2004-07-25 - 7:55 p.m.

6-8-04

Yesterday we started the garden. We were given a list of things to do during our first two weeks in M'Beidia, and that was the biggest project. According to our handout it should have only required 2 hours. So, we started at 8 expecting to be done by 10. How young and naive we were. >By the time 10 rolled around we hadn't even put a dent in the project. Making a garden here involves the following:

-Measure out three 1*8m plots (1 plot/person).

-Break up dirt with a pick and a hoe

-Remove dirt and lay it to the side.

-Repeat steps 2 and 3 for the next layer down.

-Put all the dirt that was removed back on.

-Create a 1*1*.5m compost pit.

-Gather donkey feces (plenty of that around).

-Put feces in compost pit and smash it in to fertilizer. This was done using the wine maker's grape smashing technique. We needed a total of 15 kg.

-Lay fertilizer over all three plots

-For each plot dig a trench at one end. Taker dirt ajacent to trench and turn it over into the trench, continuing until the trench has moved the entire length of the plot and the fertilizer has been mixed into the soil.

-Pull aprox. 50 buckets of water out of a well, and carrying said water to the plots 100 yds away. This is not your crank shaft pully type of well either. This is the drop your bucket down with a rope then pull it back up with your hands type of well.

-Dig 9 holes at one meter depths at key points around the garden.

-Cut 9 tall posts from deadfall.

-Find approx 5 kg of rock.

-Place posts in holes w/ rock around it then pack dirt in.

-Place chain link fence arond the garden plot attatching it to the posts.

-Level out garden plots so that when water is poured on top its stays and does not all ruch to one end.

So we ended up working from 8-12 and then 4-8. 12-4 is always reserved for lunch, tea and napping. Although it was a long day and my body ached and my hands pulsated with blisters by the end, I loved every minute of it. Manual labor is the bomb diggity.

We will plant seeds in our garden in 3 days after we've watered enough to saturate the soil. Through outb the entre process I felt like th Horse from Animal Farm that keeps pushing himself to work the hardest and when he breaks his back is sent to the factory to be made into glue. I definitly have a masochistic side. I always make sure that what ever we are doing, I have the hardest job

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