From Ben.Gabel@uk.amgen.comMon Apr 22 11:16:31 1996 Date: 22 Apr 1996 14:25:39 +0100 From: Ben Gabel To: Larry London Subject: Re: Permaculture Internatio Systems Management Group, AMGEN Cambridge. RE>>Permaculture International (fwd) (fwd) She could try growing Oca. (Oxalis Tuberosa). Grown by the Incas like potatoes, it prefers a mildish climate, and is pretty damn hardy and undemanding. Water might be a problem, though mine did ok in last summers heatwave with little watering. They look like knobbly egg-sized potatoes, with a lemony taste and a potato-like texture. There are different varieties, some are more acidic than others. The less-acidic are better suited to use as a staple as they've less oxalic acid (which is toxic in large quantities; it's the acid in spinach and rhubarb stems). More info can be gained from the book 'Lost crops of the Incas'. best of luck to your friend. Ben -------------------------------------- Date: 21/4/96 8:11 pm To: Ben Gabel From: Larry London ------- start of forwarded message ------- From: BDTG82B@prodigy.com (Beatrice Adler) Newsgroups: alt.sustainable.agriculture Subject: Re: Permaculture International (fwd) Date: 14 Apr 1996 20:35:15 GMT Organization: Prodigy Services Company 1-800-PRODIGY This is an inquiry for a friend who is attempting sustainable agriculture in Guatemala - in the mountains, poor soil, a 4 mo. dry season, springlike climate. She was in the Peace Corps and has chosen to remain. She is growing vegetables, mulching, has goats, goat milk and makes goat cheese, has chickens. She uses her gardening as a basis for training the local folks (extremely poor) how to make better use of their land, and speaks to Guatemalan government groups as well as Peace Corps groups, and of course, the local people. She needs new ideas on how to improve her operation, new ideas on what she can do. This is a very low budget operation, deliberately so, so that the local people will be able to emulate. Will appreciate any material I can get to forward to her. By the way, she has no electricity and very limited water. Prodigy address is bdtg82b.com Beatrice - BEATRICE ADLER BDTG82B@prodigy.com ------- end of forwarded message -------