Improved Household Gardening

Improved Household Gardening Skills

Training Tools for Pacific Island Communities 2003

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This book has been written for community extension workers, government field officers and non-government organisations.

Production of the Improved Household Gardening Skills manual has been made possible through funding from APACE (Appropriate Technology for Community and Environment), an Australian non-government organisation which, after 20 years of involvement in the Solomon Islands and other South Pacific islands, ceased operations in 2002.

The manual describes how old and new techniques can be combined to provide Pacific island communities with an ecologically sustainable approach to subsistence home gardening. The techniques can also be used to grow crops for sale at markets.

The authors of the manual all have experience in growing crops using organic methods and of teaching the methods.

As well as work with the Kastom Gaden Association training program, members of the team based in the Solomon Islands have also worked with the Solomon Islands Planting Material Network. The Network is a seed exchange which produces and distributes seeds to Solomon Island farmers.

Cooperation between the Solomon Island staff and organisations such as APACE, the Seed Savers Network, Pacific Edge and other organisations and individuals based in Australia have made the Kastom Garden Program and its successor, the Kastom Gaden Association, an example of a successful regional development program. The program shows that small non-government organisations and individuals can make a difference.