Well Drilling Project

I have continued to work on plans for a well drilling project in Burundi. I have put together a proposal with a plan that will allow us to drill 24 wells beginning late in 2010 at a cost of about $2300 per well. Each well will serve 250 people in a village. The pumps we plan to use will be similar to the one shown in the photo below.

Our plan is to train a team of drillers that will in turn train other teams over the course of a year. By using a system where new drillers are trained each year, we can effectively double the number of wells drilled each year. The drillers will also be responsible for maintaining existing pumps.

The chart below demonstrates the number of wells we can drill as we increase the number of drillers each year. Our goal is 744 wells in 5 years, which would serve 186,000 people in Burundi.

 

I am currently making plans to visit existing well sites next June and to plot out new sites that we will drill over the course of a year. I will post more information as we develop our plans.

John

Mark 11:23-24

Well Drilling Project

As we continue to progress on the JTP, I have begun looking into other important aspects of our project that in my mind are critical to the success of the project. If our mission is to change the lives of the people in Burundi, access to clean water (among other things I’ve mentioned in previous postings) is essential.

After contacting several organizations that drill wells in Africa and hearing that none work in Burundi, I began to pray about a possible solution. God never ceases to amaze me as He has connected me now to 3 individuals who are all passionate about clean water in Africa. The first is Cliff from Wellspring Africa. Cliff devised a manual drilling system over 20 years ago that he has fielded to many African countries. He recently sent me a CD with information on how to build the equipment and drill wells with it.

After I found out about Cliff, I met AJ, an environmental engineer, who lives in Orlando and works for Lifenet. AJ has experience with clean water projects in Cambodia and is very excited about working on a project in Burundi. We plan to meet this week to discuss our initial research into this project. Shortly after meeting AJ, I was introduced to Derek, who is an engineer and has well drilling experience. Derek also has an interest in clean water projects for Burundi.

Look for more information and eventually pictures as Jean Marie and I progress on this important aspect of our humanitarian project.

John

 

“Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him. Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you.” Mark 11:23-24

Progress at the JTP

Jean Marie visited the JTP recently and found that 95% of the cuttings the farmers planted have germinated. This is great news and provides us with an excellent start. The picture below is of one of the seedlings that were planted and the second photo is of a cutting.

Here is an update from Jean Marie:

This Wednesday, I just returned from visiting the Cibitoke JTP. It was the first unique and longest trip. I left home at 08h00; when I reached the bus, I waited for almost 3 and half hours for the bus to be filled with passengers and take us to Cibitoke. I reached the JTP at 13h30. All the seedlings grow and look healthy and nice. Some of the cuttings did not germinate; around 95% germinated and look nice as well.

The average size of the plants which came out of the seeds, this means the average size of the seedlings is 13 cm to 18 cm.

I left the plantation at 14h00 after talking with workers; then took a bike to the bus station. I entered into the bus and spent 1h30 before the bus was able to take us to Bujumbura, after the last passenger getting into it.

What also pleasing is to see the orange trees that were planted during our project “Raise up a New generation: Our children for peace, human rights, development and reconciliation”

One of these trees has a unique story. It has many oranges as you can see on the pictures. Its owner had never sold any oranges at the market; but one buyer bought if from him at 150 $USA; after a short period, another buyer bought it from the first one at 180$USA; then the third bought 250$USA. The tree still belongs to its original owner.

Lastly, I have been working on some ideas regarding clean water projects. I will provide an update on that in the next few weeks.

John

__________________________________________________

“Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him. Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you.” Mark 11:23-24

Looking for Land in Makamba

We are now 2 months into our Jatropha Test Plantation project in the Cibitoke province. Jean Marie has been searching for an area for expansion. Here is his update:

“From 21-24^th of August, I, my secretary and two children went to Makamba, one of our jatropha targeted provinces. The exact place is into the village called Kinoso, in Kabuye zone, Makamba commune and Makamba province; it is not far from the main city of Makamba . Our aim was to investigate on the possibilities of setting up a jatropha plantation as planned. We found the land and there is a possibility of extending it in case it is less than needed.

Also workers and water for irrigation are available but we will need to build a dam to capture and store that water.

Instead of buying, we decided to rent that land because it is impossible to get the land for free from the government; and we realized that renting would be more appropriate, cheap and benefic for both sides, SHINE and the landlord.”

