SWGC members have the wonderful opportunity to hear from professional gardeners and horticulturalists at our meetings. At our last meeting on May 13, Doris Wiebe (an SWGC member) introduced the club to the Cuban urban farming model after her recent travels to Cuba. I was struck by the independence of the Cubans who have learned to rely on themselves for food production.
Here are some of the points she made and things she learned while in Cuba.
Think Small
Small gardens feed the surrounding people. The leftover compostables are then collected and recycled back into the gardens. As a result no transportation is required, leaving a much smaller environmental footprint in the communities. Finally they also collect rainwater from local buildings to water their gardens.
Do Less work
Cubans use permanent raised beds, which means they don't have to till. Weeds are controlled by using biointensive methods that reduce weeding - something we can all appreciate. And because the urban farmers sell to customers from the garden site there are no transportation costs associated with food distribution.
Agroecology
Another common practice in Cuba is the production of inputs on site. The farmers use compost (vermiculture), animal manure, and compost toilets to enrich their soils. Animals provide the fertility, meanwhile flowers and herbs provide pest control. In addition, the farmers place great importance on companion planting to promote production.
Thank you Doris for such an enlightening presentation and for showing us that communities can support themselves through healthy and organic gardening practises.
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