Tag: empowerment

Posted in General Blogs, SA Specific - MCA, SA Specific Blogs

It’s All About the Chickens

Posted on by Robin KellyGoss
Chickens are the gateway drug
chicken crossing the road: .

Chickens have been called the gateway drug. A quick search online will show you it’s a popular opinion. There is even a song on Spotify by Benny Lee called, “Chicken’s are the gateway drug to farming.” Those cute baby fluff balls, those delicious orange yolked eggs and, of course, Sunday dinner from your yard – it’s a delectable slippery slope.

Now, “real” farmers might disagree that 3, then 10, then 50 chickens has anything to do with their 1000’s of acres of monocropping and they would probably be right. But for some of the rest of us, chickens are truly the start of a better life. And why did I choose to use the progression of 3 chickens, 10 chickens, 50 chickens? – yep, you guessed it, experience – my own personal gateway. Chickens fit nicely in town and may even convince you to buy more acres. Again, experience, my own personal gateway.

And now that I have completely buried the lead, I would like to announce that Mahala Love has expanded our offerings in South Africa! We are bringing chickens to Musawenkosi Christian Academy, (MCA) and to our newest partners Royal Diamond Academy (RDA), both in KwaMhalnga, South Africa. Chickens and rabbits are being brought to the school and introduced to the garden system. They will be cared for by Grade 7 students at MCA and by 6-10th graders at RDA. We are super excited and we aren’t the only ones!

You may remember last April we introduced chickens and helped to expand the area for rabbits at Jacaranda Gardens in KwaMhlanga, with our chicken/rabbit/catfish conglomeration that we have never given a proper name. Stephen and Brenda have done a phenomenal job of expanding the 4 chickens we left them with and now have over 30. The rabbits are also doing well and doing what rabbits are known to do. Mahala Love was able to purchase 1 rooster and 3 hens for each of our school partners, as well as 3 rabbits. These flocks will allow the students to learn about taking care of the animals and then we will help them expand, if all goes well. The students were all eager to know if they would be able to raise enough to take home, so we will just say “you’re welcome,” to the parents now. ha!

Look for PART 2 of ” It’s all about the Chickens” to see how this fits into the 9 Day course Mahala Love Leaders just completed in George, South Africa. Thank you for reading this, sharing this, and thank you all so much for those of you that continue to donate to make all of this possible. We LOVE you for sharing your LOVE and allowing us to spread that with the world!

Posted in General Blogs, SA Specific Blogs

Welcome to Jacaranda Gardens!

Posted on by Robin KellyGoss

In April 2024, Mahala Love welcomed our newest supported site in KwaMhlanga, South Africa. We welcome Jacaranda Gardens. Jacaranda Gardens is owned by our Regional South Africa leader, Stephen N. and his wife, Brenda. We have been working with Stephen for the past 7 months as a leader in the area and are now proud to support his site, Jacaranda Gardens.

Jacaranda Gardens serves as a Mahala Love demonstration site in the area and has already hosted an Open House to showcase the large amount of food that can be produced in a very small foot print. The recent build is 1.2 X 2 meters in size and produces – meat, eggs, and vegetables. Additionally, water purification functions support a catfish/bubblefish tank for even more protein.

Stephen and his wife, Brenda, hosted Robin on this last trip in April 2024, which allowed lots of time for planning, laughing, and building community. Follow this link to see more about the build at Jacaranda Gardens.

Mahala Love is so pleased to welcome this sweet family and their beautiful garden. Mahala Love and Jacaranda Gardens – Sharing with the World

Posted in General Blogs, SA Specific - MCA

Would You “Bawk” at Chicken-ponics?

Posted on by Robin KellyGoss
chicken crossing the road wearing shoes -istock photos

Most of us have heard of hydroponics, and many of us have heard of aquaponics, but have you ever heard of chicken-ponics?

Hydroponics is the growing of plants with a water-based, nutrient-infused solution, bypassing the need for soil. There are several methods including roots dangling in the nutrient solution from floating pots to hydroton pellets (expanded clay) that anchor the roots.

There is also aquaponics which takes the hydroponics system up a level by adding fish to the system. (Aquaculture is the raising of fish. Mix this with HydroPonics and you get AquaPonics. ) In a great oversimplification, in aquaponics, the fish water, complete with fish waste, is cycled through the plants. This cycling fertilizes the plants while purifying and aerating the water for passing back into the fish. These systems can contain worms to increase efficiency (vermiponics) but that’s more syllables than I care to discuss, but here is a link for better details on Aquaponics.

