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BEST PRACTICES FOR FAMILY
GREENHOUSE PROGRAMS
IN THE SACRED VALLEY OF PERU
Information compiled and written by Charlotte Carr and Breeanna Doan
The Andean Alliance for Sustainable Development • Calca, Peu • http://alianzaandina.org/
Table of Contents
Introduction!
1
A Change in Values!
1
What is sustainability?!
1
Food Insecurity!
2
What problems does a greenhouse address?!
2
Benefits of greenhouse programs – what does success look like?!
2
Why family greenhouses?!
2
Basic Steps of a Greenhouse Project!
3
What needs to be in place before starting a greenhouse program!
3
Planning!
4
Selecting the community to work with!
4
Work with local institutions –!
5
What the community needs to know at the beginning of the project -!
6
Implementing!
8
Construction!
8
Roofing Day!
9
Capacity Building–!
10
Topics to be discussed in Workshops!
10
Facilitation!
10
Community members who may need special consideration during workshops!
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Best Practices for Family Greenhouse Programs
Teaching in the Greenhouse!
12
Farming Methods!
12
Seeds!
13
Diseases and Pests!
14
Irrigation!
14
Monitoring!
15
Maintenance and Upkeep!
15
Feedback!
16
Success!
16
Why some projects fail!
16
Exit Strategy!
17
The Key to a Sustainable Project!
17
Annex 1 - Communicating Information Visually!
19
Annex 2 - Facilitation Tips!
20
Annex 3 - Crop Rotation!
23
Annex 4 - Using BioCida to Combat Pests!
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T h e A n d e a n A l l i a n c e f o r S u s t a i n a b l e D e v e l o p m e n t!
Best Practices for Family Greenhouse Programs
Introduction
This guide offers the best practices for implementing family greenhouse programs in
small communities in high altitude regions of Peru. Information was gathered through
interviews with staff members from non-profit organizations and governmental agencies that have worked on greenhouse programs in the communities of Maucau, Huacawasi, Cuncani, and Patachanca, Peru. Interviews of the families who received greenhouses through these programs were also conducted as a part of an evaluation of the
greenhouses.
This guide is intended to serve as a resource for any organization that is already involved in implementing a greenhouse program, or is working to begin one. The following information includes guidelines and ideas for how to create a successful family
greenhouse program that will best benefit the recipients of the greenhouses.
A Change in Values
The key to success in greenhouse programming is to have families value their greenhouses. Utilizing a greenhouse to grow fruits and vegetables is a complete change of life
in very traditional communities. The
farming methods and techniques
Case study: The Dutch organization Hope International focuses
appropriate for growing successfully
it’s family greenhouses programming on 4th graders in the
community. These children have a greenhouse at their school
in a greenhouse differ from tradiso they are exposed at a young age to its benefits. The children
tional farming techniques. Successful
learned in school how to utilize a greenhouse, and pass this
programming is not as easy as buildknowledge on to their families, neighbors, and future generaing a structure and planting things
tions. These children placed value on having fresh fruits and
inside. For the project to be successvegetables, and brought this value back home with them. The
ful and sustainable a change in valfamilies of these children then wanted to have their own famues needs to occur.
ily greenhouses. Through this process a sustainable change in
What is sustainability?
values had occurred in the community.
.
Ideally the implementing organization of a development project will in time become
unnecessary. The community should be able to continue the project without outside
help, and the project should be seen as valuable enough to continue.
A project is sustainable when it is structured to be able to continue successfully helping
a community, without the need of assistance from agencies outside of the community.
The best practices in this guide aim to contribute to the sustainability of a greenhouse
program.
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Best Practices for Family Greenhouse Programs
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Food Insecurity
The geographic location of communities in the high altitude areas of the mountains restricts the ability to grow food. Making this problem more severe, these communities
often have limited access to markets. Often the nearest market has to be reached on foot,
which can take hours. These families are also often living in poverty, and will be unable
to purchase enough food. The inability to grow food, and the extreme difficulty in purchasing it means that families often live off a very limited diet. Many people in these
communities mainly live off of potatoes and occasionally, meat.
What problems does a greenhouse address?
•
•
Malnutrition– The lack of a variety of foods contributes to the problem of
malnutrition. Most families are eating only potatoes – which contain few
vitamins and minerals. This causes both physical and mental stunted
growth.
Hunger – Whereas malnutrition refers to a lack of a variety of food, hunger is a lack of food. The bad effects of hunger span from worsened health,
to the inability to work or learn as well as one could if one were not suffering from hunger.
Benefits of greenhouse programs – what does success look like?
