Otra Fe March Report: Organic Fertilisers, Soil Care, Chicken & Egg

I continue to be blown away by the efforts of Otra Fe in El Salvador. Our own agronomist, Otoniel, writes these amazing monthly reports that summarize the activities going on down there and sends pictures where possible. Here is March's report below. 

Remember this is a small group of campecino's who decided to come together as a co-operative and create opportunities for themselves where none really existed. This is a story of perseverance. 

Report of activities carried out in Atehuecia Community: 

5th of March:
On this date the Atehuecia farming group met to discuss preparing the fields for the new period of agricultural production that will begin in the month of April with the goal being that the fields would be ready whenever the first rains come, perhaps very early in May. The conversation included the theme of tilling and caring for the land and its significance for today and for the future. Pastor Felix Lino accompanied the meeting.

12th of March:
This meeting took place in Chancuyo with the purpose of organising ourselves so that other persons would not burn their fields, and also to explain to other farmers the damage that is done to the earth when the vegetation left in the soil after the harvest is burned.

22nd of March:
Brother Felix Lino gathered the farming group to continue the work of consciousness raising with the families concerning the use of organic fertilisers making use of local resources such as the organic residuals obtained from their own households. The experience of some members of the group was also shared. These had  produced their own fertilisers using the residue from the harvest of the beans, shucked corn cobs, chaff from rice, and manure.

2nd of March:
We organised a get together to make organic fertilisers, using cobs, manure, ashes from the wood-burning stoves, and the remains from the bean harvest. 10 farmers participated in the event. The experience was later reproduced for 5 more families.

16th of March:
On this date we had the great experience of visiting 4 families in the homes and on their fields in order to see and know how the family fertiliser production is making out.

Report of activities carried out in Monte El Padre Community, and with the farmers in San Diego hacienda.

Generally speaking, the activities in both places have been oriented toward attending to the needs of the farmers (men and women) in their household tasks of looking after their chicken and egg project, principally helping with the reproduction of chicks. We also have been involved in the activities surrounding the search for land to cultivate this year. Preparation of land is already underway. There follows the detail of the principal activities.

14th of March:
Monte El Padre community meeting where we reflected on the condition of the land on the new plots that each of the families have rented or leased for the harvest in 2013, and, in order to preserve the small amount of debris that has been left on the ground, we are mounting a local campaign to explain to the neighboring farmers the damage it does to the ground when it is burned on the field.

20th of March:
In the hacienda San Diego a visit was made to promote soil care when performing the initial tasks of land preparation, mainly recommending that they prevent their land from being damaged by fire caused by other neighboring farmers.

Brother Juan Ramón constantly is talking to the farmers about "the soil that produces life." It is important to emphasise the constant participation of men and women in the meetings and activities that have been conducted.

8th of March
We performed follow-up visits to poultry houses in order to check the overall health of the chickens and check their nutritional status and egg production. We verified also that compliance with the meal plan has been recommended.

As a product of the new meal plan in March there was a daily average of 6 eggs per hen and there was also chicken and mature hens for meat more often than last year.

22nd of March:
We performed the first vaccination campaign for adult birds (over 18 weeks) that were near the beginning of producing eggs, and for chickens and small cocks aged from 4 to 17 weeks. That day a total of 125 birds were vaccinated.

23rd of March:
The second day of poultry vaccination was conducted on this date and a total of 170 were vaccinated since a vaccination of fowl in the neighborhood was implemented as a precaution to prevent outbreaks of diseases caused by viruses. On both days we had the support of the local team led by Don Armando Sandoval.

The photograph shows the visit to one of the families
that have begun to experience the production of organic
fertiliser. Although it will not be sufficient for their plot,
it will begin to improve the fertility of this year. 

Brother Noah (2nd from left) shows the state of
decomposition of his compost to Agronomist Otoniel.

Brother Toño (right) already produced compost last year,
but this year he is producing double the fertiliser
to apply to all of his land, on which
he grows corn, beans, rice, cassava and some vegetables.