Now we come to the fun part: what happens if we add chickens on top of the fish? Better yet, what if we add chickens and rabbits? This is where things can get crazy. A little research shows a variety of animals have been added to aquaponics to add nutrient waste into the system and feed the fish, as well as produce food for humans and animals. I’ve seen ducks (quack-aponics), rabbits, or chickens thrown into the mix. We are possibly looking to incorporate rabbits and chickens along with the fish and plants. My concern is keeping the water healthy enough to grow fresh veggies with the chicken waste involved. We are looking at different versions now and welcome any ideas or constructive criticism. The plan will be completed the second week of April 2024 and the build will be the following week.

The ultimate goal will be to maximize food production while minimizing space and external inputs. The system will be located at our leader, Stephen’s property in South Africa, and will then be used to teach others in his community how to replicate this system. We will also be looking to replicate this system at our demonstration farm in the US – but that is future news to be announced in May!

Stay tuned for pictures, plans, and updates on what we build and how it works. If you would like to donate to Mahala Love and projects like this, please click here. Thanks for reading!

Posted in General Blogs

Great Things – Big and Small

Posted on by Robin KellyGoss

Great things are done by a series of small things brought together”

Vincent van Gogh

A series of small things, now that is something I can relate to. On some days, I can dream of great things and large impacts with grand gestures. On other days, I can not. On those “other days,” I try and find a small thing to do.

If I am struggling with a project, relationship, idea, or whatever, I will try and focus on one small step I can complete. If there is no small step that avails itself or I can not muster whatever is needed to do that small step, instead I will find one small joy about that thing and hold steadfast until I can take another step.

Today I am joyful for the relationships I have developed through the work of Mahala Love. I am joyful for the people who show me perseverance and dignity as they make strides in their lives. I am joyful for the opportunity to have met and to call many of these people my friends. 

That great big bundle of joy is what leads me to the next small step. 

Mahala Love – sharing with the world.

Posted in General Blogs

Process and Progress

Posted on by Robin KellyGoss

A week or so ago, Mahala Love applied for the Slow Food Negroni Week Fund grant. I will start by saying I love writing grants!. I love the freedom to let my mind wander through all the ideas Mahala Love and our partners discuss, the plans that have been created and then attempt to pare them down into manageable and logistically sound paths to be constrained within a specific set of funding goals. Perhaps, I am a bit of a nerd in that respect.

Once I have written a grant, I feel complete with the process. True, I occasionally check the email to see if there is any word, but I feel very satisfied with knowing that the path forward has been laid. The details have been thought through and I now know just what we need to make it happen. Perhaps we will be fortunate enough to receive the funding and can now focus simply on getting the work done. If not, I know we will move forward, it will just take longer to find the proper resources, and the phases will be slower or smaller. We will still plant a food forest, but will plant seeds and seedlings versus trees. We will still offer seeds to the families, and invite neighboring folks to our teaching garden, there will just be less varieties and offerings to start. But Mahala Love is focused and determined and know we will reach our goals to share in food security with our neighbors both here in the US and in South Africa.

Our partners in Limpopo, have also applied for the same grant. Themba has applied to further the progress of the seed bank and the efforts there to catalog, collect, and share seeds among the community. The two grants have some overlap in community and sharing of resources. Mahala Love staff will be attending the Seed Festival in September of this year and can’t wait to see and share more seeds with the folks in Limpopo.

So, as always, we welcome your prayers, good vibes, happy thoughts and ideas! And we will continue to work to make changes in our food systems and provide our neighbors and ourselves with healthy and nutrient dense food and build community in which to share it.

.

Posted in General Blogs

Be Kind, Grow Things

Posted on by Robin KellyGoss

It’s been pointed out lately that I tend to be, “reductive.” I think that’s code for terse, curt, short or any number of other words meaning not only – “to the point,” but most likely, “ too to the point.” Perhaps it is true. I do like a good basic noun-verb combination to start a conversation, with a few adjectives thrown in because I’m Southern by raising. Examples, “pick up your shoes” – Southern version – “Pick up your stinking shoes.”

