Diversification and Polyculture for Greater Biodiversity at CAO

Biodiversity in The Organic Learning Center (CAO)

February 9, 2024

Diversification and Polyculture

for Greater Biodiversity

I am no plant or tree expert so this has been an immersive learning experience. I ask the students many questions and learn as I go. It has made me realize and reflect on how little I know about plant and trees species in different contexts. In Tennessee (where I am from) I am not very familiar with native biodiversity, and in Central America I have learned the names of many trees but am not familiar with all of their uses and benefits. In urban living and formal education systems we often don't receive this type of knowledge. It goes undervalued in day to day life and our educational curriculums. It's a shame since this is such an integral part of our environments and our relationship with our environment. Although I love being in nature and outdoors, I'm ashamed to admit how little I know about biodiversity!

Many of the students at CAO come from rural communities where the older generation has passed on knowledge about local biodiversity and agriculture. They grew up in closer proximity to their natural surroundings and have a lot of valuable knowledge about how to work with nature. Many of us from the city have missed out on the gift of being observant of and attuned to our natural surroundings. But it's something we can start to cultivate and learn now!

Very central to CAO’s mission is promoting the diversification and polyculture rather than monoculture. This type of agroforestry system (a mix of trees and crops) supports biodiversity and builds organic content in soils. Having more organic content in the soil maintains soil humidity, breaks down nutrients for plants, and prevents the growth of weeds. All of these benefits reduce the need for agrochemical products by working with nature's systems.

February 14, 2024

Transplanting Vetiver

Today I accompanied my new friend Roger who works on the farm. He is a 19-year old from Honduras who has been working on the farm for almost a year. Our task was to transplant a plant called Vetiver throughout the plantain field. Roger handed me a machete and told me to cut off the tops of the vetiver plants so that when we transplant them they will regrow faster. Slicing off the ends of the plants with the sharp machete was extremely satisfying.

Chopping up vetiver and transplanting into the ground; Digging holes to plant the vetiver; Nitrogen fixing beans

Roger and I chopped up the vetiver into smaller, transplantable pieces and put them in the wheelbarrow. We went to the fields where the plantains and lemons trees are planted and planted the vetiver between the trees. Roger used the hole digger to make holes where I would then plant the vetiver plants. He is fast and strong, moving quickly down the plantain rows. I hurried to keep up with him.

Prior to visiting the farm, I had never heard of vetiver, but I have learned that vetiver is a very important plant for organic farms! Vetiver grows big, deep roots up to 3 meters deep and captured water during hard rains to prevent soil erosion in rainy season.

The farm at CAO is at the base of a large hillside so vetiver is important to capture and absorb the rainfall that runs down the hill and into the farm. Past rains have flooded and eroded the land. A diversity of deep-rooted plants and adding organic materials combat this because they increase the water holding capacity of soil. Instead of the water quickly passing through or over the soil, water is absorbed and available to the roots for a longer period of time.

Deep rooted plants like vetiver also extract nutrients from very deep in the soil where normal crop roots like beans, corn and grass do not go. Those deep-rooted plants extract the nutrients from 1 to 4 meters deep in the soil and bring those nutrients to the surface.

While we were digging and transplanting vetiver we found many worms, a good sign of healthy soil. Worms thrive with lots of organic material, and they act as a natural plow, improving soil structure and water drainage. While we were going down the rows planting vetiver, Ismael was planting nitrogen fixing beans down the rows. All of this diversity of plant life and organic material adds rich nutrients to the soil.

After a few hours of transplanting vetiver, the novelty of the experience was wearing off! When Roger told me that after lunch we were going to continue transplanting vetiver, I sighed in disappointment and we both laughed. It became a recurring joke that whenever Roger saw me he would smile and say, "Maggie, vamos a sembrar vetiver??" "Maggie, want to plant some Vetiver??"

At first the students at CAO were quite shy and nervous to talk to us volunteers. However, after a few days and by the end of the first week of volunteering, we had spent so much time together that we were comfortable to joke around and pick on each other. If Evelin, the farm manager, came to supervise the students' work and found us sitting down in the plantain fields talking, the boys were quick to say it was my idea! Of course, Evelin didn't believe them. The boys would get a kick out of me trying new tasks for the first time like making holes with the post hole digger or pushing the heavy wheelbarrow up the rows of plantains. Because I lived in Nicaragua for many years and speak Spanish, we were able to communicate and connect about the similar cultures. They would teach me new Honduran words such as"macizo," the Honduran word for "cool" which can also mean "what's up." They would start to greet me and shout across the farm, "Maggie! Macizo!" Over time, I started to feel very integrated into the team :)

February 21, 2024

Transplanting Madreado Trees

Today I worked with David, another student on the farm. Our task was to cut down branches of Madreado trees to plant them in buckets in the nursery where they will later be transplanted around the farm.

Cutting off Madreado branches with the machete; Dipping the branches in aloe and planting into the buckets; Madreado branches planted in the tree nursery

David prepared an aloe mixture which we dipped the branches into before we planted them into the buckets. He explained that this helps stimulate the roots to grow faster. As you can see in the photo above, David taught me to use the machete to cut down the branches of madreado trees. We walked around the farm and found trees that were already well developed to collect branches from them. David slices off the branches with effortless ease.

