Hi Joseph! What an amazing innovation! How did u get so many people organized in such a short span of time? Also, I was wondering about how you organize the training of so many farmers! I lived on two different organic farms for a short amount of time, and I know it can sometimes be a challenge to coordinate large groups of people- how does your organize manage that process? Keep up the good work!
Before we introduced the P.A.L.M.S. program last year, we had already organized 300,000 farmers, of which 250,000 are women, in five regions of the country to plant moringa oleifera trees. In view of that, it was not a difficult task getting that number when the PALMS program started. We had the idea of producing and using organic fertilizer or disease suppressing compost, plant growth hormones and organic pesticides. Since these were not available locally in commercial quantities, the best way to go about getting them was to produce them locally. The main raw material base was moringa so we started by getting people to plant these trees. From there, we were able to roll out the program.
We teach our farmers directly on the farm as their literacy level is low and they can best understand issues practically. There are various non-governmental organizations in the five regions where we operate who assist us to teach the farmers on regular basis to get them to imbibe our organic principles.
In addition to that, there agricultural extension officers attached to the every district who go round to ensure that farmers are assisted in their agricultural production. We make use of them effectively through our links with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture. Not all the farms belonging to our farmers are organic so we make sure we isolate those that are organic so that the necessary certifications can be performed. We have a hybrid company, Moringa Oleifera Farms and Industries Limited, which makes use of organic moringa leaves for production of moringa nutritional supplements and fortified foods.
They buy the organic moringa leaves from the farmers for their production. The vegetable farmers on the other hand, use the plant growth hormones and organic fertilizer they produce directly for their farms. In the next year or two, we may put in place a social enterprise to produce such commercially so that the products can be available abundantly for other farmers to use.
On May 27, 2010 the judges reviewed the entries for the Changemakers Women Tools Technology: Building Opportunities and Economic Power competition and would like to pass on the following feedback (listed below) for your entry. Thank you for applying and for your hard work in the field. We are excited to archive your entry to serve as a leading solution for the worldwide community of innovators. We wish you continued luck with your innovative, sustainable, and socially impactful initiatives.
All the best, The Changemakers Team
“This initiative was great! The social impact was impressive with a 30% increase in transporting compost, and overall, has helped to increase women’s income by 20%. I liked that the core was composed of women who were managing the marketing and mechanized farming.”
“This is an ideal and comprehensive development project. It follows the classic model of using trusted technology to achieve social impact and sustainability, but I would like to learn more about the new innovations in technology this project utilizes.’”
“This initiative already has huge social impact! More than 100,000 farmers have been affected, and I could see that through continued software development, this will continue to have a larger impact.”
- Changemakers Women Tools Technology: Building Opportunities and Economic Power Judges
Productive Agricultural Linkages and Marketing Systems (P.A.L.M.S.) makes use of new innovations in technology to improve the life of the rural folk especially female farmers who are involved in the drudgery of obsolete manual farming systems which are arduous and not rewarding.
Our innovative operations are grouped under the following:
Farming Technology
- Production of high nutrient, disease suppressing compost/organic fertilizers with moringa leaves and waste. Use is made of a combination of vermiculture and moringa to produce nutrient rich liquid and solid organic fertilizer. The production is carefully controlled to produce mature compost with laboratory tests performed to ensure a product that compares favourably with chemical fertilizers and is highly environmental friendly, cost effective and high yielding. Use of resistant stocks (budded/grafted seedlings) in combination with good Integrated Pest Management practices help a lot to produces a bountiful harvest. Moringa is used as a viable replacement of methyl bromide, a popular chemical fungicide in soil fumigation but which is harmful to the environment and use of moringa leaf extract as a powerful plant growth hormone in vegetable and fruit production for high yields with no deleterious effects. Use is also made of biochar to improve soil acidity thereby stopping the previous wasteful system of indiscriminate bush burning to clear farmlands for planting.
- Production of plant pesticides with neem, moringa and other plant extracts.
