Farmer in Cambodia learns benefits of compost fertilizer
Poverty plays a major role in the environmental problems of many countries.
Heifer has learned that impoverished people often make short-term choices based solely on their desperate need for food. Many farmers have no alternative to cutting trees for firewood or putting animals on overgrazed land - practices that harm the earth.
That's why Heifer teaches our project recipients environmentally sound farming methods. Through Heifer training:
- Families learn how to keep their small plots of land healthy and renew the soil for future generations by planting trees and using natural fertilizer.
- They learn to practice zero- or managed-grazing techniques, which means keeping livestock in an enclosed, shaded area and carrying fodder and water to them, instead of letting them wander in the open where they are more likely to catch diseases or damage the environment.
- They learn contour planting and terracing, techniques that resist erosion.
- And they discover how to use biogas units for cooking and heating their homes.
Case Study: Farmer learns benefits of compost fertilizer
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Sao Thann is a member of a Heifer self-help group in Kropom Chouk community in Cambodia.
Before joining the group, Thann was a farmer who depended on the rains and used a lot of chemical fertilizer. He raised animals without providing proper shelter and didn't believe that group saving could help his family of five.
He received trainings in animal management, home garden, environment, gender, etc after joining the group. The family applied what it had learned, but with little success early on. Not willing to give up, Thann built a compost shed, animal shelter, pond and used his land to plant vegetable and fruit trees.
All compost produced was used for his garden, and the family consumed organic vegetables, which were healthier than those fertilized with chemicals. He was able to sell excess vegetables for a dollar a day, and community residents and others often visited his farm to learn about his techniques and training.
"What I have today came from what I learned from the trainings," Thann said. "It helped changed my belief and practice from using chemicals to compost fertilizer." He also thanks the group and Heifer International for providing an opportunity to improve his family living condition and to care for the environment.