Improved Household Gardening Skills
Training Tools for Pacific Island Communities 2003
…produced by Kastom Gaden Association and compiled by Tony Jansen, Russ Grayson and Roselyn Kabu Maemouri [ Download file ] PDF 4.55MB
This book has been written for community extension workers, government field officers and non-government organisations.
Production of the Improved Household Gardening Skills manual has been made possible through funding from APACE (Appropriate Technology for Community and Environment), an Australian non-government organisation which, after 20 years of involvement in the Solomon Islands and other South Pacific islands, ceased operations in 2002.
The manual describes how old and new techniques can be combined to provide Pacific island communities with an ecologically sustainable approach to subsistence home gardening. The techniques can also be used to grow crops for sale at markets.
The authors of the manual all have experience in growing crops using organic methods and of teaching the methods.
As well as work with the Kastom Gaden Association training program, members of the team based in the Solomon Islands have also worked with the Solomon Islands Planting Material Network. The Network is a seed exchange which produces and distributes seeds to Solomon Island farmers.
Cooperation between the Solomon Island staff and organisations such as APACE, the Seed Savers Network, Pacific Edge and other organisations and individuals based in Australia have made the Kastom Garden Program and its successor, the Kastom Gaden Association, an example of a successful regional development program. The program shows that small non-government organisations and individuals can make a difference.
2 Comments
David Chandler
July 9, 2010 at 12:28 pmCan you please give me permission to use your program in the Philippines to teach under privelaged children to become self sufficient in growing vegetables. I am also thinking of going to Cambodia to teach also.
Tony Jansen
August 8, 2010 at 5:05 pmHi David,
I am answering on behalf of Kastom Gaden as the relevant staff person is away right now. I helped to found kastom gaden and have an ongoing role in supporting the organisation. I think I can safely say that you are welcome to use the kastom gaden materials including the training program for educational and development purposes of a non profit nature. What you are doing in Cambodia and Phillipines sounds in line with Kastom Gaden philosophy. Could you please send KGA a copy of any adapted materials that you create using the KGA manuals and also please remember to acknowledge KGA in your own work when using the materials. We are always very happy and interested to learn with how our materials are used in other parts of the world in a useful way.
Kind regards,
Tony