Vegetable gardening in development and relief - Selecting seeds, selecting strategies
Presented at the ECHO International Agriculture Conference 2015
Vegetable growing can provide nutrition and livelihood for those isolated by poverty, recovering from crisis, and/or diversifying their food and income options -- but gains are not automatic. What should be considered in designing and deploying vegetable gardening programs? What seed characteristics and sources are most appropriate? This talk will address these questions, give examples from the field, and highlight key resources.
Presenter:
Peter Marks is President/CEO of Seed Programs International, a US-based non-profit organization that provides vegetable seeds and support for nutrition and income support projects worldwide. In this role, Peter works with partners ranging from small, local NGOs to major relief and development agencies to individual missionaries and service trip volunteers. In 2014-15, SPI seeds and support have traveled to some of the most crisis-stressed areas of the world including Syria, Central African Republic, Liberia, Honduras, and South Sudan. Prior to Directing SPI, Peter worked for locally-focused non-profits helping Appalachian mountain farmers and other entrepreneurs with planning, marketing, and financing. He is originally from Maine and now lives in Asheville, North Carolina, where he is married with two daughters and one grandson.