Philip’s Home Country Project is based in Kitale, part of the Kenyan highlands that comprise some of the most agriculturally
productive regions in Africa.  By engaging the local population and introducing Biointensive Agricultural practices, Philip has spread techniques like crop rotation, composting, companion planting and double digging to grow food for their community in economically efficient and environmentally supportive ways. This is especially important in his community, where much of the region suffers from drought and seasonal food shortages. Environmental issues stemming from water pollution from increased pesticide and fertilizer use, soil erosion and desertification also plague the country.

In 2009, OTEPIC purchased land for a small farm, which they use for education, demonstration, development and research to further promote sustainable living. Read more about this Home Country Project from Philip’s first-hand account:

Sponsored by MESA, I travelled from a little village in Kitale, Kenya to Ecology Action, a non-profit educational center located in Willits, California to learn about their agricultural system called, GROW BIOINTENSIVE®. John Jeavons, Ecology Action’s Executive Director, with a prime-time smile and the confidence of a gladiator, equipped us with more knowledge than a dog has fleas.  He gave us a treasury of exciting ideas
to offer a bounty for the table from the soil. It was so fun, and those magic moments further inspired my own pursuit of gardening.

When I came back to Kenya, I helped start a project called Organic Technology Extension and Promotion of Initiative Centre (OTEPIC). OTEPIC is a registered community based organization that fosters grassroots development projects, which consist of; collaborating closely with farmers in areas of food security, soil fertility management and maximizing the usage of locally available resources, supporting sustainable energy by encouraging farmers to make briquettes, advocating for animal rights because we believe that animals have right to live and express normal behavior, and providing nutritional education especially for those affected with HIV/AIDS in Kitale.

OTEPIC believes that agriculture has such profound effects on the environment, human health, and the social order. It is a critical part of any movement toward sustainability; one that could help to solve problems of energy and world hunger.

MESA donated funds for training groups of farmers in our communities. Since then, MESA’s Executive Director, Lauren and the entire MESA staff has supported us in all our efforts, including providing indispensable ideas, chockfull of practical suggestions on how to run the organization effectively.  We appreciate their continual acts of thoughtfulness and kindness that brighten each day. What they did for us, will glow in our memory forever, reviving pleasant feelings
every time we think about it. 

Quoting one of our community farmers, “I harvested two beds of vegetables. I got 1,000 Kenya shillings, which paid for school fees for my children who were sitting for final exam.”

Through OTEPIC we have become revolutionary artists who make it possible to grow food so that our world will be whole and powerful again. We all can help make the water a little cleaner, the trees little happier, the sky a little bluer and the world a little closer to the way it was made.

To read more about Philip’s Home Country Project and OTEPIC’s
efforts, please visit:

 http://organicfarminghealingtherift.blogspot.com/

MESA hosted its annual Cultural Cuisine Dinner at a new venue this year - the Firehouse at the Fort Mason Center.

In addition to meeting with MESA Stewards from around the world, guests were treated to presentations by two internationally renowned luminaries in the sustainable agriculture movement, Penny Livingston-Stark of the Regenerative Design Institute and Helge Hellberg of Marin Organic!

Following the presentations, there were mesmerizing performances by world-ranked salsa dancers from the group Salsamania, and India's 2004 Miss Talented Bollywood!

This year's menu included traditional dishes from Peru, Ecuador, Brazil and Thailand plus organic beer and wine. Guests not only dined in style, but had the opportunity to meet agrarians from across the globe and hear what they
have gained from their MESA experience in the US. Several MESA Stewards also presented their proposed community projects which they'll be undertaking upon return to their home countries.

A slideshow of event highlights is below! Be sure to push the 'i' button on your keyboard so you can read the captions as the photos go by!

BBC World recently featured MESA in part 1 of the 2 part series
“Farm Swap”. A BBC reporter visits Hawaii to interview Pedro Rios, a
2008 MESA Steward from Ecuador on Ke'ei Mauka Coffee Farm. The broadcast explores Pedro’s journey and what Pedro’s personal experience reveals about the importance of farmer-to-farmer exchange programs (of which MESA is the only one of its kind).

From the BBC description:

“In part one: Pedro, an idealistic young Ecuadorian farmer, visits Hawaii. In many ways the eight main islands in Hawaii are a farmer's paradise - with rich soil, year round crop growth, and wealthy customers all around. During his 4-month visit to Hawaii, Pedro visits a coffee plantation and learns how to encourage sustainable agriculture. But as well as discovering new farming techniques and sharing experiences to take back to Ecuador, what can Pedro teach Hawaiian farmers in return? And what can two farmers from different lands and with different objectives contribute to each other?”

First broadcast on Wednesday 17 June 2009

This broadcast link can be found here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/documentaries/2009/06/090615_farmswapd...