- Use of mechanized machinery/equipment like tractors, power tillers, slashers and brush cutters for ploughing, planting, weeding and so on which removes the drudgery of the manual farming systems and makes it easier for women to contribute effectively to the agriculture sector.
- Use is made of drip irrigation instead of sprinkler irrigation system with solar or diesel (biodiesel) pumps. Drip irrigation is a simple answer to efficiently and effectively apply water where and when you want it. Solar and biodiesel make use of energy that is renewable and sustainable.
Information Technology and Farm Management
- Farm Manager Software for sound farm management (business planning and financial management), nutrient management and bio-intensive integrated pest management. Among the rural farming community, farm management is not properly practiced. The program seeks to improve the business skills of farmers, boost management productivity, increase profitability and fulfill their short and long term goals through workshops, strategic and tactical planning, record keeping, financial analysis and the computer application.
Marketing Technology
- An Integrated Website with radio links, fixed and mobile telephony and links to Market Information Systems and Traders Organizations in West Africa (MISTOWA) and other marketing agencies is established for timely market information, orders and delivery. This aids in the quick sale of agricultural produce and prevent wastage and spoilage on farms.
- Training is provided in the use of weighing scales and appropriate packaging information and quality local and export standards.
- Air conditioned storage and transportation of vegetables to prevent spoilage. Use of solar technology is emphasized especially in the rural areas.
Banking Technology
- Orders and payments are being made through e-banking and mobile telephony through a few banks and mobile communication networks involved in our program.
When the PALMS program was first introduced to us, we were a little skeptical about what it aims to achieve on account of many failed programs which had been initiated in times past. But we can testify that it has been of great help to us. Our women can drive tractors, use brush cutters, handle drip irrigation equipment and use other simple technologies to improve our lot. We will learn more and become better users of technology. Well done, CVSI continue the good work.
Thank you for your warm compliments. We will strive to do more to help you and other women organizations to thrive and make use of technology to improve their lot.
The PALMS program has transformed our organization, Dekaworwor Harborbor Women’s group, into a viable farmer based women organization in the North Tongu district in the Volta region of Ghana where we are based. We are proud of it.
We at God’s Will Farmers Association are grateful to Christian Volunteer Service for the PALMS program. It has helped to shape us into a vibrant organization in our district. We believe that we will be able to stand on our feet as the program continues the good work it has started. Thank you, PALMS
Women United Against Malnutrition were not able to mobilize ourselves to vote for the PALMS entry as most of women do not have e-mail addresses. We have now seen the need to heed the message of the program and join the Information Technology community. The program has a bright future as a large number of farmers have benefited from it and more stand to do so in future. We believe the program will receive worldwide recognition and support to enable us to receive more splendid services to modernize our agriculture and make it technological compliant for the good of womenfolk.
PALMS is making us modern by applying the benefits of science and technology to our farming world. Please include modern food processing and preservation in your scheme of work. We need that to preserve our bumper harvest which is spoiled at times on account of lack of storage and processing facilities. We call on all to support this program so that women worldwide can benefit from the innovative use of appropriate technology for our advancement.
We could not have access to the Internet earlier to make our comment on the PALMS entry. All the same, we appreciate what the program is doing for us in addition to the various non-governmental organizations involved in it of which Christian Volunteer Service International is in the lead. It is our hope that it will continue and make us modern farmers who utilize technology for the good of our community especially womenfolk.
We appreciate the micro-finance aspect of the program of which some our members benefitted. But of late, it seems your Co-operative Finance Institute is not functioning nor giving assistance again. Can you revive that system?
We are looking for sources of funding for the PALMS program which includes the micro-finance aspect under the Co-operative Finance Institute. We have been operating on a pilot basis using our resources and it is hoped that in the near future, we will be able to get adequate funding to enable us function effectively.
Although agro-processing was not mentioned specifically in the entry, we have plans for such through the use of small scale solar driers and diesel powered (using biodiesel) food processing machinery.
