Micro-farming among the poor Cape Town

Dear Friends of ABALIMI via Global Giving

Thank you to 3 USA friends for USD 287 / ZAR 2200 (!!) in October 2009 and 3 UK friends between Sept 09-Dec 09 for GBP 113 / ZAR 1400 (!!). Altogether ZAR 3600, enough to provide our full suite of essential services (cheap inputs, training and follow-up, monitoring and evaluation, marketing value chain) to at least 3 micro-farmers for a full year!

Remember that *all* farmers need support, or none of us would eat. The so-called "commercial industrial farmers" of the world are more often than not heavily subsidized by our governments , or given very special structural support deals in the countries in which they operate, which amounts to the same thing. These same commercial farmers cost us the earth because they use up much more energy and resources than they produce.

Our organic micro-farmers need very very little support - not more than USD15 per month. With this they feed whole communities while building up and conserving the natural environment, sinking tons of carbon and making thousands of people healthy through eating really high quality fresh food. And all this is done among the undereducated and unemployable poor.

Just read the articles in my most recent previous postings.

And if you come to Cape Town, come on one of my Tuesday "from seed to table" tours, from 9am-12pm every Tuesday. Let me know in advance though.

I will be back , but in the meantime please do ask questions, please do read the articles I have posted, please do say "hello" if you are in Cape Town.

And to the Global Giving team in USA and UK- thank you hugely for the enormous task you fulfill and the excellent work you do for us all.

Because of you all I can say Viva micro-farmers and family farmers among the poor in Cape Town!!

All the best for 2010!!

Rob

Thank you to three people who donated just over USD270 in May and June- about ZAR1700 which will give training support to 17 farmers for one month or 1 farmer for 17 months, or a full start-up training to one new farmer. During the last 12 months you all helped us to provide training and resource support to over 3000 micro-farmers!

For those of you who like to read technical stuff, please take a look at our newly composed Harvest of Hope business plan attached. Its very exciting stuff!! There is also a financial and production plan available, and you only need to ask me and I will send them as well. I know that this kind of stuff is not what most people want to see, but I thought I would take a chance and put it here anyway, as I dont have any new articles at the moment.

All the best! Rob

• Harvest of Hope Business Plan (DOC)