The land is 26 hectares or about 67 acres. Our goal is to secure the land next year to begin preparing it for planting in July 2010.

Below, Jean Marie (second from right) surveys the land.

In an effort to research techniques that we can use to help this effort in Burundi, I am now searching for a 1 acre plot of land in Orlando where I can plant Jatropha Curcas and process the seed. My daughter Elizabeth will be helping with this project.

There is much work ahead of us, but God continues to give us strength to push forward. Thank you for your prayers regarding this project.

John

 

“Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him. Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you.” Mark 11:23-24

Foundational Principles of our Mission

I have been reading “Too Small to Ignore” by Dr. Wess Stafford, the President and CEO of Compassion International. In it, Dr. Stafford explains 6 critical factors that must be addressed to raise families out of poverty. The factors are Economics, Health, Learning, Environment, Social, and Spiritual. I want to briefly touch on how we are planning to address each of these because I believe it is essential if we are to fully address the problem of extreme poverty.

1. Economics – Through our relationship with HOPE International, we want to equip people in Burundi to earn a living using microfinance to start and grow a business.

2. Health – I recently met with Jonathan O’Connor who works for Lifenet. The goal of Lifenet is to equip nurses with microfinance to serve villages by providing families with essential medical care while earning a living wage. We hope to partner with Lifenet to provide medical care for villages where we are working.

3. Learning – Our plan includes school for the children we are reaching out to as well as training for the entrepreneurs we are working with in microfinance.

4. Environment – Burundi has suffered from deforestation due to the burning of trees for charcoal and baking bricks. Through our Jatropha plantations, we intend to replace this practice by providing Jatropha oil for cooking oil and fuel.

5. Social – We are reaching out to the local Burundi government to support our work in Burundi. For example, Jean Marie has asked the governor of the Cibitoke province for his support. We need the support of local government to bring lasting change.

6. Spiritual – Through partnerships with churches, we intend to help connect people with a church family where they can grow spiritually while having their basic physical needs met as well.

The photo below shows some of the 171 children that SHINE recently helped by providing them with school supplies. We appreciate your prayers as we continue to expand our ministry to Burundi.

God bless,

John

“Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him. Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you.” Mark 11:23-24

New Growth at the JTP

Last week I wrote to you about the cuttings and seeds that the farmers had gathered for the JTP. Shown below is a large quantity of seed they collected. Keep in mind that this initial plantation is experimental. We are testing the viability of cuttings and seeds with and without irrigation. This research will be very valuable when we plant a larger 100 hectare plantation. While planting from seed will provide a taproot for the Jatropha, allowing it to be more resistant to drought, we believe that we can successfully grow only from plant cuttings by irrigating during dry season. Cuttings do not produce a tap root, but they produce fruit much faster than growing from seed. The faster production could allow us to harvest seed and therefore oil much more quickly.

Below left is one of the seedlings that is already looking quite healthy. The photo on the right is one of over 300 cuttings that the farmers recently planted.

Here is a short update from Jean Marie:

“On July 27, 2009, I visited the JTP and found the workers planted the seeds and cuttings. I thank God for the seeds are germinating perfectly; they reach 10 cm height now.

They have planted seeds into 108 holes, planted 165 cuttings into the irrigated zone and 150 cuttings into the none irrigated zone. The cuttings have not started germinating.”

In my experience, it takes at least 2 weeks for cuttings to begin rooting, but the time will vary based on the soil quality, frequency of watering, air temperature and fertilization. It is quite amazing how well these cuttings take. The cuttings are pruned from mature Jatropha branches. When placed in the ground, they begin to root after a short time and typically in 2 weeks or so, they will show small buds. I have watched cuttings in my backyard grow from about 10” tall to over 25”. I am amazed every time I look at one and ponder the wonder of God’s creation.

I will continue to post photos from the Jatropha cuttings I am growing in my backyard as they progress. Below is one that has started to flower.