Comentários
Hi Joseph! What an amazing innovation! How did u get so many people organized in such a short span of time? Also, I was wondering about how you organize the training of so many farmers! I lived on two different organic farms for a short amount of time, and I know it can sometimes be a challenge to coordinate large groups of people- how does your organize manage that process? Keep up the good work!
Before we introduced the P.A.L.M.S. program last year, we had already organized 300,000 farmers, of which 250,000 are women, in five regions of the country to plant moringa oleifera trees. In view of that, it was not a difficult task getting that number when the PALMS program started. We had the idea of producing and using organic fertilizer or disease suppressing compost, plant growth hormones and organic pesticides. Since these were not available locally in commercial quantities, the best way to go about getting them was to produce them locally. The main raw material base was moringa so we started by getting people to plant these trees. From there, we were able to roll out the program.
We teach our farmers directly on the farm as their literacy level is low and they can best understand issues practically. There are various non-governmental organizations in the five regions where we operate who assist us to teach the farmers on regular basis to get them to imbibe our organic principles.
In addition to that, there agricultural extension officers attached to the every district who go round to ensure that farmers are assisted in their agricultural production. We make use of them effectively through our links with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture. Not all the farms belonging to our farmers are organic so we make sure we isolate those that are organic so that the necessary certifications can be performed. We have a hybrid company, Moringa Oleifera Farms and Industries Limited, which makes use of organic moringa leaves for production of moringa nutritional supplements and fortified foods.
They buy the organic moringa leaves from the farmers for their production. The vegetable farmers on the other hand, use the plant growth hormones and organic fertilizer they produce directly for their farms. In the next year or two, we may put in place a social enterprise to produce such commercially so that the products can be available abundantly for other farmers to use.
On May 27, 2010 the judges reviewed the entries for the Changemakers Women Tools Technology: Building Opportunities and Economic Power competition and would like to pass on the following feedback (listed below) for your entry. Thank you for applying and for your hard work in the field. We are excited to archive your entry to serve as a leading solution for the worldwide community of innovators. We wish you continued luck with your innovative, sustainable, and socially impactful initiatives.
All the best, The Changemakers Team
“This initiative was great! The social impact was impressive with a 30% increase in transporting compost, and overall, has helped to increase women’s income by 20%. I liked that the core was composed of women who were managing the marketing and mechanized farming.”
“This is an ideal and comprehensive development project. It follows the classic model of using trusted technology to achieve social impact and sustainability, but I would like to learn more about the new innovations in technology this project utilizes.’”
“This initiative already has huge social impact! More than 100,000 farmers have been affected, and I could see that through continued software development, this will continue to have a larger impact.”
- Changemakers Women Tools Technology: Building Opportunities and Economic Power Judges
Productive Agricultural Linkages and Marketing Systems (P.A.L.M.S.) makes use of new innovations in technology to improve the life of the rural folk especially female farmers who are involved in the drudgery of obsolete manual farming systems which are arduous and not rewarding.
Our innovative operations are grouped under the following:
Farming Technology
- Production of high nutrient, disease suppressing compost/organic fertilizers with moringa leaves and waste. Use is made of a combination of vermiculture and moringa to produce nutrient rich liquid and solid organic fertilizer. The production is carefully controlled to produce mature compost with laboratory tests performed to ensure a product that compares favourably with chemical fertilizers and is highly environmental friendly, cost effective and high yielding. Use of resistant stocks (budded/grafted seedlings) in combination with good Integrated Pest Management practices help a lot to produces a bountiful harvest. Moringa is used as a viable replacement of methyl bromide, a popular chemical fungicide in soil fumigation but which is harmful to the environment and use of moringa leaf extract as a powerful plant growth hormone in vegetable and fruit production for high yields with no deleterious effects. Use is also made of biochar to improve soil acidity thereby stopping the previous wasteful system of indiscriminate bush burning to clear farmlands for planting.
- Production of plant pesticides with neem, moringa and other plant extracts.
- Use of mechanized machinery/equipment like tractors, power tillers, slashers and brush cutters for ploughing, planting, weeding and so on which removes the drudgery of the manual farming systems and makes it easier for women to contribute effectively to the agriculture sector.
