Information for people working with grassroots, small-scale farmers in non-industrialized countries.
by Michael Pilarski

This is one of the most useful websites in the world for people practicing small scale agriculture and subsistence agriculture, particularly in countries of The South. LEISA Magazine on Low External Input and Sustainable Agriculture is put out by ILEIA. Based in Europe, but mainly info from The South.

The website for the GROW BIOINTENSIVE Sustainable Mini-Farming network. Inspired by the work of John Jeavons in Covelo, California. One of the world's best models of high-productivity gardens. Double-digging is part of it. This gardening model now has an international network with 1,000s of gardeners in Kenya, Mexico, Peru, Ecuador, Russia, Uzbekistan and other countries. The techniques are being found useful in many difficult situations and of course are being adapted. After 30 years of practical research, their information has gotten increasingly sophisticated. The bibliography in the latest version of their book "How to Grow More Vegetables" is one of the best I have seen on sustainable ag including a bibliography on semi-arid, dryland farming with useful citations from the Mid East, a section on gardening in the tropics, etc. I highly recommend their work.

If you send me your postal address, I can send you a free copy of my 1994 publication "Friends of the Trees Third World Resource Guide" to anyone working with gardening, farming, permaculture in non-industralized countries. It was prepared to be used by grass-roots workers in the developing countries of Latin America, Africa, Asia and the Pacific. It reviews 425 organizations, 95 periodicals and 275 useful books, directories, newsletters, and films. Indexed by country. Of course, after 14 years perhaps half of the organizations and contact info are out of date. However, I suspect that 50% of it is still valid and useful. An internet research can help you determine which organizations still exist and their current contact information. We particularly included resources that gave aid or free materials.

I am willing to send a free copy to anyone working at the grassroots in other countries. Just send me your mailing address. At this point it is not in an electronic format. Cost in the United States is $5 postpaid.

Based in Denmark, for many years had a policy of giving a $4,000 grant to help fund the first permaculture design course held in a country where none had been held prior. Ross Jackson is the founder of this fund. www.gaia.org/gaia/gaiatrust/grantshistory/

Gaia Trust is also behind funding and stimulating the formation of GEN. This large network is very closely linked with the permaculture movement.

I hope the above is useful.

Permacordially,

Michael Pilarski

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