SHARING SEEDS AND SEEDLINGS BRINGS HOPE

We are at it again - handing out seeds.With almost 400 garden sites now we are seeing community wide changes and it is just the beginning. Magdalana is carrying home a Eucalyptus tree, a grape vine, and a medicinal plant of the garlic family. Nine dollars not only brought a big smile but provides two types of medicines and her family's first taste of grapes in the near future

Some of our 38 garden leaders. We have given each garden leader a collection of tools for her neighbors to use. Last week they all received a water filter for their home use. As we work these leaders we want to help them with training so that they are a motivating influence for positive change in their neighborhoods promoting hygiene, nutrition, and community service.

Felipe, is one of our three garden administators who oversee the garden leaders. Here he is separating some medicinal plants of the garlic family.

Antonio is the newest addition to our team. He has great office skills and has loved agriculture since his early youth. He clearly sees the opportunity TRE provides his people and enthusiastically joins us here teaching the planting methods and healing properties of this little plant.

Counting out cabbage starts to each leader. Most of our vegetables are started from seeds but when we are able it is fun to bring in the 4 week old starts to help boost production time. We hope to build a large-sized greenhouse this nest year that will make growing 10,000 starts at a time feasible.

At this home we have organized our broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower starts into groups of ten for easy distribution. Around 2,500 starts were distributed in this village. When these starts are spaced and grown in the fields they represent a lot of food.

Chaya is another plant we are excited about sharing. Grown in ancient times by the Mayan people we are reintroducing this nutritious plant. The leaves are the part that is harvested for food but here we are harvesting the branches to replant. This plant is easy to grow from cuttings and each piece of a branch one foot long or bigger will produce a new plant. A bush like this one can yield over 100 new starts.

I love this photo. It shows hope for the future. A new home is being built right in the midst of a productive garden. This next year "The Ripple Effect has a new hope also. We are working on opening an agricultural and appropriate technological center from which to work. It will be a nursery, experimental garden and training ground all rolled into one. I invite everyone to spread the word about this project and join us in support. It is a good thing to be involved in positive change.