Windhoek
The Namibian Organic Association (NOA), that has achieved much success with organic farming in Namibia, will host an introduction to Organic Vegetable Growing course on Saturday, March 19 in Windhoek.
The course will be held at Amani Development Centre, Windhoek, starting at 08h30 and finishing at 17h00. This has been necessitated by the tremendous water pressure under which water sources have been, especially in Windhoek. Thus alternative and water-saving small scale farming has taken on a completely new look and status as was recently demonstrated by aquaponics.
Participants will be introduced to some basic permaculture principles for garden design, soil management, using effective micro-organisms, recycling garden and kitchen waste. They will also learn how to make an earthworm farm, making compost and solving some common problems as well as growing their own seedlings, and planting out edible gardens (flowers, herbs, vegetables, fruit trees and shrubs).
Responsible irrigation, pest and disease control, how to manage weeds, and drought management practices including recycling water from the bathroom and kitchen will also be addressed in detail. Anyone interested in growing their own food in times of water scarcity should attend the course.
The course will be a combination of theory and practical, thus old clothes are recommended and participants must be prepared to get dirty. They should also not forget their hats, water bottles, notebooks, pens and pencils.
Manjo Krige, founder and chairperson of the NOA, is one of the presenters. She has been working in organic agriculture and growing organic herbs and vegetables for twelve years.
Stephen Barrow has been working with organic agriculture and permaculture in South Africa and internationally for 20 years. Stephen works internationally in organic certification, and offers consultancy and training in organic agriculture and permaculture. Stephen has worked with Krige for the past seven years, helping in the establishment of the NOA.
The course fee is N$450,00 per person, including tea and lunch. Sponsorships are available to selected participants. Deadline for booking is today by sending an e-mail to info@noa.org.