•
•
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Secures stable access to a diversified food
source
Provides Organic Produce
Ownership – Being in charge of running
their own family greenhouse puts power
in the hands of the people in the community, to address their problems on their
own.
Cost effective – Owning a greenhouse
saves money and time otherwise used to
travel long distances to markets.
Strawberries growing at 4200 m in elevation.
Why family greenhouses?!
The most common types of greenhouse programs are school greenhouses, community
greenhouses, and family greenhouses. It can be hugely beneficial to begin programming
with a school greenhouse (as discussed in A Change in Values, and Selecting a Community
to Work With). However, community members universally are reported to prefer a famT h e A n d e a n A l l i a n c e f o r S u s t a i n a b l e D e v e l o p m e n t!
Best Practices for Family Greenhouse Programs
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ily greenhouse. Greenhouses are better utilized when the only people caring for the
greenhouse are the ones who primarily harvest and eat the produce. Community
greenhouses run the risk of some community members working more in the greenhouse
than others, but everyone sharing the produce equally. This can be perceived as unfair,
and lead to disinterest in the greenhouse program. Additionally, when plastic needs to
be replaced the family greenhouses utilize less plastic and replacement is cheaper. Often
community greenhouses fail because a large investment in plastic needs to be made and
sharing that cost among families is difficult.
Basic Steps of a Greenhouse Project
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Organization enters the community. They may be approached by a community
with the desire for a family greenhouse program, or may meet with the community to discuss the possibility of one.
Families who are taking part in the greenhouse program build the basic structure of the greenhouse.
The implementing organization leads a roofing event. Organization provides
plastic, wooden poles, nails, alambre (thin wire), and rubber strips. Community
works with the organization to build all of the roofs.
Organization may provide seeds.
Organization provides capacity building workshops on how to use greenhouse.
Organization provides monitoring of the project.
What needs to be in place before starting a greenhouse program
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A community is identified as in need of the benefits of greenhouse programming.
The community should genuinely want to participate in the programming.
A preexisting good relationship with the community. Get to know who lives in
the community, and how the community
Case study: In one community the
functions. The community should also be
implementing organization promfamiliar and comfortable with you. A trustised to provide seeds to community
ing relationship is crucial.
members, but no families ever reFunding to cover staff time, and building
ceived seeds. Many greenhouses are
materials. Consider the need to monitor the
still not in use, and the community
project and the future, and consider who will
has lost faith in the organization.
be responsible for covering the costs of future repairs to the greenhouses.
The ability to follow through with everything you promise. Clearly dictate your organization’s role in the program, and
be ready to communicate this to the community. It is crucial to the program and
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•
to your organization’s relationship with the community that you follow through
with everything you promise.
Clear and mutual understanding of what the organization expects of the community, as well as what the community expects of the organization. Expectations
need to be manage (if not in line with the organizations or community’s roles/
abilities) and always met.
Planning
Selecting the community to work with
Ideally a community will approach the organization with the request for a greenhouse.
Often a group of community members will see
greenhouse programming done at a local
school, or in a neighboring community, and
identify the program as something that would
be beneficial to their own community.
Case study: In the community of Maucau the organization Andean Alliance for Sustainable Development worked with the local school to build a school
greenhouse. The parents of the children at this
school saw the success and benefits of the school
greenhouse and approached the Andean Alliance for
Sustainable Development with the desire to have
their own family greenhouses.
An organization can also present a community the potential of implementing a greenhouse program.
!
Selection of communities and families to work with on a family greenhouse program
should be based on level of need.
Case study: The organization Chakana has implemented greenhouse programs in many communities in Peru and Bolivia. They have found income
level to have a huge effect on the success of a
program. In communities with a slightly larger
income, the need for food was less dire, and families were less willing to put time into cultivating
their greenhouse. Greenhouses were more successful in lower income communities, where families did not have sufficient income to purchase
enough food.
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To determine the level of need of a
community consider:
•Distance and access to the nearest
market to buy food.
•How the location of the community
affects the ability to grow crops without a greenhouse. (most high altitude
communities are unable to grow a variety of crops because of the cold climate).
•Level of poverty.
!
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Other factors to consider:
• The age of the children in a family. The negative effects of malnutrition are
•
•
most damaging from conception to age 3.
Size of the community. How many families in a community can you feasibly provide a greenhouse?
Number of organizations already implementing similar programming.
Work with local institutions –
For a greenhouse program to be sustainable it should be integrated into the community.
The implementing organization should have worked to establish relationships and a
known presence in the community.
Potential Community Partners
Schools – The school is a central institution in many Andean communities. It can be beneficial to begin the
greenhouse program in a school.
