Soil School Report and Farm Visits - May 2011

Basic Course

The basic course was held at the Northern end of the Island in line with Tei Tei Taveunis intention of making the soil school as available to all the farmers on the island.

The course was held at Mua research station on the 12th and 13th of May, with 16 participants,the course was also attended by 4 members of TeiTei Taveuni so as to assess changes in the course and to assist Mike and Cheryl in further stream lining the course.

General Observations

The course manuals very well prepared with the contents arranged and presented very logically and with more locally based photos as per our earlier recommendations.

The participants found these new manuals very easy to follow.

The smaller number of participants allowed more interaction between participants and Mike, as reflected by the many questions and healthy discussions during the course.

Participants were all enthusiastic and eager to learn about biological farming, although most of them hadn’t the slightest idea of what biological farming was initially.

These observations also applied to the advanced course which was held down the southern end of the island.The advanced course had a similar level of participation with 10 participants and 6 members of Tei Tei Taveuni observing and 3 from MPI.

TeiTei Taveuni would like to thank Mike and Cheryl for all the work they have put in to bring the soil school up to the standard it is today.

Farm Visits

Follow up farm visits by mike is included in the program so farmers can have one on one discussions with mike, and so that mike could advise farmers any practical problems that they have.On this trip mike visited 4 farms before the basic course , these were farms of farmers who had previously participated in the advanced or basic course. After the the basic course another 5 farms were visited, these were farms of farmers who had just completed the basic course. After the advanced course the farms of another 8 participants was visited.

Conclusions

The course manuals and overall presentation of the course material was well organised and well presented making the courses very enjoyable and well received by participants.The general concensus of Tei Tei members and participants was that the course had been refined to a state where participants left the course satisfied and excited about putting what they had learned into practice.

Recommendations

In future farm visits would be carried out after the courses ,as farmers who had just completed the course were more enthusiastic ,and we did not have any situations where farmers were not at there farms ,these visits served as a means of clearing up any doubts or queries that farmers might have from the course.

During the basic course less time be spent on comparing conventional and biological methods of farming ,but a simpler and more comprehensive explanation of what biological is all about be included .

The advanced course less time spent on using the tools to test your soils ,and more emphasis placed on interpreting the soil tests and producing a program to balance your soil.

Most importantly Tei Tei Taveuni would have to work with local buissness houses to ensure that all the recommended inputs are readily available on Taveuni ,or TeiTei stock and sell these inputs as the unavailability of these inputs on Taveuni was identified as a serious setback to farmers actually practising good biological farming .

Tei Tei Taveuni would like to thank the donors for making the soil school possible.

Report compiled by Lilian on behalf of TTT.