Thank you note from Nomsa -
Dear Ed and Mate 22 October 2012
Sir:
LETTER OF THANKS: MAZOTSHWENI HOME GARDENS PROJECT
Thank you for the sum of R14 000 that we received from Mate.
We bought netwire and garden tools to distribute to members who received nothing the last time.
We met Mr Tim Wigley on 09 October, and he advised us about mulching, planting fruit trees in the gardens, and using manure instead of fertilizer. He will be showing us methods when he comes over on 06 November.
Thank you for everything.
Yours sincerely
Nomsa Mnguni
Secretary
Sir:
LETTER OF THANKS: MAZOTSHWENI HOME GARDENS PROJECT
Thank you for the sum of R14 000 that we received from Mate.
We bought netwire and garden tools to distribute to members who received nothing the last time.
We met Mr Tim Wigley on 09 October, and he advised us about mulching, planting fruit trees in the gardens, and using manure instead of fertilizer. He will be showing us methods when he comes over on 06 November.
Thank you for everything.
Yours sincerely
Nomsa Mnguni
Secretary
TIM WIGLEY
The following was received via email from Tim:
Mazotsho village 9th October 2012.10.09
Seven people met with us.
We had some discussion about how they plan to use the donation from MATE.
They have made a wise decision to not spend the money on a mechanical cultivator but to rather buy wire netting to improve the fencing around the community garden as well as home gardens. They also plan to buy garden tools and hose pipes as well as piping necessary to replace leaking pipe supplying water to the community garden.
There was also a question and answer session similar to the one at Sompondo.
We then visited the community garden and some of the home gardens.
Here too people are producing a good amount of vegetables and the quality of what they are producing is very good. However they are using a very extensive system with a wide spacing between plants. If they make double reach beds (beds that you can reach to the centre from each side without walking on the bed) they will be able to produce more from a smaller space and decrease the amount of effort. They can then plant things like potatoes, squash, beans and peas as more extensive dry land crops.
They are keen to plant sweet potato and cucumber but do not know where to get cuttings and seed. Cucumber seed is available in any seed shop but I agreed to try to source some sweet potato cuttings.
Activities agreed to for my next visit in November:-
Seven people met with us.
We had some discussion about how they plan to use the donation from MATE.
They have made a wise decision to not spend the money on a mechanical cultivator but to rather buy wire netting to improve the fencing around the community garden as well as home gardens. They also plan to buy garden tools and hose pipes as well as piping necessary to replace leaking pipe supplying water to the community garden.
There was also a question and answer session similar to the one at Sompondo.
We then visited the community garden and some of the home gardens.
Here too people are producing a good amount of vegetables and the quality of what they are producing is very good. However they are using a very extensive system with a wide spacing between plants. If they make double reach beds (beds that you can reach to the centre from each side without walking on the bed) they will be able to produce more from a smaller space and decrease the amount of effort. They can then plant things like potatoes, squash, beans and peas as more extensive dry land crops.
They are keen to plant sweet potato and cucumber but do not know where to get cuttings and seed. Cucumber seed is available in any seed shop but I agreed to try to source some sweet potato cuttings.
Activities agreed to for my next visit in November:-
- Demonstrate a double reach mulched bed.
- Demonstrate marking out a swale with an A-Frame
- Plant some keurboom seed.