This allows community members to
be exposed to the benefits of the
programming at a young age, which
they can pass on to their families and
neighbors. It is also the perfect environment to teach participants about
how to best utilize and maintain
their greenhouses. Because of the
centrality of the school community
members will be aware of the project, and may often approach the organization for their own family greenhouse.
Case Study:
In one Andean community the local government had received funding for one year
of greenhouse programming. The government successfully built many greenhouses
in the community, however they did not provide seeds or help with maintenance.
Many greenhouses are no longer in use because the owners do not have seeds, or had
problems with the structure. There is the potential here for another organization
(NGO etc.) to partner with the government and work on continuing the project.
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Government – Partnering with the government
adds a level of sustainability in that local governments have a consistent presence in communities.
Often there will already be government programming in place in the community addressing similar
needs to that of greenhouse programming. Work to
identify what the government is already doing in
the community. If programming is similar to what
your organization will be doing, a partnership can
be formed to support one another’s operations.
Case Study:
The Andean Alliance for Sustainable Development
relies on the local government to purchase all the
materials needed for building the greenhouses in
Maucau. This involvement of the government leads
to the government becoming invested in the success
of the program. Due to this precedent of helping to
create the program, when the need for repairs arise
the government is more likely to assist.
Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO), or Non-Profits – Frequently more
than one NGO or non-profit is working in a community. All too commonly two organizations are working on the same project, but without communicating with each other, or
working together. Understand what other work is being done by other organizations in
the community, and work to partner. Partnering with other organizations can
strengthen your programming.
What the community needs to know at the beginning of the project In order for the greenhouse program to be successful
everyone involved in the project needs to understand
the project in it’s entirety from the beginning.
The value of the program – Greenhouse owners need
to understand the importance of growing a variety of
fruits and vegetables. If they are aware of how the
program can help their families with hunger and malnutrition it will contribute to how much the family
values their greenhouse.
What is expected of community members– It is crucial
for the greenhouse owners to fully understand what
they are responsible for. You should have budgeted for
the parts of the program your organization can be held
accountable for, and communicate clearly what parts of
programming you will not be doing.
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What the community expects from the organization – For a good relationship between
the community and the organization, expectations need to be clearly defined from the
beginning. The organization needs to fully understand how the community is envisioning the program, and understand if this vision can be achieved. Expectations may need
to be managed so that they are feasibly attainable. By detailing what a fair expectation
of the organization should be, the community will be satisfied with the program, as
long as those expectations are met.
Maintaining the greenhouse in the future – A main part of explaining the role of the
community in the program is clearly defining from the start how the greenhouse will be
maintained in the future. There will be damage to structure. There will be a need to acquire more seeds. Ideally the community will be able to take care of these problems
themselves. Let the community know these problems will arise and that they will need
to fix them. You should offer advice for dealing with these problems.
Case study - In Cuncani, the Urubamba government provided greenhouses under a national Peruvian initiative to address malnutrition in children. Only families with children ages
three and under, or in which the mother is pregnant are eligible to receive a greenhouse. The rationale behind the criteria is that the negative effects of malnutrition are the most harmful from
before birth until age 3. The implementing organization made the criteria clear to the community, so everyone involved understood why some families could not receive greenhouses.
Which families are eligible for a greenhouse - Depending on your project budget you
will have to define how many families, and which families in a community can receive
greenhouses. It may be that in a small community any family that builds a greenhouse
structure can be part of the programming. If you are working with a larger community
you may need to have stricter guidelines.
Information on structure and roofing day – Provide families with information on how
to construct the basic greenhouses structure. It is common that families will already be
very knowledgeable about the building process.
Best Practices for the greenhouse structure:
• Use an existing wall of the home as one of the walls of the greenhouse.
This saves on time and materials as families will only have to build 3
walls, and the home will provide additional heating.
• Build the walls at a slant so rainwater will not accumulate on the roof. If
walls are not built a sufficient slant rainwater will collect and rip the roofs.
• Rock foundation is good to use for the bottom of the greenhouse wall.
This material helps prevent flooding.
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Adobe can be used above the rock as it helps keep the structure warm.
Have no holes between the rocks. If these exist, fill them with mud. Holes
allow the heat the escape.
Determine the best size for the structure – more information in the Implementing section under construction.
A system of ventilation – most commonly a small window covered in plastic that can be opened or closed. The amount of ventilation needed will
vary depending on the altitude of the community. At a high altitude very
little air should be able to enter and exit the greenhouse. At a lower altitude windows are necessary to cool the greenhouse during the heat of the
day.
Set a date in advance for the roofing day. Clearly communicate that the structure must
be completed by this day in order to receive roofing.
Implementing
Construction
Materials available to build structure – Community members are often required to build the
basic structure of the greenhouse. Be aware what
materials are available locally, and how they can
best be utilized. The most common building materials in these communities are rocks and adobe
bricks.
