2017 is promising to become an exciting year. I personally have moved back to Tanzania, the country that has been "home" in my heart ever since 1997. Together with a few close friends we started Mama Chakula Foundation and plunged head on into our new task: enabling people to transform their lives and communities. To impact society through this transformation. Access to relevant information and knowledge is key, but just as important is growing as individuals who respect each other as equally although uniquely gifted and important human beings. This is based on the deep understanding that everyone is created for an individual purpose with different gifts and resources. That we all belong to the human race through fulfilling this purpose, through using OUR unique gifts and resources. We won't all be Nelson Mandelas or Maya Angelous. There are and there will always be people called for huge tasks. But nevertheless we can all keep it with Maya Angelou's poem:
"Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I'll rise."
This is my wish for you and for all of us in these challenging and exciting times, that we all may rise. Together. Hand in hand. Let us be as great as we are meant to be.
"Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I'll rise."
This is my wish for you and for all of us in these challenging and exciting times, that we all may rise. Together. Hand in hand. Let us be as great as we are meant to be.
Get organised...
The move to Arusha, the new year, all good reasons to get organised. Here in Arusha we have a 1 ha demonstration farm. We started by making compost :-) We need to get the soil into top shape as quickly as possible. But I also started planning. The dairy goat house, the chicken house, the green house, the water catchment and irrigation system. So much fun to think of the best possible design. And then the vegetable beds. Where do they go, what do we want to grow.
I brought a ton of seeds with me, all in small sealable ziplock bags, labeled with name and year. Now I am starting a seed inventory to be able to see what we have, what might no longer be viable and what we might need to buy. As many of you might want to also start harvesting and using your own seeds or keep stocks from last season, I decided to share my inventory template with you to make your life a little bit easier.
I brought a ton of seeds with me, all in small sealable ziplock bags, labeled with name and year. Now I am starting a seed inventory to be able to see what we have, what might no longer be viable and what we might need to buy. As many of you might want to also start harvesting and using your own seeds or keep stocks from last season, I decided to share my inventory template with you to make your life a little bit easier.
| seed_inventory.docx |
You enter the date on which you harvest or purchase the seeds. Purchased seeds usually come with a code. This is the product ID. It will make it easier to identify the same seeds again later, if you want to restock. In column 3 you note if it is you harvested the seeds yourself or you write the name of the seed company from which you purchased the seeds. Under name you write the common name of the plant and in the next column the botanical name if you have it/know it. This can also be useful to identify seeds later again. Under quantity you can either write how many grams, seeds or seed packages you add to your seed bank. That depends on your personal preference or the kind of seeds you keep. Keeping records in grams can be useful if you have larger stocks and want to be able to calculate the acreage for which this quantity of seeds is sufficient. Simpler systems will also work with just the number of packages you have. To provide yourself with some more information at a glance you can add in the next column if the seeds are for annual, biannual or perennial plants. The next column is very important but needs a bit of knowledge or research. Shop-bought seed packages sometimes also provide this information. "Viability until" gives you information about the time frame in which these seeds will usually germinate. Some plants have seeds that are viable for several years if kept properly, others will germinate only for a very short while after harvest. This information in your inventory will help you keeping your stocks well-organised. Seeds that are beyond their viability date can usually be thrown away. If they are very valuable you can of course always do a germination test before planting.
Then last column gives you space for your own notes. Anything you want to copy from the seed pack, any information regarding the plant, anything you want to remember regarding these particular seeds.
Then last column gives you space for your own notes. Anything you want to copy from the seed pack, any information regarding the plant, anything you want to remember regarding these particular seeds.
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