Hit the Dirt; Non-Profit Seeds. Part 2

Hello and welcome to another hit. This week and continuing my review of nonprofit organizations which support their programs in part by selling seeds and supplies to gardeners. These companies give us the option of spending our dollars where they will do some good. In addition to getting us our basic order cultural needs bountiful Gardens is one such company. It is a project of Ecology Action of the peninsula a nonprofit organization based in Willits California. The group is making a big impact with its efforts at reducing hunger and improving food security worldwide. The research and training and intensive sustainable food production in recent years have helped establish pilot projects demonstration farms and learning centers in Central America Africa Asia and the Soviet Union. To quote their self description in the catalogue. For over 18 years we have been developing the methods of the smallest and least demanding mini farm that will sustainably maintain a family in full health or in larger plots as market gardens to supply a community. Our development work comes from one of the oldest long range

organic research projects in the country and is linked with similar projects in over 100 countries. Since 1972. Our work with bio intensive food raising has reaped enormous returns for home gardeners indications are that a gardener may be able to grow his or her own. Three hundred twenty two pounds of vegetables and soft fruits in a six month growing season on as little as 100 square feet half the size of an average kitchen. Using the method one need spend only a few minutes in the garden each day. Water and weed one fourth as much and spend far less effort. All of this is possible while your soil fertility is greatly improved on a sustainable basis with good market conditions. It should even be possible for many farmers to make a living on as little as one eighth. Our educational program presents classes both in Willits and at our urban center in Palo Alto. We have become a key garden publisher producing four major books in over a dozen working pamphlets on subjects as raising your own fertilizers growing your own seed and

bio intensive apprenticeship possibilities. Our work has also been written up in virtually every major newspaper and magazine in the United States. Frequently visitors from other countries who have visited who have visited Ecology Action say it is this tiny office. All the good work comes from being small in this country is frequently associated with ultimately ineffective but small solutions are precisely what is needed. Develop a small functional ecologies in our still huge world. There is a great need for more small solutions like ours. Ecology actions educational work has always simply generated much of its needed funding but it has always been limited in fully distributing its findings where they are needed most. Furthermore the training of farmers teachers is also limited while requests for trained gardener many farmers continue to grow worldwide. Bountiful gardens now provides us with some increasing revenue for this important work while providing domestic gardeners with the best available products for their gardening pleasure. The bountiful gardens catalogue is

over 60 pages packed with listings for seeds biological controls gardening supplies books and information. Whether or not you practice the bio intensive method of gardening that Ecology Action espouses the catalog is definitely worth checking out. They offer a wide range of crops including one of the better green manure seed selections I've seen in any catalogue. Grains herbs and flowers are also well represented in their catalog. All the seed bound for garden cells is open pollinated and untreated. Some of it they grow themselves and they are also the exclusive US distributor of Chase seeds of England. The focus of ecology actions work is an ecologically sustainable food production system in line with this. The catalog has a strong emphasis on organic gardening natural fertilizers beneficial insects and other biological controls botanical insecticides insect traps plus lots of other miscellaneous gardening supplies are available here. The books carried also focus on sustainable growing and living with selections on practical gardening cover crops

food processing plant propagation herbs and landscape alternative technology. Natural insect and disease control companion planting and much more. The catalog also offers a rather extensive list of ecology actions own publications and videotapes on bio intensive mini farming. I have ordered and read some of these and while I haven't adopted their methods entirely there is much to be gleaned from their teachings. I think ecology actions approach to food production is a sensible one. They're moving in the right direction. Their ideas and methods offer much potential for alleviating the worldwide food and health crises the bountiful gardens catalog is a good basic resource particularly for those interested in ecologically sound gardening. It is nice to know that I can aid the long term struggle for global food security simply through purchases. I would normally make anyway. If you are interested in obtaining a catalog send request about gardens 1 9 5 5 0. Walker Road Willits California 9 5 4 9 0. The address again is about

gardens 1 9 5 5 0. Walker Road Willits California 9 5 4 9 0. Well looking ahead to Thanksgiving I hope your gardens have been bountiful. And you have much to give thanks for. Bye for now and happy growing.