Back to the title of this post ... Foundations for Farming ... yup, we are learning a little about farming. Here is an update from Mark on what has been happening this past month.
The early part of 2013, Brad and Jill Hixon as well as Doug
and Debbie Crawford, attended Foundations For Farming (previously known as
Farming God’s Way) training. The Hixon’s
had a vision to help find willing Mozambique church leaders to implement this farming
style. They knew it would have
resistance, as this would break multiple generations of traditional farming
techniques. As the months went,
circumstances played a significant role in which the vision was postponed. After the outreach season, Mark and Alicia
Raley as well as Doug Crawford, assisted Brad with a test field at the Samaria
Mission farm. The test field was not as
successful as they had hoped and realized that farming is an everyday event to
weed and take care of the crops God has put into man’s care.
Brad was able to talk to Ernest Maluleke, Xicumbane Baptist
Church’s grounds keeper and orphan garden keeper, in the latter part of
2013. Brad explained to Ernest the basic
steps of this farming method in hopes that Ernest would implement it. Brad left Ernest in Mozambique knowing that
he would not see Ernest until 2014.
In January 2014, Brad and Mark were blessed to attended another
training of Foundations For Farming. In
this training, Brad and Mark soon realized some of their mistakes they had made
at the Samaria Mission farm test field.
They began to be enthusiastic about training and praying that this
farming style would be beneficial to the rural areas of Mozambique where
fertilizer is limited and where rain is the main source of watering the crops.
During the February 2014 Leadership Training, Brad and Mark
spent two days with Ernest in Xicumbane repairing the shade netting to the
small Church garden.
They were able to
find an old homestead where the thatching from the buildings were on the ground
and not being utilized. Brad and Mark
found themselves transporting the old thatching to the garden site so it could
be used as “God’s Blanket” that keeps moisture in the ground around the crops.
After several trips one day, the thatching
was enough to cover the entire side of the garden that will be using the Foundations
For Farming. The next day, Ernest wanted
more thatching for the other side of the garden to use it as “God’s Blanket” to
help with the other gardening technique Ernest has been doing for years.
While spreading the “Blanket”, several village people came
to investigate what was taking place.
This gave Brad and Mark an opportunity to share how God has provided all
the nutrients in the topsoil and that tilling the ground disturbs those
nutrients and to share how the “blanket” keeps the moisture in the ground so
the evaporation does not take place so quickly and to keep erosion from
happening as the rains would take the topsoil away.
The implementation of this style of farming is tough at
first as to find the heart and will to make it a part of living. As this style of farming is used, it becomes
easier to keep weeds out as the “blanket” also is a type of weeder. The same planting hole, or planting station,
is used every time a new seed is planted.
The hole receives manure in it before the seed so the nutrients that the
crop used are being replenished before the new crop is planted.
The Zimbabwean farmer, Brian Oldreive, who God inspired with this farming technique
to help with rural farmers along with other farmers, have estimated that
Foundations For Farming technique on a hectacre of land could produce 4 tons of
mealies (4000kg of corn) in a single season.
When the season is over for mealies, planting soya beans or bush beans
will help the farmer continue with another cash crop. Not only are these a cash crop, they actually
replenish the nitrogen in the ground that the mealies have depleted.
With this training, Brad and Mark are praying that the
Mozambique churches involved in orphan ministry will be committed to changing
the farm technique to this Foundations for Farming. This farming could not only grow enough
mealies to feed the orphans and widows and their families, but also be able to
produce a cash crop in order to pay for fuel for the water pumps and mealie
grinding machine, more seeds, and other ministry needs. Please pray along for God to change the
hearts of the people in order for orphan and widow ministries to flourish and
to Glorify God.
For more information on Foundations For Farming please look
up and read their website at http://www.foundationsforfarming.org
For an update on the February Leaders Training please take a few minutes to look at pictures on the Samaria Mission Facebook page as well as update on The Crawford's Blog.
For an update on the February Leaders Training please take a few minutes to look at pictures on the Samaria Mission Facebook page as well as update on The Crawford's Blog.