Rocks are used at the bottom of the wall to protect
against flooding. Adobe is on top to help keep the
structure warm.
Size of Structure – It is difficult to keep a high
altitude greenhouse warm. The higher up in altitude the greenhouse is located, the smaller the
greenhouse should be. Efficient use of plastic
also needs to be taken into account. Maximizing
plastic is important. Rolls of plastic come in 50m
x 6m or 50m x 8m. Dictate greenhouse size to be
efficient with these dimensions of plastic.
Case study example: Maucau is located at 4200 m
in elevation. Because of this level of elevation
greenhouses were instructed to be 5m x 6m.
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Taking the size of a roll of plastic, this size allows the org to get 10 greenhouses
out of one role of plastic. This saves money and most importantly allows the community to save money in the future when they need to replace the plastic
Case study: In the photograph to the left,
the greenhouse is built against the side of
the home. This saves time and materials
during the building phase, as they utilized
an existing wall. This also adds in heating
the greenhouse as it can receive warmth
from inside the home.
This location is also ideal because it is between two buildings, but still fully in the
sun. Being in between the two buildings
blocks it from the wind, which can damage
the roofing.
Best Location for Structure – When deciding where on the families’ property to build
the greenhouse keep in mind:
•
• How to best utilize the existing structure of the house.
• How to have good access to the sun.
• How to deal with problems with wind.
• Proximity to water source.
• Proximity to home – Families can more easily access and work in the
greenhouse during the day if it is close to the home.
Roofing Day
On a typical roofing day the organization will come to the community on a date that
they have pre-established and communicated to community members. By this date the
families who are eligible and who wish to participate in programming should have the
basic structure built. The organization will bring the plastic roofing, wooden poles,
nails, and rubber strips to hold the plastic on poles.
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If a size of the structure was dictated, cutting
up the plastic is quicker, as it can all be cut
to the specified dimensions.
Everyone in the community should bring
tools. At the start of the day build one or
two roofs as a whole group, then depending
on size of the community you may divide
up and have small groups help each other
roof each other’s structures together.
Be sure to cover all exposed wood with plastic, as it can rot if exposed to rain.
Capacity Building–
For a greenhouse program to be successful there needs to be capacity building. Commonly this is done in structured workshops given in the community. Workshops provide the opportunity not only for knowledge transfer, but also allow a continued presence of the organization in the community.
Often workshops topics can be flexible, and become structured around greenhouse problems that have been in from feedback from the community.
!
Communities will be very welcoming of workshops. The main difficulty is
scheduling times to hold the workshops. Often scheduling needs to be flexible to meet
the work schedules of the community. Once workshop dates are settled make the
schedule of events clear and available to everyone involved in the program. It is also
useful to send announcements a few days before every event as a reminder that the
workshop will be held.
Topics to be discussed in Workshops !
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Bed Preparation
Soil Fertility
Planning and Planting Techniques
Pest and Plague Control
Harvesting
Plant Based Nutrition
Facilitation
In addition to helping select topics and develop workshop lessons around these topics a
huge role of the staff of your organization will be facilitating the workshops. Workshops
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need to be very interactive and hands on, include repetition, and questions. Always follow a common structure for the schedule of the workshop.
Basic Facilitation Pointers
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Type up and print a brief schedule of events for facilitators to reference during
the workshop.
Ask questions to community members and ask what questions they have.
Plan for workshops early, plan often, with all facilitators present.
Share important information to the whole group.
Demonstrate the techniques you are teaching and then let the community
members do it.
Have visuals.
Before entering a greenhouse talk about what you’re going to do.
Talk about and reiterate what you did after demonstrating a technique.
Don’t lecture ­ Look, listen and learn.
Facilitate, don’t dominate. Make sure you are allowing room for open participation and discussion.
Don t interrupt or interfere.
Relax, don t rush.
Allow time.
Show interest and enthusiasm in learning.
Use probing techniques - When participants give incomplete or irrelevant answers, the
facilitator can probe for fuller, clearer responses. A few suggested techniques:
. Repeat the question—repetition gives more time to think.
. Convey a limited understanding of the issue and
ask for specific details.
. Pause for the answer—a thoughtful nod or expectant look can convey that you want a
fuller answer.
. Repeat the reply – hearing it again sometimes stimulates the conversation
. Ask when, what, where, which and how questions.
. Use neutral comments – “Anything else?” Why do you feel this way?”
Control the discussion - In most groups a few individuals dominate the discussion. To
balance out participation:
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Address questions to people who seem reluctant.
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Intervene, politely summarize the point, then refocus the conversation.
