Permaculture course 2010

Photo above: Making Bio-char with bona fide timber produced in renewable timber systems based on coppice and pollard system type management. Thanks to Shad for his help with our first charcoal making episode.
Above pictured: Fran and Guillermo with a 40 pounds Jaquero/Jackfruit!!!

Same jackfruit pictured with a plantain bunch and our first significant harvest of canistel or Pouteria campechiana. A tree crops candidate.

Permaculture students and botanical ninjas of peace hard at work on a vaulted locally fired brick oven with a cob insulating layer mix. Design courtesy of Michael Judd and cob goddess Rachel.


Greetings Bona Fide friends and supporters,

WOW! February felt even shorter than its 28 days. The month blew past whilst we held our 7th annual Permaculture design course. We hosted 18 people and had folks from: Canada, USA, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Germany. Thanks to all who attended, contributed, taught, shared, cooked, led work projects, and coordinated. This year saw the return of Reed Aubin to the Ometepe PDC scene. Reed brought 4 years of experience since his last visit to the course and to the translation experience whilst Tiny Man and Reed together provided a dynamic duo of new ideas, teaching and mirth. After 15 days we were quite exhausted and a few days of relaxation were called for. A trip to the Rio San Juan was in order and was made. The Rio San Juan is a must see for all folks who have the time to make it out to this percious SE corner of Nicaragua.

Many Thanks to all and more frequent updates to come.

Best,

Chris Shanks

El Berrinche eco-celebration and BF!

Greetings Bona Fide Friends and Supporters,

This last week was spent mostly in Granada, BF staff was recharging as well as participating and admiring the 5 day eco-festival with art and music called 'El Berrinche'. 10 days ago David and Norman, master mason's from Balgue and the chief ninjas on Chris' building team spent 7 days in Granada working with the artists and building the featured cob oven. They returned 3 days ago for the festivities along with Cat, Rachel, Steve, Jackie, myself as well as the inaugural apprentcies, Walker Brown and Kate bolton who will be with us for 3 months after a 3 week stint in El Lagartillo's languague school: 'Hijos de Maiz.' Yesterday Jackie and I did a pizza making workshop and we have been supporting the group in other ways with logistics and advice for sometime. Artists, acrobats, clowns, musicians from over 12 countries came with a special focus on Central American participants. Fire, stilts, drums, flips, workshops in local barrios and lots of eco-educational fun was to be seen and experienced and the final night culminated with 'Cuneta Son Machin' one of the most popular Nicaraguan groups in the country playing a hour long show with hundreds dancing at a free all ages event where children and adults played side by side.
Huge thanks to Diego of the Theater School of Comedy and Mime as well as Benjamin Wheatley our friend and gracious host for our opportunities to participate and for great lodgings. We hope to support this event next year as it grows and evolves.

Until next post,

Chris Shanks

Greetings Bona Fide Friends and Supporters,

Been a but quiet here on the ole blog range of late. Busy daze with lots of neat projects unfolding. This week we feature the month long project led by our administrator, Evelio Hernandez, the thatching anew of our beautiful 30' diameter classroom space with local grass from the area as well as our own land. The cutting, carrying, curing, tying, and thatching of this structure is A LOT of work and we extend a heartfelt thanks to our local team for all the overtime they put in as well as hard working volunteers and friends who made it all happen since late last December. A nice holiday treat!!

This thatch job comes well timed with the last local vines twisted and tied as we prepare for our 7th annual permaculture design course. This year we have folks from 5 different countries participating, the US, Canada, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Costa Rica. We welcome Tiny Man, Jackie Pitts Ashley Carter and Juan Jose Calero to our staff and are looking forward to a great course.

The final foto featured is the newly christened garden down at Casa Albergüe. Greens are coming prper this year thanks to Nevis, Norbert and all volunteer effort.

Upcoming posts will feature the 'El Barrinche' eco-festival in Granda this coming weekend January 28-30th with music, forums, costumes and art performance. It will be a blast.

Cheer to Diego, Ben and the entire Casa botellas crew for organizing hundreds of folks for a festivsl for thousands!!!!

Coming up to the holidays. Still going strong!

Greetings Bona Fide friends and supporters,

Busy Busy daze here on the farm as the gardens are growing, mulch is flowing, seeds are sowing. NOTE: Huge Huge ups and thanks to Baker Creek Seeds in the US of A for their generous donation of over $650.00 in seeds to our community garden project in conjunction with Dig!, the BF community center and BF's own test gardens on site at the farm. Congrats go out to Norbert and Nevis for their hard work up in Leon training a local Leones about OG gardening as well as setting up for its second season an amazing urban garden that supports local food production for the Bigfoot Hostel.

