Professor Lonnie Gamble | StudentBlogs / Jennie Hirsch

10/17/07-International Permaculture Article "A Permaculturist in Rwanda"

This article in "Permaculture Magazine" tracks the success of Permaculture designer, John Hunwick as he travels to Africa to offer his creativity, expertise, and compassion to the people of this war torn area.

Upon arrival the most stiking thing John observed was the amount of hungry and traumatized orphan children. He attained the most support to work in Uganda, and started teaching women agriculture and bee keeping. He also started SASO (Sustainable Agriculture Support for Orphans). Initially the funding for this organization came directly from his pocket and from a few individaul donations, but they were still able to ship in milk and sugar to feed infants and provide seeds so that the refugees could start vegetable gardens around their huts.

Hunwick designed food systems, compost latrines, solar stills, solar biogas cookers, and improved beehives. However his focus was not only on physical well being, but on raising the spirits of the children. He organized for beads to be shipped in and distibuted by the Red Cross, so that the children could have a necklace making day. Children that had not spoken for weeks came out of their huts and started asking questions.

In 1994 the war in Rwanda died down and SASO was able to move their. The conditions were even more attrocious. John brought supplies from Uganda and eventually was sought out by Rwandan women who offered him their family land, which had been destroyed in the war. The sight was cleared and regrowth started. "We planted beans, peas, sunflower, sweet potatoes, Irish potatoes, peanuts. By mid September we started accepting children. Community leaders brought us children, others told us where there were children in desperate need and we picked them up. We were also given other houses in the community. Rather than have all the children contained in one building like an institution, we had several houses where the children were put with a 'mother' to try and replicate a family home. I felt it was important to attempt to recreate what the had been used to to help them overcome their trauma."

Other projects in the area included swales, contour banks lined with caleanga seeds to stabalize the earth and paragrass as a good fodder base for caddle, and the planting of 600 trees. Before Chrismas crops were being harvested. "This was a massive boost for the children's spirits. They were very excited and willing partners in the harvest. It seemed to undo much of the pain and terror, as well as giving them the sense that they were participating, in every way in their future."

Due to the upsurge of war, the project was discontinued, but it seemed a very promising start.

10/19/07 Species List and Guild

Plant Profile New Jersey Tea

Ceanothus Americus L., or New Jersey Tea is a useful, deciduous shrub which is hardy to zone 4. Its family name is Rhamnaceae which is derived from ‘rhamnos’, a greek root meaning ‘branch’. Ceanothus is an ancient word with unclear meaning; however ‘americus’ probably refers to the plant’s native home in North America. The common name comes from the historical use of New Jersey Tea as a black tea substitute during the revolutionary war. Common synonyms ‘Red Root’ and ‘Wild Snowball’ are descriptive of the plant’s red colored roots, and white ball-like clusters of flowers. New Jersey Tea is 2-4 feet tall and similarly wide. It is slow growing, flowering usually in its second year, filling out by its fourth, and really only reaching maturity after 20 years. The life span is moderate compared to other plant species and is measured in decades. The plant flowers from June to August and its fruits mature from August to October. There are a few relative species, one of which is ceanothus herbaceous which shares the common name, generally appearance and functions of ceanothus americus.

Although the plant is Native to Eastern North America it is grown in many regions including France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, and Spain. New Jersey tea is found wild in Eastern North America South from Maine to Florida, and West to Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Minnesota.

New Jersey Tea prefers sandy and loamy soils, but can be grown in almost any soil. Soil can be dry or moist, but well drained. It is both drought tolerant and can recover from fires. It can grow in nutritionally poor soil as it fixes its own nitrogen, some of which can be used for other plants. It prefers full sun or partial shade, but can grow in full shade. It is found in open woodlands, prairie, and on rocky hillsides or in woodland gardens, on a sunny edge, or in cultivated beds. It can be a pioneer plant as it fixes nitrogen and becomes especially dominant and instrumental in re-growth after a fire.

The most effective propagation of New Jersey Tea is by seed or by cuttings of half mature or mature wood.

Jersey Tea has a wide range of uses. The dried leaves can be made into a refreshing and stimulating tea. New Jersey Tea was used by Native Americans for a variety of medicinal purposes. The roots and bark were used for fever and problems with the mucous membrane including sore throat. The root tea was held in the mouth for toothache, used for asthma, bronchitis, whooping cough, digestive problems, spleen pain, and as a sedative. More recently it is used internally for asthma, bronchis, cough dysentery, sore throats, tonsillitis, and haemorrhoids and externally as an infusion of bark for cancer and venereal sores and powdered bark for venereal sores. The root and bark also stimulate the lymphatic system, contain an alkaloid that lowers blood pressure and are indicated for “inflammatory and spastic condition, especially in the gastrointestinal tract (diarrhea, stomachache) and upper respiratory tract (cold, cough, asthma), heavy or painful periods, liver stagnation,… and lymph congestion “ (http://dirtundermynails.com/?p=235#more-235) The flowers contain saponins and can be crushed and mixed with water to yield a gentle but effective soap for the body or clothing. The leaves yield a green dye, the roots a red dye and the whole plant can be made into a cinnamon colored dye.

Species List

Here are 12 species that can both be used for soap and can be made into a dye. All species are hardy to at least zone 5 and could therefore be grown in Fairfield.

New Jersey Tea
Fendler’s Ceanothus
Smaller Red Root
Oregon Tea Tree
Sticky Laurel
Fat Hen
California Goosefoot
Quinoa
Ivy
Bracken
Poplar
Thimble Berry

Guild

The plant I chose for my guild is New Jersey Tea. Other plants in the guild include Comfrey, a pear tree, a hybrid climbing rose called Leontine Gervais, and coriander. The pear tree is in the center with a few New Jersey Tea bushes surrounding it to fix nitrogen. Comfrey is interspersed among the New Jersey Tea as ground cover and compost and contributing calcium for all the plants in the guild. The pear tree benefits especially because grasses have a chemical that inhibits the tree’s growth. The climbing rose is shade tolerant and planted next to the tree. It will climb up the pear tree and attract some pollinating insects. Additionally coriander is planted around the circumference. Coriander is shade tolerant will attract more pollinating insects, but repels aphids which are pests to the rose.

These five plants provide, edible fruit, two types of tea, edible leaves from comfrey and coriander, an ingredient for coffee substitute, cooking spices, potential wood for cabinets or instruments, beautiful flowers, many dyes, (yellow tan, green, red, cinnamon), and have numerous medicinal uses.

References

Bioneers The Bioneers conference was very inspiring and eye opening. It seemed like at its core the conference was about rights, respect, and relationships. I liked the point that at the core of the problems society faces today is a problem with relationships, our relationships with our family, extending our to our close friends and social relationships, relationships among ethnicities and countries, our relationship between genders and with animals and finally coming full circle back to our relationship with Mother Earth. I thought her courage in examining those relationships, recognizing any internal biases caused by our culture, and healing them was truly inspiring.

Another thing that stood out to me was the emphasis in the workshops on local, decentralized systems. Community supported agriculture is an example of this. I really like the idea of keeping wealth in the community, and cultivating a sense of place and connection to our surroundings.

The lady that talked about New Orleans also changed my perspective. She really opened my eyes to being able to change a problem into a solution. A major destruction, although tragic, can be a huge opportunity to build green and build right.

I think the best thing about the conference was simply the amount of inspiration and energy I got from all the speakers.