Establishing and maintaining soil fertility in the tropics is essential for obtaining food security – and food sovereignty. Carbon oxidizes much faster in the tropics and most soils have been depleted of essential and trace minerals or there is an imbalance of these minerals. Consequently, countless “garden projects” in Nicaragua have failed or have low yields due to lack of information about the condition of the soil. Grow Your SoilTM provides technical support to our training center where we demonstrate how – with the sound recommendations on how to correct the balance of minerals and the right amount of organic matter – the small-scale grower can successfully “grow the soil” so the soil can grow nutritionally balanced crops.
What is more, John Beeby personally responds to questions and concerns from small-scale growers in Nicaragua, including how to manage problem soils and helping them find affordable, locally available organic fertilizers. In a country without an “agricultural extension program”, this is an invaluable added service.