Rains are still falling sporadically and the dry wet season has been somewhat salvaged by late season rains (and our Sorghum crop too).

This coming week is the last full workweek for BF staff from Balgue as well as our international volunteer and intern staff.

Let's keep the good vibes going for 1-2 more soakings before we set in for the DRY period.

Please be well,

Chris Shanks

Co-director Project Bona Fide

WHATS UP!! the dry season. Goodness por todos los lados

Greetings Bona Fide Friends and Supporters,

Well folks, I have been lax and I deserve at least mild castigation for being derelict in my blog updates. I hope we have not suffered too great of waning interest and I hope to win back our followers with more regular updates from now on. I am surprised by the number of folks looking in on the BF blog and I am grateful for it.

OK with that on the table let's get after it.

The month of November is always busy at Bona Fide, garden preparations, summer mulching preparations, irrigation system repair and upkeep plus planning for the upcoming permaculture course, working with new interns and gearing up for the busiest time for volunteer help. This past November and going right into the beginning of December have been no different, if anything perhaps more busy as BF forays into the support of a Commuity Garden at the BF community center, pending school groups, our biggest organic grain harvest to date plus what to do with so many papayas, bananas, starfruit and passionfruit. Eating them helps.

On top of all of this I find myself neck deep in for profit design projects. These projects not only help this almost 8 year and running volunteer pay the bill but also are opening doors for markets for organic produce and meats as well as regional connections that promote wellness, community building and right livelihood.

I find myself between the BF farm and two large design projects and little time to slow down yet the excitement of all the work we are all doing and how so much is coming together on the farm is fantastic. BF is close to developing some processing facilities for fruits (canning and ferments) as well as exploring some new building techniques to develop infrastructure as well as futher developing our local and regional community ties. Good time to be in Nicalandia with so many good folk.

A big shout out to Roundover Rachel, Cat, Steve, and Eva for ninja intern skillz and what they bring to our work. Same for our wonderful and warm local staff as well as to Michael Judd and family, (now in Nicaragua!!).

Pictures and more textual goodness to come next week.

Best to all,


Chris Shanks
Project co-Director
Site Manager

Community planting for Watershed Protection

Greetings Bona Fide friends and supporters,

This week's update features Bona Fide's leadership role and collaboration with the water committee of our local community, Balgue.

Project Bona Fide has been working with and alongside our local water committee concerning the reforestation of one of our important micro watersheds around our community.

In collaboration with community members including committee chairman, Luis Damian BF planted over 100 native fruit, nut, and hardwood trees (grown in our nursery) to provide erosion control, shade, wildlife forage, and protection for the vital spring 50 yards below that provides water for over 1500 community members. We did this in accordance with Nicaragua law, the environmental ministry, MARENA allows for plantings to protect watersheds for 50 yards in all directions from the source.

The trees were also fenced with chicken wire in order to protect them from roaming domestic grazing animals. The trees will be cared for in the dry season by BF and its volunteers.

Thanks to all especially BF volunteers and the Balgue water committee for their efforts.

Best to all,

Chris Shanks
Co-director Project Bona Fide

Healing Hands, Travel, RAIN!!!!!

Greetings Project Bona Fide friends and supporters,

I would like to almost entirely devote this week's entry to four exceptional women.

Our BF friends and neighbors, Dee and Kim

Our friends from town, Lydia and Sineada

It all started like this: Kim and Dee were housesitting for our dear Neighbors, Ben and Sarah Slow whilst they were welcoming their newborn daughter into this world. Dee and Kim were caring for the home and sharing animal care duties and other chores with Lydia and Sineada who work at Ben and Sarah's farm. All 4 women became close. Both Kim and Dee are certified and trained massage therapists. They wanted to leave something lasting and generative to the community they grew to love. Massage is what they chose to give. Over more than a month in many long and grueling sessions they taught traditional Indian Head Massage to Lydia and Sineada and worked with them to ground the program in the Community Center in town, structuring the econimic system to benefit the masseuse, the Center, and to support the ongoing work of the masseuses and their needs for materials. WELL DONE!!!

In other news:

RAIN RAIN RAIN. Por fin (finally) our rain dancing has paid off with more than a week of consistent moisture our last year's plantings are being finished and our annual crops are being well refreshed.

I am ON THE ROAD traveling in the mid-west of the US of A visiting agro-foretry sites, farmers, and friends, out to learn and absorb. Many thanks to all who have provided a place to stay, a cold beer, a good bit of conversation, speaking engagements or otherwise.

Pictures to come after the trip.

Best to all and thanks for your support,

Chris Shanks