June 29, God’s Green Earth      

Today, I was lucky enough to get to work with an American missionary who is starting a garden/farming project.  His name is Nathan Hale and he had come on Torch trips when he was younger.  In school, he studied Bible and Music at college, but he wasn’t really sure what he wanted to do with his life.  He learned about the people who lived in the dump and he felt called to do something about it.  He got the idea to start a self-sustaining garden/farm that he could use to feed the people in the dump.  In the long run, he wants to be able to have some of the dump people work and live on the farm.  His farm is on about 40 acres of land that was donated to him.  It is out in the country up on a hillside with a gorgeous view.

                                                      Nathan is a Liscomb graduate who is originally from the Nashville area.  His parents still live there.

We had about a ¾ mile hike to the sight today, but it was beautiful pristine land and we passed a couple of Torch houses on the property.  Nathan explained some of the things that he will be doing to make it an organic, self-sustaining garden.  He uses grass clippings for compost mulch; he also has worms that he will use their worm castings to make a rich soil.  I also learned about a very interesting plant that was brought here from India called moringa.  It is an almost nutritionally perfect food.  It is a fast growing tree that does almost anything.  I’m going to add some information, as well as a link to his web-site. 

http://dagyei.wordpress.com/category/moringa-oleifera/

Using a machete to cut grass for compost

He was also in the process of having a very nice cement block farm house being built.  He was hoping to have it to the point that it would be livable.  (We would call it camping.)  The farmhouse was placed at the back of the property right beside the edge of the mountain, so there was a gorgeous view.

The farmhouse that they are trying to get ready to live in by this weekend.

 

We did many things.  We hauled dirt to his rows, broke up sod and got the grass out, we used a machete to cut grass that he would use as a mulch, and we hauled some older much to the garden.  He had a Honduran man name Roberto who was working for him and we watched him to figure out the best way to use the machete.  Us older “folk” did very well, if I say so myself!!! I was very impressed with what a Godly, committed young man Nathan was, and I hope to be able to visit his farm for many years to come and see is dream come alive.

God's green Earth