- Use is made of drip irrigation instead of sprinkler irrigation system with solar or diesel (biodiesel) pumps. Drip irrigation is a simple answer to efficiently and effectively apply water where and when you want it. Solar and biodiesel make use of energy that is renewable and sustainable.
Information Technology and Farm Management
- Farm Manager Software for sound farm management (business planning and financial management), nutrient management and bio-intensive integrated pest management. Among the rural farming community, farm management is not properly practiced. The program seeks to improve the business skills of farmers, boost management productivity, increase profitability and fulfill their short and long term goals through workshops, strategic and tactical planning, record keeping, financial analysis and the computer application.
Marketing Technology
- An Integrated Website with radio links, fixed and mobile telephony and links to Market Information Systems and Traders Organizations in West Africa (MISTOWA) and other marketing agencies is established for timely market information, orders and delivery. This aids in the quick sale of agricultural produce and prevent wastage and spoilage on farms.
- Training is provided in the use of weighing scales and appropriate packaging information and quality local and export standards.
- Air conditioned storage and transportation of vegetables to prevent spoilage. Use of solar technology is emphasized especially in the rural areas.
Banking Technology
- Orders and payments are being made through e-banking and mobile telephony through a few banks and mobile communication networks involved in our program.
When the PALMS program was first introduced to us, we were a little skeptical about what it aims to achieve on account of many failed programs which had been initiated in times past. But we can testify that it has been of great help to us. Our women can drive tractors, use brush cutters, handle drip irrigation equipment and use other simple technologies to improve our lot. We will learn more and become better users of technology. Well done, CVSI continue the good work.
Hurray to PALMS!!! We have felt the impact of this program and are thrilled to be part of it. Continue the good work.
Thank you for your warm compliments.
Thank you for your warm compliments. We will strive to do more to help you and other women organizations to thrive and make use of technology to improve their lot.
The PALMS program has transformed our organization, Dekaworwor Harborbor Women’s group, into a viable farmer based women organization in the North Tongu district in the Volta region of Ghana where we are based. We are proud of it.
We at God’s Will Farmers Association are grateful to Christian Volunteer Service for the PALMS program. It has helped to shape us into a vibrant organization in our district. We believe that we will be able to stand on our feet as the program continues the good work it has started. Thank you, PALMS
Women United Against Malnutrition were not able to mobilize ourselves to vote for the PALMS entry as most of women do not have e-mail addresses. We have now seen the need to heed the message of the program and join the Information Technology community. The program has a bright future as a large number of farmers have benefited from it and more stand to do so in future. We believe the program will receive worldwide recognition and support to enable us to receive more splendid services to modernize our agriculture and make it technological compliant for the good of womenfolk.
PALMS is making us modern by applying the benefits of science and technology to our farming world. Please include modern food processing and preservation in your scheme of work. We need that to preserve our bumper harvest which is spoiled at times on account of lack of storage and processing facilities. We call on all to support this program so that women worldwide can benefit from the innovative use of appropriate technology for our advancement.
We could not have access to the Internet earlier to make our comment on the PALMS entry. All the same, we appreciate what the program is doing for us in addition to the various non-governmental organizations involved in it of which Christian Volunteer Service International is in the lead. It is our hope that it will continue and make us modern farmers who utilize technology for the good of our community especially womenfolk.
Can you add agro-processing to the PALMS program?
We appreciate the micro-finance aspect of the program of which some our members benefitted. But of late, it seems your Co-operative Finance Institute is not functioning nor giving assistance again. Can you revive that system?
We are looking for sources of funding for the PALMS program which includes the micro-finance aspect under the Co-operative Finance Institute. We have been operating on a pilot basis using our resources and it is hoped that in the near future, we will be able to get adequate funding to enable us function effectively.
Although agro-processing was not mentioned specifically in the entry, we have plans for such through the use of small scale solar driers and diesel powered (using biodiesel) food processing machinery.
We hope that with your support and that of others, we will be able to move forward. Thank you for your moral support.
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