Goal: Grow a complete diet in the smallest area possible

We return to Peru in this episode and join Yesica Nina of EcoHuella farm as she trains indigenous farmers (campesino’s) to maximize the potential of their food growing area. Crucial to this has been the principle of growing ‘calorie crops’ (like potatoes) which has been a staple to Peruvians for millenia. Yesica’s passion for ensuring that farmers are able to improve their yields, their nutrition and attain food security has now impacted thousands of farmers throughout the Sacred Valley.

Goal: Reduce dependence on seed companies, encourage seed saving, biodiversity and climate resilience

Matt Drewno of Victory Gardens for Peace has been busy setting up an open-pollinated seed bank in Mendocino, California. For over 5 years Matt has worked with other local seed initiatives in preparation for the uncertain times we all now face.

Meanwhile at G-BIACK (GROW BIOINTENSIVE® Agriculture Center of Kenya), we find Samuel Nderitu and Peris Wanjiru dealing directly with a range of seed-related issues in Thika, Kenya. In this context we can glimpse the vulnerability that farmers are facing from both multi-national seed companies and climate instability. For Samuel, Peris and the farmers they serve, open-pollinated seed banks have been crucial to their food sovereignty and their survival.

EPISODE 9: Whole System Approach

Goal: Integrate all the principles into your garden to ensure sustainability

Las Cañadas is a farming cooperative in Veracruz, Mexico that utilizes all 8 principles of the GROW BIOINTENSIVE® method to achieve sustainability. They grow their own food and maintain a closed-loop agricultural system which provides the foundation for a wealth of other practices and projects. Visit Las Cañadas in this episode and discover how founders Tania De Alba and Ricardo Romero converted a denuded landscape into paradise. Their daughter Aya concludes the series with some wise reflections.