General Technical Documents

Sustainable Small-Scale Nursery Production - 2008-01-20

Sustainable nursery practices can increase plant marketability and reduce a nursery’s impact on the environment. This publication focuses on the sustainable production of woody and herbaceous nursery plants, both in containers and in the fi eld. It is not a primer for inexperienced growers, but a complementary source of information that concentrates on sustainable production techniques. Topics covered include integrated pest management, weed control and alternative fertilizers. The publication also introduces business management practices.

By Steve Diver and Lane Greer, updated by Katherine L. Adam

Publication of ATTRA - National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service

Gardening on Rooftops: the last agricultural frontier - 2008-01-01

Low cost, low technology, lightweight methods to produce food on rooftops and other locations above the ground.

Introduction

As this is being written, food riots in Port-au-Prince, Haiti are making the news. Food riots and demonstrations are starting to occur in other cities in other impoverished countries around the world. Some food producing countries are banning or restricting exports on important food staples. Leaders have little control over the high prices of food, but are desperate to know what can be done to make more food available, at a lower price.

Quite aside from these problems, there has been a growing interest in urban food production in both economically developed and developing countries. Reasons are many. Ecological benefits to the city. A desire to use more locally grown food. Opportunities for micro farming activities for profit. The wholesomeness of allowing people to experience the joy of gardening. Producing food by or for families who cannot buy what they need.

Several large cities even have some impressive rooftop gardens on large buildings. Rooftop gardening is the primary use that we have in mind for the technologies described in this book.

There is a major difference between ECHO’s techniques and those used on or contemplated by planners for most rooftop gardens in wealthier countries.

The techniques that I will describe can be done at a fraction of the expense that is normally considered necessary. They do not require specially engineered buildings to make sure that the roof can handle the weight of the soil. Gardens can even be grown on the edge of a tin roof of a shanty.

ECHO Compendium of Warm Climate Fruits - 2007-01-20

This book features both common and hard-to-find fruits, vegetables, herbs, spices and bamboo for Southwest Florida.   It includes fruiting trees, shrubs, herbaceous plants, fruiting vines, brambles, tropical vegetables, herbs, spices, bamboo, tropical and subtropical fruit tree ripening chart, estimated fruit yields, tree planting, fruit tree pruning, cold tolerance, drought tolerance, flood tolerance, fruit trees and saline soils, edible landscaping, plant index.

68 pages, illustrations

The Turbidity Tube: Simple and Accurate Measurement of Turbidity in the Field - 2006-01-20

Turbidity is an important water quality parameter in drinking water provision and treatment. The equipment typically used to measure turbidity can be quite expensive, and often provides results which are more precise and accurate than necessary. This high cost is a barrier to many projects in the developing world. In this paper, we will present the turbidity tube as an alternative device to measure turbidity. A turbidity tube can be purchased commercially, or can be constructed at an extremely low cost using a wide range of locally available materials. It is particularly well-suited to situations when decisions can be made based on approximate turbidity (rounded to the nearest 5 NTU). We give a brief discussion of what turbidity is, how a turbidity tube is constructed, and how to use it properly.

A Natural Farming System For Sustainable Agriculture In the Tropics - 2005-01-20

This book is an important work for tropical agriculture. There are very few resources that are truly “organic” and practical for the everyday farmer in the tropical setting. This book covers material that is extremely useful for the day-to-day operation of a farm or garden. It contains planning material that takes into account logistics as well as timetables.

This is not a guide for the agronomy student. I have identified several species that work well for us, but I do not have a planting guide for rice or corn or vegetables. These guides are readily obtained from seed suppliers and general horticultural works. If the reader looks carefully, he will find that I have given a system for natural fertilization in place of the chemical recommendations by traditional methods. Some creative adaptation will be required if your conditions and climate vary. We have a high acid clay soil that was rainforest at one time. Over the years a cogan grass has established itself. That is our starting point and our formulas can be changed for particular challenges that the reader may be facing.

This is not a How-to-do-it manual. Rather, this is a HOW-WE-DO-IT book based on my “Sustainable Agriculture in the Tropics” manual. It has been used to train and equip hundreds of small-scale farmers and gardeners in the natural farming adventure. It is an adventure worth taking, as few things in life will improve general health and well being as much as quality food products grown to their full potential.

Keith O. Mikkelson – Fall 2005

Publication Chapters

Sustainable Agriculture in the Tropics: A Natural Farming System 

Tippy Tap II - 2005-01-20

The Tippy Tap II (Lifewater International) is a modified design of the Tippy Tap that is easier to make and easy to use. The Tippy Tap II can be made from any container of about one to four litres capacity. A jug with a handle works best, but a Tippy Tap II can be made from any plastic container, even a two-litre bottle!

This publication is Copyright by Lifewater International 

Coconut Farm Diversification - 2001-05-20

For a long time, coconut farmers were able to live with the fate of declining harvests and incomes. In view of the current prices, this is no longer possible. It needs changes. The best option coconut farmers have to improve their livelihood is to diversify their farms. Fortunately, common coconut farms allow the integration of many other crops
or even livestock. In this regard, the coconut palm is an exception among the plantation crops.

The practice of intercropping is common in coconut farms in many countries, especially in Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and India. In the Philippines, where coconuts occupy about one fourth of the arable land, the ground in many coconut farms is still underutilized. One reason is the commodity approach of research institutions and the government agencies. For example, during the last decade the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) has focused its work on a fertilization program with the aim to increase the production of coconuts. Looking at the current price of copra, the main coconut product, it is questionable if such an approach really helps the farmers. Hence, there is a need for more information on options to improve coconut farms. Because of the decreasing profitability, farmers tend to cut down coconut palms and replace them with other cash crops, usually planted as monocrop. Ecologically and economically, this might be unwise considering the potentials of coconut farms.

The Eave Trough Garden - 1993-05-19

The goal of ECHO's rooftop gardening project is to develop gardens that are:

• exceptionally lightweight
• inexpensive
• uncomplicated to build and maintain