Kastom Garden Association
TRAINING MANUALS...

Training manuals

Improved Household Gardening Skills
Training Tools for Pacific Island Communities 2003

...produced by Kastom Gaden Association and compiled by Tony Jansen, Russ Grayson and Roselyn Kabu Maemouri

[ Download file ] PDF 4.55MB

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.

Integrated Pest Management
Training Tools for Pacific Island Communities 2003

...produced by Kastom Gaden Association and compiled by Roselyn Kabu Maemouri

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

The Integrated Pest Management (IPM) for North Malaita Project and this book, which represents one of its outputs, aimed to teach people about old and new knowledge regarding ways to manage insect pests in food gardens on North Malaita.

Combining old and new methods and sharing knowledge and skills may lead to truly sustainable ways of managing the insects which reduce crop productivity.

This may also help farmers avoid the use of synthetic pesticides which destroy the balance of nature and which are so expensive that farmers often cannot afford to buy them.

Natural pest management presents a cheaper solution and does not damage the soil and natural environment.

I have worked with the Kastom Garden Program since 1995 and started to develop the integrated pest management project in 1998.

Local farmers have trialed methods of integrated pest management and have helped with the workshops that have formed part of the participatory process of the project.

...Roselyn Kabu Maemouri

Kai kokorako - keeping chickens for income and food in the Solomon Islands
Training Tools for Pacific Island Communities 2004

...produced by Kastom Gaden Association and Russell Parker

Community Seed Saving
Training Tools for Pacific Island Communities 2002

...produced by Kastom Gaden Association and compiled by Emma Stone