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Give non­verbal clues.
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Minimize group pressure - When an idea is being adopted without any general discussion or disagreement, more than likely there is group pressure occurring. To minimize
group pressure the facilitator can probe for alternate views. For example, the facilitator
can raise another issue, or say, “We had an interested discussing but let’s explore other
alternatives” (see annex 2 for general facilitation outlines, and activities/strategies)
Community members who may need special consideration during workshops
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Women – The women will most likely be the members of the family who are the
most involved with the greenhouse, as they more commonly work in the home.
However, it is common for men of the community to dominate discussions. Pay
special consideration to the women of the workshop and make sure they’re receiving the information they need, and that their questions are being answered. It
is beneficial to have a female available to teach the workshops.
Quechua speakers – Many community members will only speak Quechua. It may
be vital to have a Quechua speaker to help teach the workshops.
Illiterate – Be mindful of how information is presented in workshops. Visuals
will necessary to communicate information to illiterate community members. (see
annex for example of communicating information visually)
Teaching in the Greenhouse
In addition to holding workshops in the community, it is helpful to conduct meetings in
the greenhouses themselves. This not only allows community members to have hands
on learning experience, it allows the opportunity to present a functioning and successful greenhouse.
Case Study: In Huacawasi, Chakana implemented “pasantillas”, which were trips to different
communities for them to learn different skills such as forestation, production, organization, and
cultural practices. All topics were taught as a class with the goal that the communities could
learn new skills and bring them back to their communities.
Farming Methods
Farming methods should be considered in planning a greenhouse project. Bio-intensive
farming, which uses a small amount of space to maximize production, helps families to
best utilize the space in their greenhouse. (See Annex 4 technical information on suggested planting procedures.)
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Seeds
Connecting the community to quality seeds is an important part of the process in any
greenhouse project. Some organizations choose to supply the seeds to the community
with the greenhouses, while others focus on the building of the greenhouses without
providing seeds or information on where to access them. If the organization provides
the seeds, they should incorporate seed access in their exit strategy so the community
can sustain the greenhouses without the organization.
One possibility is to provide the greenhouse owners with the information needed on where to seCase study: In the greenhouse programs in
Patacancha, run by Hope International the
community has a central hub of a school
greenhouse, which has allowed plants to
go to seed. The family greenhouse owners
can buy seeds from the school greenhouse,
allowing local access to seeds on a regular
basis. Youth have the training on how to
seed save and can transfer that information to their families as well. Additionally,
communities could use a central greenhouse for seed saving or allow a portion of
their greenhouses to be dedicated to seed
saving.
cure quality seeds. This could be coordinated by a
community leader for seeds to be distributed on a
regular basis, as many of these communities are located large distances from a local
market.
Another possibility is to train the greenhouse owners to allow some plants to go to seed,
thus creating self-sustaining greenhouses. Seed saving takes time and a portion of the
space in any greenhouse, however, it is essential if the greenhouses are going to continue to be utilized to their best potential. Seed saving leads to self-sufficiency in remote
communities, and removes dependency on organizations for aid. It also allows them
food security and food variety regardless of distance from markets. Seed saving and
access to seeds is essential in all greenhouse projects. Seeds should be provided as
promised and information on seed access is necessary for the continuation of greenhouse use over time.
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Diseases and Pests
Disease prevention and response should be considered
during the implementation of a program, and needs to
be continued in the monitoring process. Before beginning a program, be aware of what diseases the plants in
the area are most prone to. The community will learn
how to approach these issues best when the problems
arise. The implementing institution should understand
and be prepared for disease and pest issues as they occur. Also, proper maintenance in general will prevent
many of the diseases and pests from becoming a problem. There are some practices that should be used all the
time as general prevention. (See the Annex 4 for information on making BioCida to
combat pests)
Irrigation
Irrigation and access to usable water should be considered
when implementing greenhouse projects. Communities in
Cuncani and Huacawasi are confronting the issue of having
chlorine in their most accessible water source, which stunts
plant growth. All communities of Maucau, Cuncani, and
Huacawasi have expressed a need for hoses and pipes to
appropriate water sources for plant irrigation, such as access
to the local river. Many of the houses are located faraway
from a clean water source and may not be maintained due
to water access issues.
Some communities have created innovations in irrigation,
such as rainwater catchment systems. Other communities
have worked with NGO’s and government entities to create
an enclosed aquifer system, which then supplies the whole
community. Using these types of innovations as a model
for future greenhouse irrigation systems would increase
water access and greenhouse maintenance.
Irrigation innovation - water collects on the roof
and goes down the home made pipe into an
awaiting bucket. Water is then used in the greenhouse.
