig out perennial roots, then you stand on the

cross bar and sink in the tines, wiggle it back and forth a little, and just

pull it out without turning the soil.

 

>

> Second, you use compost

 

Black gold

 

>

>

> Third due to the deep soil penetration, allowing the roots to grow down

> instead of out, you can plant your crops closer together, so that the leaves

> touch, or barely touch. this increases the yields drasticaly over 'normal'

> patterns, i.e. leaving barren rows.

 

We call that living mulch.

 

>

> YS

>

> By the way. Should we continue to add Vedic psychology to this thread? I

> dont know how we got here to begin with.

 

They asked to be dropped.