I think it is in ideas that I tend to be reductive as oppose to words though. What seems to be complicated issues to some people, I seem to think are more simple. If you’re lost, either metaphorically or literally, why flounder alone driving in circles? Pause and ask for directions. When everyone is getting on my nerves, pause, look in the mirror, there is the source.

Here we are in the most confusing times of near history, with a nonstop onslaught of verbiage coming at us nearly 24/7. I find this hard to take. I don’t know why the same story is reported on 73.65 times in a single day, with 18 points of view from 13 people that I can see as having no connection other than someone handed them a microphone and a makeup artist to pat the shine off of their nose. Wait, who is this and why do they have an opinion and where did they get those facts and are those really facts and why do I trust her opinion and who told him to have that opinion in the first place and have any of these people actually searched for a fact on their own or are they merely regurgitating the spew from social media that will keep them existing as a persona, as opposed to be erased if the unpopular view dare be brought in to the light as anything that might beworthyofevenlookingatbutthenwhatabout… You get my point. Does anyone else feel this way?

So, with all of that, I would like to get to my point. Times are strange, people are stranger. I probably don’t understand you, and you probably don’t understand me. But I can still love you, honor you by listening to what you believe, and know you are a person as worthy of your opinions and place on this earth as am I. As we navigate unknown, unprecedented waters, let’s grow together – whether it be community, flowers, food, a government responsive to the folks who elect them, let’s all try and remember that we are neighbors, friends, and family long before and long after the stress and politics and pandemics of the day are over. Let’s just be kind, and grow some stinking things, shall we?

earth heart
Posted in General Blogs

Regenerative lifestyle…

Posted on by Robin KellyGoss

The word regenerative kept popping up, as things will do when something resonates with you. I was telling my kid’s dad that my goal has always been to create a regenerative home and life for our family. He asked me to explain and here is part of my reply.

Regenerative- practices that create abundance; Actions and thoughts that leave you full rather than depleted, Time spent rejuvenating energy, mind, and soul. Time spent with family developing bonds, ideas, and support. Creating a place where people can develop their next level thinking and plan their futures based on their hearts, not on needing to chase the dollar.

The whole permaculture design concept is about this. Permaculture is not just about how to plant a garden, it is about using regenerative practices in your life, for the benefit of yourself, others and the planet. Earth Care, People Care, Fair Share – in its simplest terms.
It’s a systemic design process using natural patterns and rhythms to create abundance- food, joy, community, habitat.

It is definitely taking some stretching in my mind to move these ideas from the garden into daily life, and it’s a process I have barely consciously tapped, as of yet. But as the word, “regenerative” continues to resonate with me, I will continue to bring it into the daily life of myself, my family, and my community.

I would love to hear your thoughts. Do you do this? What are ways you see to be regenerative in your relationships with others and the planet? 😊

Posted in General Blogs, US Specific Blogs

The Mulch Patch

Posted on by Robin KellyGoss

May is winding down. The weather has been much cooler than most recent Mays and we have had some really hard rains followed by no rain. The garden beds are slowly taking shape and a variety of experiments, which are completely unscientific, are succeeding, or not. Overall, the growth seems slow and tedious for the plants, but the mulch paths are growing a little more every day. Maybe it’s like the watched pot problem and if I don’t look for a few days, big healthy plants will appear.



I’ve been doing a ton of reading, watching videos, digging through old books and general planning. The topics that I’ve dug into most deeply are mushrooms, Microgreens, permaculture, and food preservation. These are all topics I’ve looked at and tried out to various degrees, so it’s nice to circle back around for a deeper dive.

The first of 2 shipments of plants have arrived. Some people might just think they are tiny brown sticks, but I can imagine the Spice bushes, Lindera benzoin, hazelnuts, Corylus americana, and roses, Rosa rugosa, they will all become. The spice bush leaves serve as tea and the berries are edible, dried and fresh. The Hazels produce hazelnuts or filbert. Can you say homemade Nutella?!, I mean healthy protein! The Roses are for teas, fragrance, and Vitamin C from the hips. I once made rose petal jam; it smelled lovely, but it came out more like a hard candy that I couldn’t get out of the jar once it solidified.

   

Most days I feel more like I am cultivating patches of mulch than an actual garden, but I know once the heat arrives most of these plants will explode! Here are a few pictures of the ever growing mulch patch and if you zoom in closely, you might even see a few plants.

  • kale, eggplant, and marigold
  • radish
  • bay, aster, rudibeckia, etc
  • Tomatoes – assorted varieties