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Monitoring
Monitoring is an indispensable part of all greenhouse projects. Many unsuccessful
greenhouse projects haven’t taken this stage into account. When there is no monitoring,
greenhouses have the potential to become abandoned structures or animal shelters.
Monitoring is important because it supports the sustainability of the project over the
long term. By continuing to observe the progress of the project, the farming methods
used, and by troubleshooting potential problems, an organization can help the family
greenhouses continue. There should be a supporting organization available and agricultural professionals available to address the issues that arise.
Maintenance and Upkeep
When speaking with many family greenhouse
communities, many did not know what they
would do if they needed to find replacement
plastic or find materials to maintain the
greenhouse. Questions arose about whether
they would be able to finance the repairs or
maintain the greenhouse over the long run. Many were dependent on the organizing
agency to provide the plastic or beams for them if they were to need repairs. Maintenance should be addressed during all stages of the project and information should be
shared on where to access supplies and the financial planning needed for upkeep. The
rock and adobe base of the greenhouse uses local materials and is sustainable because
these materials can be found easily for low or no cost. However, there needs to be a plan
for the sustainability of the plastic roofing and beams, which may be inaccessible and
located several hours away by car when repairs are needed. Materials should be considered in all stages in the community’s ability to upkeep the greenhouse so it can continue
to be used over many years.
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Feedback
Maintaining regular communications and contact with communities that have greenhouse projects is necessary to improve the projects as well as maintain positive relations
between the community and the organization. Problems may arise and feedback given
can increase the chances the community will continue to use their greenhouses. There
should be some opportunity for the community to give feedback such as in community
meetings, focus groups, or individual interviews. It should be clarified that their honest
feedback will improve the project. By maintaining contact and gaining the trust of the
community members, an organization can be more impactful over the long term.
Success
What is a successful greenhouse project? There are many ways to gauge various levels
of success. In an evaluation one should consider whether the greenhouses are being
used correctly or used regularly for consumption. Another way to measure success is by
increased food sovereignty and an ability to grow food without the regular need for
markets. Greater nutrition levels for the family are also an indicator of success. Moreover, innovations in greenhouse design and cultivation also show a successful project.
Knowledge transfer to other members of the community, sharing produce, selling produce, or seed saving can all be varying indicators of a successful greenhouse project.
The biggest issue to consider is the sustainability of the project and the long term involvement the community will have in continuing to use the greenhouses to their best
potential. This may include a change in value systems in using a new technique.
Case Study: Often school greenhouse projects and youth can be good influencers in the
long-term affects of family greenhouses as seen in the community of Patacancha with
the organization Hope, as well as with Andean Alliance in Maucau with their connection to school greenhouses in Pampacorral.
Why some projects fail
Some factors should be considered as to why some projects fail. The community need
should be reflected in the initial stages in planning and is an important factor in which
projects actually continue. Those communities which actually need greenhouses due to
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lack of access to markets, poverty levels, and community requests for greenhouse projects are the most likely to succeed. Chakana observed that many communities that
were in the lower 30% in income in Peru were more active and innovative in sustaining
the greenhouse projects. Communities in the 70% of income in Peru were not as motivated or organized as they had outside sources of income. Additionally, some projects
fail due to a lack of familiarity with greenhouse cultivation. The communities need to
have capacity building workshops about greenhouse farming methods as well as how
to cook with the new vegetables they are growing. Capacity building is essential in the
adoption of a new project, both through skills building and building new value systems
for greenhouses. Moreover, they need to have access to a good agricultural technician
for troubleshooting. Access to technical information should be available throughout the
monitoring stage. Finally, access to clean water and irrigation systems are important for
sustaining the project. Some areas are incredibly dry and need to use ground wells that
pull from the aquifers, while other areas need to access river systems that may be far
from their greenhouses. These factors should be taken into account in all greenhouse
projects to guarantee their sustainability.
Exit Strategy
Every organization should enter into a project with an exit strategy and determined
time frame for the project. It is necessary to inform the community of their role, the role
of the organization, and what the community needs to do after the organization leaves.
By having clear roles and expectations put forth at the beginning, an organization will
encourage the community to take ownership of their greenhouses and guarantee the
long-term sustainability of the project. Many organizations have not planned for the period of time after the formal part of the project ends. By not giving clear information
about where to access seeds, plastic, or gain more information on cultivation, the organization may impede the ability of greenhouse owners to continue with the project on
the long term. Organizations need to be reliable and follow through on their promises of
material support or capacity building. Additionally, there should be people in the community that the greenhouse owners can contact if any problems should arise.
