Composting

Saturday was seminar day at CEFA.  Roy & staff welcomed 3 local co-operatives, 2 of which are newly formed this year, to hear teaching on composting. Slashing and burning to clear and prepare fields for planting is the law of the land here, so encouraging composting is a subject often taught but not often put into practice.  Composting takes alot more work, but the higher yields and continued productivity on land that would grow useless with burning have convinced some that replenishing the soil with weeds and vegetation is the way to go.

--   Roy & Aleta Danforth  Covenant missionaries to the Central African Republic  cell phones: Aleta 011 237 67529 5071 or 011 236 7744 8621   Roy 011 237 66171 7808 or 011 236 7754 9176  email: roy-aleta.danforth@covchurch.org  blog:  http://blogs.covchurch.org/danforth/

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New leafy green to eat

A CEFA co-op's cowpea fields in the village of Nangoko became the testing ground for a new tasty, yet healthy idea for reducing malnutrition in CAR! One of the members of the Nangoko co-op, was weeding her almost mature cowpea field and she noticed how shiny and green the leaves looked and thought they would be good for cooking and eating. She asked CEFA's village supervisor, Nadege, and she said why not give them a try! So, selected leaves were picked, cooked, then pounded and served to not just malnourished kids, but also adults. And it was a huge success for all that partook - and it never been tried before in our area! Other members of the co-op are doing it and now Nangoko has a new supply of nutritious food for curing malnutrition in a very tasty way!

--   Roy & Aleta Danforth  Covenant missionaries to the Central African Republic  cell phones: Aleta 011 237 67529 5071 or 011 236 7744 8621   Roy 011 237 66171 7808 or 011 236 7754 9176  email: roy-aleta.danforth@covchurch.org  blog:  http://blogs.covchurch.org/danforth/

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Peanut planting - second season

I'm not sure that all the peanuts get to the right place when the person planting doesn't really see too well, but what is the right place in an African peanut garden??  Anywhere you drop the nuts and cover them by scooting dirt over them with your foot.  No such thing as rows and perfect spacing.   Often there'll be tree stumps and maybe huge termite mounds in the fields and the crops are just randomly planted.   I was chatting with Nadege, a CEFA village agent, and she has been running trials in co-op farms.  She'll plant a plot of peanuts with good spacing and rows so they can be easily weeded, right next to the villagers plot of peanuts, which are planted willy-nilly and aren't weeded.  Guess what happens?  Nadege's peanuts produce more, and the villagers see it right there in front of them.

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Getting oil palms out to the village co-ops

Whether the village is across the river or closer by, the CEFA team gets out to the co-ops.  Recently palm trees were delivered to various villages, some of which are on main roads, but others required some creativity, like barerooting the trees and carrying them in a sack on the back of a motorcycle in a canoe.  In each case, CEFA's village agents, like Nadege, helped the co-ops to understand how to plant and care for these trees.  The oil from these palms are a promise for the future for these farmers.

--   Roy & Aleta Danforth  Covenant missionaries to the Central African Republic  cell phones: Aleta 011 237 67529 5071 or 011 236 7744 8621   Roy 011 237 66171 7808 or 011 236 7754 9176  email: roy-aleta.danforth@covchurch.org  blog:  http://blogs.covchurch.org/danforth/

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