In Honduras, most farming is manual, labor-intensive work and the students have a lot of strength and skill. They use the machete for the majority of their work such as cutting down branches, weeding, or cutting the grass for the sheep in the morning. It's part of the culture, and it's not uncommon to see men walking down the street or boarding the bus in town with a machete in hand. For both the boys and girls on the farm, it was something they were proud of and was part of their culture. They laughed at us volunteers who awkwardly tried to learn. As I destroyed a coconut that I was trying to open, one of the young women, Rosi, skillfully sliced open a hole to drink the coconut water from. She handed it to me and smiled.

This task of transplanting madreado trees is important because it promotes biodiversity and healthy soil. Madreado is a nitrogen-fixing tree that can grow from 10 to 12 meters high. The tree is used for various purposes such as live fencing, animal fodder, coffee shade, firewood, and green manure. It is referred to as a quick-stick because it can grow almost right away just by cutting it and directly planting it in the ground. Planting trees along the edges of the farm increases the biodiversity, provides shade, and create habitats for beneficial birds and insects that prey on crop pests.

Biodiversity of Plants and Trees at CAO!

I'm proud to be able to identify more plants and trees on the farm! Below I have included some of the variety of plants and their different benefits and uses on the farm. You can find these plants and trees dispersed throughout the farm.

Comfrey or Consuelda serves as a good ground cover, mulch, and compost activator. Its deep roots (up to 2m) mine important nutrients and from deep in the soil and store them in their leaves, and it also distributes nutrients into surrounding plants and soil. Comfrey grows fast and can be harvested many times. It is also a great animal fodder as its leaves have lots of protein.

Madriado (Madre de Cacao) is a nitrogen-fixing tree as it is part of the leguminous family (leguminous trees fix nitrogen). In some areas, it is referred to as a quick-stick due to its characteristic of growing quickly by cutting a branch and directly planting it in the ground. It is a fast growing tree with a maturity height of 10 meters (33 feet). It is adaptable to many soil environments, including infertile soils. Its bark and leaves are a natural insecticide, repellent, and rodent poison.

Vetiver is a perennial, non-invasive grass that extends deep roots growing up to 10-15 feet deep or 3-4 meters. While it is native to India, it has been used in many tropical countries. Its deep, extensive roots prevent erosion by creating a barrier that slows down water flows from storms and steep slopes. It absorbs water deep into the soil and prevent soil runoff. Vetiver's deep roots also make it tolerant to drought and serve as a filter for managing water and pollution. The Organic Learning Center (CAO) uses Vetiver to manage and offset the harsh rains that come in from mountainside during the rainy season.

Leucaena Tree is native to Central America. As a leguminous tree, it fixes nitrogen into the soil. It is fast-growing and produces dense firewood and high-quality charcoal. At CAO is is planted throughout the grass fields, providing a higher layer strata. We feed the leaves to the sheep and chickens. Additionally, its leaves a good green manure for the soil.

Hierba de Pollo has nutritious leaves for hens and rabbits. It grows as a ground cover (cubresuelos).

Indio desnudo tree literally translates to "naked Indian" tree. This name may be a bit problematic but it is what is used locally. My friend from El Salvador calls this tree "árbol de jiote" which refers to a disease of the skin. As you can see in the photo, the bark shines red, is flakey, and peels off. This gives the tree a very distinct look. It is used as live fences in pastureland as it is a good animal fodder. Its fruits are consumed by a variety of monkeys and species of birds.

Pito is a tree we got to know well while volunteering at CAO. Each morning we harvested its leaves to feed to the rabbits. It grows a distinct pink and red, tubular flower which is cooked and consumed as a vegetable. The roots of the Pito tree enrich the soil with nitrogen. The leaves make a good mulch.

Guamo or Inga Tree is famously known as the ice cream bean for its creamy fruit which used to be part of the native, indigenous diet in pre-Columbian Peru. The Inga tree is beneficial as it improves soils by fixing nitrogen and mycorrhizal fungi (beneficial fungi growing in association with plant roots). The Inga Tree germinates and grows quickly, tolerates poor soils, provides high-quality firewood, and provides abundant green manure and mulch.

Nacis tree is native to Central and South America. It is used for fodder for pigs, rabbits and ruminants. The students at CAO harvest its leaves in a large bags to carry to the sheep pen to feed the lambs. Nacis is high in protein and the animals love its large leaves. While the students called this tree Nacis, I only was able to find it by the name Nacedero, Madre de Agua, or its scientific name Trichanthera gigantea.

Nopal/ Prickly Pear Cactus is an easy to grow, high-nutrition plant. It is known for its mineral and vitamin content and medicinal properties. It is commonly consumed in Mexican cuisine with eggs or in quesadillas. At CAO, they are also trying to introduce it into the local diet.

Canavalia or gandul beans/ pigeon peas are a perennial legume. They fix nitrogen into the soil as serve as a cover/forage crop. They are also good for live fences because they control erosion and provide shade for other vegetables. Another great benefit is that these green peas are edible as pods or dry beans and are rich in iron. CAO has planted lived fences of these Pigeon peas in the plantain fields near the mountainside to prevent erosion from the rains that flood in during the rainy season.