The Key to a Sustainable Project
Ideally a project can go on without continued involvement from the organization. The
organization should provide adequate information not only on the process of the entire
project, but also in supportive services such as capacity building and having a qualified
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agricultural technician available. The organization
should take into account that there may be things that
the organization must do in the monitoring stage, such
as fix plastic, or have seeds available to sell. If this is
not the case, the organization should put in a plan for
addressing these issues.
An additional way to be sustainable and potentially see
a scaling up in projects is to involve the government.
By partnering with the local government, one can ensure continued support for projects and additional resources available.
Case Study: Chakana which received support from the government to build wells
to reach aquifers in dry highland communities. They were able to build an enclosed structure, which provided an irrigation system and agricultural area for
the surrounding community. The government assisted in piping and construction in order to implement a better irrigation system. The scale of the project
would not have been possible without
partnering. As a result, those communities have seen a higher success rate in
their ability to maintain a variety of
plants in their greenhouses and utilize the
enclosed agricultural area.
Having a clear timeline and exit strategy will support
the ownership the greenhouse owners have to continue
cultivating plants in their greenhouses and maintaining them. Giving the owners of
family greenhouses clear information through workshops, as well as long-term access to
information is the best way to assure a sustainable project.
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Annex 1 - Communicating Information Visually
Above is information about preparing Biocida for the greenhouse, provided in both
written Spanish, and drawn visually. Many members of the community may be illiterate
and it is crucial to include visuals in order for them to fully understand, and be able to
reference information given in capacity building workshops.
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Annex 2 - Facilitation Tips
Workshop Schedule for Facilitators
1.
Interactive opening - A brief community building exercise (3­5 minutes)
2.
A brief overview of the purpose of the session - Introduce key principles. Create an innovative way to introduce the core concepts,
principles and beliefs of the approach. Make it engaging. Avoid playing the
TEACHER
ROLE.
3.
A powerful, engaging facilitation, using one of the facilitation methods, and
full of deep,
searching provocative questions. Demonstrate, practice, or facilitate using
some aspect of the approach. The particular
context for your facilitation is up to you! Make it real and relevant.
4. Facilitate some discussion of the relevance of the approach. Use the “Context Matrix” and Purpose Matrix” to identify the most appropriate uses of the approach.
5.
A closing to the workshop.
Facilitation Activities
Interactive Lecture (Use when learners don’t know very much about the content)
!
!
# Ask participants questions every few minutes.
!
!
# Invite their questions.
!
!
# Digress at will! Be relevant
! !
Guided Discussion A discussion/dialogue between facilitator and learners that is
guided by a series of
planned facilitator questions (Use this activity to debrief other learning activities (ie, Facilitated Activity; Role
Play; etc.)
!
For each learning point to be brought out,
!
!
# Craft a question.
!
!
# Note most likely learner responses.
!
!
# Plan follow­up comments.
!
# Use when learners know something about the content and can engage
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it; process a
shared experience.
Facilitated Activity ( Used with learners who have some knowledge of the content)
!
!
# Learners work together.
!
!
# Share knowledge/experience; or, creates a lived common experience; useful
reference for future learning.
!
!
# Uses content at a deeper level.
!
!
# Learners are more active and involved.
!
!
# Facilitator’s role: organizer, monitor, and guide.
!
!
# Provides a “bridge” between content and application.
Case Story Develop or identify a case story that describes a challenge that participants
are likely to have to solve.
!
!
# Stimulates problem­solving and idea generation.
!
!
# The length of the story can be between one paragraph and three
pages.
!
!
# Develop or refine question to guide participant discussion of the
case story:
!
!
# “What would you do in this situation?”
!
!
# “What are the key dimensions of the dilemma?”
Role Play
# Allows recreation of real­world realities, but with humor and theatre
drama.
# The unsayable can be said; the hidden can be revealed; power can be
mocked.
# Allow plenty of time (preparation, performance and discussion tend to
take longer
than expected.
# Caution: avoid reinforcing stereotypes; pay attention to comfort level of
participants...
One­on­One Appreciative Listening
!
!
# Allows people to share their truth and get into the details of their
lived experience.
!
!
# Focused, attentive, appreciative listening helps people feel valued and worthy;
overcomes “other­ness” and feelings of not mattering.
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!
!
# Allows one to build up from lived experience to theory and
analysis; ensures that
people’s experiences and selves are part of the process.
Card & Chart
!
!
# To gather and organize information around a common theme.
!
!
# To work together through a process of refining and coming towards consensus.
!
!
# Works particularly well when participants are considering a
multi­faceted topic with
diverse options for action.
!
!
# Engages many people in the creation of a product; “democratizing ground”
Small Group Coaching Sessions
Before breaking into small groups, the facilitator gives the following instructions: “Take
a moment to think about the challenges you’re dealing with in your life and work.
