The Mission

Feed Villages Sustainable Agriculture project promotes sustainable farming methods and education through demonstration farms, workshops, and the development of tree nurseries. Feed Villages also establishes community seed banks and educates on seed collection to encourage sustainable crop production and support enhanced biodiversity.

The goal is to bring about significant, long term change in resource-poor, small-scale farming communities.

The Need

Poverty coupled with drought, declining soil fertility and soil erosion pose major threats to the ability of communities to feed themselves. Due to the effects of decades of bad farming practices on decreasing land sizes, hunger and starvation have become a serious threat.

The biggest challenge for farmers is how to maintain and increase sustainable farm productivity of crops and livestock using the limited resources of land, labor, and capital. Farmers are faced with a variety of socio-economic constraints with little knowledge of improved farming practices.

The Approach

Training focuses on organic, high-yield, Grow Biointensive® agricultural techniques, including: restoring soil fertility, integrative pest management, drought farming, and general sustainable farming methods. Additional training includes: tree propagation and nursery development, tree reestablishment and water shed recovery, rain water harvesting, and farm management.

The long-term goal of the project is to teach effective farming practices to every rural family in the regions where Village Volunteers works. A sustainable agricultural practice enhances food security, reverses environmental degradation, supports family nutrition, and increases family income.

 Joining together in a common endeavor strengthens the social fabric of these communities. Sustainable farming techniques are inexpensive, and providing farmer-to-farmer training is an effective method to disseminate knowledge of best practices.

Get Involved

Donate to Feed Villages to purchase seeds and equipment, such as hoes, machetes, solar water pumps, drip irrigation systems, and rainwater collection cisterns. Your donations will also fund trainings and workshops by local experts in sustainable farming techniques.

Volunteer to work on a Feed Villages demonstration farm or tree nursery, in school gardens or with women’s farming cooperatives.