Week 3: Working with compost and ground cover plants

 ​This week in Rudy Reads, Rudy and Saga report on experimenting with compost and ground covering. They have also searched for new crops to introduce in the Kebun and they tell us more about the status of the compost facility and the water well!

The compost matter

Together with Pak Amir, we’ve been working for some time on building facilities such as a compost facility and a water well. The well should provide a buffer against the lack of rain, and the compost facility should provide sufficient organic material to enrich the soil in the future, in such a way that the farmers will not have to purchase compost.
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When the soil has improved, we can start introducing new crops. On our list of crops are lemongrass, turmeric, ginger, beans, papaya, corn, eggplant, pineapple and banana. We have already planted pineapple and papaya. Other crops, such as the porang, are already growing there naturally. We gratefully take advantage of that!

Unfortunately, the Kebun does not yet produce sufficient organic material to supply the entire garden. That is why we have been looking for some time for suitable compost to prepare the soil for planting. It is important that we, whether aware of it or not, do not buy compost where pesticides or other harmful substances have crept in. That's why we visited Ibu Masna in BoneBone (16 kilometres from us) together with Pak Amir.
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The visit was inspiring! Like us, Ibu Masna has planted cocoa trees on her property, as well as other crops. She also runs her own coffeehouse where she serves coffee and cocoa. In the future, she hopes to set up an educational facility where she can teach farmers about the art of composting. These are all ideas that flow with the vision of La Galigo. 

We are not sure that the compost of Ibu Masna is 100% organic. She uses remnants of rice fields and oil palms. However, a report has shown that the compost does not contain iron and other heavy metals.

​Therefore, on 21 November, we received a GO from the board of La Galigo to purchase the compost. No less than 52 bags (of which 2 were given to us for free; yay!) were brought to the Kebun. We are now busy spreading the compost over the rows in the Kebun. 

Experimenting with ground cover plants

While the soil of the Kebun is slowly being improved, we are looking for a suitable ground cover. And guess what? The “bunga carpet”, or carpet flower, grows in abundance around and under the house.

​We have been told that it is not only a suitable ground cover, but that the yellow flowers also attract the natural enemy of the pbk mosquito! Sometimes the solution is just right in front of you.
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The first few cuttings we planted, looked a bit dry and sad. This was because it hadn’t rained at all. A few days later, finally some rain fell, and the cuttings slowly started to feel at home on their new spot. 

​Planting the bunga carpet is quite a task. First, the soil needs to be cleared before the cutting can be planted, in order to increase the chances of survival. After clearing, we make a small slot in which the plant can be nested. And this process is repeated for every single cutting!

Man power in exchange for English classes

​During the composting and planting of cuttings, we slowly start to realize that it takes a lot of manpower to keep the garden in order. We don’t have this manpower yet! In order to keep the garden in order in the future, we need to think about how we can attract more volunteer help. Saga and I already brainstormed a bit about how we might be able to offer local students English lessons in exchange for working a few hours in the garden. 

​The Foundation also has the intention to attract students, ecological tourists and other volunteers from all over the world in the future, and to receive them on the farm. This too will hopefully relieve the workload in the future: Gotong Royong style! I am glad to hear that Saga has already indicated that she wants to return to the Kebun in February. Hero! 

Agroforestry facts: Did you know?

​The “porang” is considered the companion of the cocoa. This tree grows here and there in the shady places (often under the cocoa tree) of the Kebun. Many people take the tree away, but that’s a waste! If you dry the tubers that the plant produces, you can catch 20,000 rupiah per kilogram for this. This means extra income for the farmers!

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