Choose one or two challenges that are especially troublesome. These are places where
you’re struggling and would really like some wise and supportive input. You will soon
form groups of six (5­7). In these groups, you will each be in the spotlight for 15 minutes. This means that you will have the total, complete, undivided attention of all of the
other members. You can use those 15 minutes in any way you wish. You can take one
minute to share your problem(s) and then have 14 minutes of input and reflections from
everyone. Or, you can just ask to be listened to for 15 minutes. You can have ask the
group to give you input, ideas, reflections, or to just ask questions. YOU’RE in charge.
Let your group know how they can support you with their time, insights and/or attention. Please honor the 15­minute guideline, so everyone gets the same amount of time.”
The participants then count off in a circle to create groups of 6 (or 5­7). Each group finds
a space to meet and begin. They should be in a common space, but out of earshot of
each other. Each group selects a facilitator and passes the watch to keep time for each
other.
Small group coaching can be used a few times in a gathering, if you like, though it is
great to have on your last morning. It’s also best to go from this activity into a meal, as
groups will likely finish at different times.
%Free Write: think of an example of powerful learning. Recreate the experience in as
much detail as possible (7 mins).
%Pair Share: share your story with a partner; partners just listen (3 mins each)
%Table Talk: Generate a list of common principles; ingredients of powerful learning.
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%
Annex 3 - Crop Rotation
Crop Rotation and Companion Planting
Crop Rotation: Rotating crops to balance nutrient loads in the soil and to support
healthy growth of microbes in the soil.
• Some plants give or take more nitrogen and other nutrients from the soil
• Restore this balance by prepping a bed with compost prior to plating
• The way you rotate crops also contributes to building soil health
o Heavy feeders, light feeders, heavy givers
o Fruiting varieties, leafing varieties, rooting varieties, leguminous
varieties
• You cannot always follow this pattern but it is recommended to avoid soil
imbalances; healthy soil means healthy plants, and thus less pest and
plagues
Companion Planting: Planting crops that support each other’s growth
• Some plants compliment each other nutrient wise by what they give and take
• Some plants hinder each other’s growth
• Some plants act as natural pest repellents, either attracting beneficial insects that
feed on a companion’s pests, or by repelling pests themselves
o Aromatic herbs such as lemon balm, manzanilla, mint, oregano, basil valerian root, cilantro, etc.
§ Plant at the edges/borders as some of these are perennial
• Examples of companions (inter-planted or splitting beds)
o Basil and sweet peppers
o Bush beans, lettuce and tomatoes
o Corn, beans, cucumber
o Tomatoes, onions, carrots
o Cabbage/brassica family and onions
• Examples of plants that dislike each other:
o Carrots and dill
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Annex 4 - Using BioCida to Combat Pests
Biocida is a natural pest repellent used to both control and prevent pests from attacking
plants. It can be used on small plants and should continue to be used on a bi-weekly basis. It can also be used at times when pests are attacking a normally healthy plant. But it
is mainly a preventative solution rather than a control once pests have infested a plant.
Ingredients:
• Bitter and aromatic herbs, plants, etc. growing in your garden and wild around
your garden – these act as repellents
• Leaf of a Cactus: Ideally the agave cactus or Tuna but any cactus will work – acts
as a sticky substance that keeps the solution on the leaves (if you don’t have this,
it will still work)
• Water
• Onion – repellent
• Garlic – repellent
• Hot pepper (i.e. a jalapeño) – repellent
Standard Biocida (this is the one we use)
• Crush up the plants into small pieces
• Mix in a bucket with water (1/2 plants;1/2 water)
• Let sit for 24 hours so the active ingredients of the plans soak into the water
• Filter out the plant particles inot a backpack or other spraying device
• Dilute with water (i.e. if you have 1 6 liter backpack, 2liters should be bioicida
and the rest water)
• Spray on the leaves of all plants
Biocida Tea:
• Boil water
• Add all the leaves, garlic, onion, pepper, and cactus
• Mix into the boiled water and let sit for 2 -3 minutes
• Dilute with more water (1/4 biocida to 3/4 water)
• Spray on leaves of all plants
Biocida Infusion
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•
•
Place plants in a bucket with boiled water. Use a bucket that can be hermetically
sealed for about 10 minutes. If using stems, roots, or plants with hard outer
leaves, you may need to leave them in the infusion for 20-30 mins.
Spray on the leaves of plants
Notes
• The spray is strong. Don’t spray on plants you plan to harvest within the next
week
• Apply after watering plants and don’t water for 12 hours after to prevent the
bioicida from washing off the leaves
Enjoy pest free plants!
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