We Continue To Plant Frijol Beans

This Blog...
Is a diary of everyday life on a Honduran farm...
Nothing is constant...
Everyday brings us new experiences...
Our lessons will be published at this Blog...
Failure is not an option...

Our project...
To plant what Hondurans eat everyday..
Frijol Beans...
Is going very well...
We are irrigating with sprinklers...


January 19.2011
Preparing land for Frijol Bean Rosado
Area I


January 20.2011
Dennis with Frijol Bean Rosado crop
Area I



January 25.2011
Frijol Bean Rosado
Rain Bird 30 sprinklers
Area II

We are using Rain Bird 30 Impact Sprinklers - for our agriculture irrigation needs...


January 24.2011
Frijol Bean Rosado crop
Rain Bird 30 sprinklers
Area I


January 19.2011
Frijol Bean 40 Rosado crop
Rain Bird 30 sprinklers
Area IV


January 24.2011
Rain Bird 30 sprinkler


January 20.2011
Young Pinol Corn
With this corn we make Pinol for sale


January 19.2011
Our pigs are doing well


January 19.2011
Moringa pods


January 19.2011
Manuel - Dennis
With our 5hp diesel pump

A Honduran Campesino...
With a simple 5hp diesel motor...
Combined with a two inch Barnes high pressure water pump...
And four sprinklers...
Can water his crops very well...
All the hype about drip irrigation...
Is just that...
BS...
If you have a ample water source...
Start your water pump and walk away...
Let the sprinklers do the job...


Our DEK 400 diesel with 2 inch high pressure Barnes pump...
Fantastic...


Our 3 cylinder Daihatsu diesel motor with 3 inch high pressure Barnes pump


The Daihatsu- Barnes pump combo moves sufficient water to power our mini water canons...
This was a test run to see if water canons were the best way to irrigate our cow pastures...
We are going to experiment with gravity irrigation..
Since our cow pastures have a slope to them...
We will pump water to edge of slope...
The water will follow the slope downwards...
This will stop uneccessary evaporation of water using water canons...

Our creek is spring fed near our property...
We manage our water usage during the dry summer months...
We do not intefere with our neighbors water needs...
Our creek joins another river nearby downstream - Rio Siguate - this river has more water flow than ours...
Hence all neighbors downstream have plenty of available water...
Even though no one downstream uses irrigation pumps...
Our creek system flows into nearby Rio Talgua - a plentiful water source...
It is not feasible for us to use labor intensive drip irrigation with micro tubes...
We are very thankful to the Great Spirit for our year round spring fed water source...

We plan to run our diesel motors...
With our own Jatropha oil...

If Drip Irrigation is for you...
Cause you live in desert conditions...
Spend the money...
Listen to me - buy a proven low maintenance drip irrigation system...

For those who want a portable Treadle Irrigation Pump...
You can build your own...
No need to stand in line at a Honduran Agriculture NGO...


¨The treadle irrigation pump is able to lift up to seven thousand litres of water per hour using the power of the human body, and can be made locally at low cost in small-scale metalworking shops. Its acceptance in Bangladesh where it was first developed in 1984 is extraordinary, with over 500,000 pumps estimated now to be in use. The current design in this manual has evolved from the Bangladesh original into a fully portable pump with both lift and pressure capacity and is especially good for use in permeable soils where water cannot easily be distributed through channels.¨
· How to Make and Use the Treadle Irrigation Pump - by Carl Bielenberg, Hugh Allen


I highly recommend these Treadle Pumps for Campesinos...
Click here to see the impact of Treadle Pumps for those who truly want to work...
Treadle Pumps are not for those wanting free handouts...
Lessons learned by KickStart...

Yes...
Prior posts at this Blog...
Highlighted the goals we had with drip irrigation...
And exporting our farm products...
But then there is reality...
· I - The NGO´s who were at our farm - did not honor their word...
· II - These same NGO´s wanted to associate our farm with Herbicide - Terminator seed suppliers...
· III - Drip irrigation with micro tubes is labor intensive...
· IV - Drip irrigation is not natural - drip irrigation does not follow the synergy of Mother Nature - the heavens water crops from above - not from below...
· V - Most agriculture engineers here do not have a clue regarding hands on agriculture...
· VI - With world economies collapsing - it is not wise to build a export infrastructure - the Colonia Agricola, Catacamas is a prime example of how Honduran agriculture export companies are always behind in payments to the Honduran Campesino...
· VII - Most Honduran Campesinos follow Sustainable Famine Projects - the Honduran American Combine have done well...

Our hard earned lessons in 2010...
Taught us - keep it simple...
Stay away from Honduran NGO´s...
Beware of con men Gringos...
Run from agriculture engineers...
Look for a Honduran Campesino who supports himself by his farm products - heed his advice...
Plant a crop Hondurans eat everyday...
Sell your product on the streets of your local village for 1 - 2 Lempiras cheaper than the local market...
Your customers will keep coming back...
They need to eat - while saving money...
Law of supply and demand...

¨Keep it simple...
I know...
We are doing it¨...
· Tomas
Bean farmer


UPDATE Tuesday Jaunary 25.2011

Fantastico...


Celso Flores from Colonia Agricola...
Is preparing his land to plant Frijol Bean...
Celso is going to faze out his Egg Plant...
Celso is tired of not being paid for his product...
Celso agrees with what we are doing...
Raise a crop Hondurans eat everyday...
Bypass Honduran agricultural NGO´s...
Bypass Honduran agricultural middle men...
Sell your beans on the streets of Honduras..
Sell your beans cheaper than the Honduran American Combine...
Fantastic Celso...
Fantastico...

· · ·

Review Of Last Seventeen Months

January 12.2010
· IDE - Honduran Campesino Drip Irrigation Project


January 20.2011
· The Honduran Campesino Dream Begins


January 27.2010
· Answer To Imposed Honduran Poverty - Action


May 5.2010
· We Are Selling Our First Vegetables


June 15.2010
· We Need Buyers For Our Honduran Produce


Friday November 12.2010
A decision has been made together with our Honduran Campesino associates...
All IDE International drip irrigation equipment has been removed from our farm...
We are looking at irrigation systems developed in Nicaragua...


November 12.2010
· Family First


November 14.2010
We have initiated our Pig Project...
· Family Farm Project


December 24.2010
· Aldea Sosa Roadside Farmers Market


January 19.2011
· We Continue To Plant Frijol Beans


January 26.2011
· We Continue To Sell Our Farm Products


February 2.2011
· Frijol 40 Rosado - Frijol Cuarentano Rosado


March 24.2011
· My 24 Year Old Dream For Honduras - Swadeshi


June 28.2011
Pig project update...
· Failure Is Not An Option