One final word. I have been posting one of my favorite scriptures at the end of my blog for a while now. I’m not certain if I have ever posted an explanation of why this scripture is so meaningful to me. I have been reading it every day for the past year. Shortly after I began reading it, I met Ed Acosta, one of the co-founders (with Danny Yepez) of the Costa Rica Seed Company. Ed took me to a resort he built on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. It was there that he showed me the mountain that he and his men removed and quite literally “cast into the sea”. They filled 13 acres of ocean and built a row of condominiums on this mountain ridge. It was an engineering feat. The next day after seeing this, the Lord brought Mark 11 to my mind and it dawned on me that if Ed could move this mountain, then I could, with God’s help do anything He called me to do. Since that day, I have set my sights on changing the face of Burundi through prayer and faith in what God has called me to do.

Never doubt that God is able!

God bless,

John

“Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him. Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you.” Mark 11:23-24

Technorati Tags: Jatropha,Burundi,cuttings,seedlings

Getting to the JTP

Getting to the JTP from Bujumbura is quite a challenge. Jean Marie takes two buses, a bike and motorcycle. It’s a total of a 1 1/2 hour trip. Shown below are two segments of his trip.

The Lord has blessed us with 5 farmers and an agronomist. The agronomist, Vital Habonimana, is shown in the photo below explaining the plan for the JTP below. We are planting a combination of seeds and cuttings, both irrigated and non-irrigated to determine how the plants respond to varying amounts of water.

The land has been cleared and the farmers have already begun planting. The photo below is of the cleared land. I’ll post one with the cuttings planted once I receive it.

There is a 70 km irrigation ditch that runs through the province of Cibitoke. The photo here shows the ditch, adjacent to the JTP, where we will retrieve the water during the dry season.

This boy represents the future generation who we are trying to help. Thank you for your continued prayers. God is blessing this project and expanding our vision of what is possible.

I also wanted to give a quick update on my test project here in Orlando, FL. The photo on the left below is my tallest Jatropha, which started out as a cutting that began to show growth in mid-February. It is now 24” tall, representing 4 1/2” of growth in one week. On the right is the mid-sized Jatropha. I planted this one in April and it is now 17” tall, representing 3” of growth in one week. I zoomed in so you can see the buds that will begin blooming soon. These buds will grow into the fruit that will contain the seed pods.

God Bless,

John

“Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him. Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you.” Mark 11:23-24

Budding Jatropha and JTP Update

I have continued to experiment with fertilizer. Two weeks ago, I added a 9-59-8 NPK mix to the Jatropha. The plant on the far right (below) is now 19 1/2” tall, representing over over 8” of growth in one month. I measure the plants at least weekly and have seen accelerated growth with 2” of growth just in the last few days.

The center plant is now beginning to show flower buds as you can see in the photo below. It is just over 14” tall.

I received an update on the JTP in Burundi, Africa. I will include Jean Marie’s update in his words:

“I left very early in the morning, at 07h00; then I took twice buses, from my town to Cibitoke, where the JTP is. It took me 1 hour 30 minutes. When I reached there, I found all the workers present and ready for more work. They have finished cultivating, collecting the cuttings and seeds. Tomorrow, they will start planting. It has required 5 farmers to cultivate the plot during 5 days. In order to reach the JTP, the transportation means I am using are bus, bike and motorbike.

After arrival, I hold a very successful discussion with the agronomist and farmers. We decided to intercrop the jatropha with beans and corn, then see what will happen.

I left the place around 13h30, back to Bujumbura.

I want to have a word on the irrigation system. It is a canal running like a river of 71 kms of length. It has been built during Belgium colonial times to help Cibitoke population cultivate, plant, irrigate and harvest over each year. This land and the irrigation system can feed one third of the entire population and even export to neighbouring countries; unfortunately, due to war, the financial support that Belgium used to give stopped. Now, the people SHINE is working with have decided to clean the irrigation canal, but have not succeeded to finish it all, due to lack of support.”

He has asked us to pray for several items. Please join me in praying for his requests:

What to pray for:

• Safety while going to the JTP
• Cutting costs: the farmers are asking to be paid for the cuttings and seeds they have collected. They want 80$USA. Pray for the discussion I am having with them.
• Experts and finances to help the population in order to maintain the irrigation system and exploit efficiently and effectively this land.
• Clean water, school, health centre for the population of this location.

• Favor as I am planning to introduce our project to the governor of this province and ask him a letter supporting the project.

God bless,

John

“Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him. Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you.” Mark 11:23-24

Photos of the Jatropha Test Plantation

Our work on the Jatropha Test Plantation is just beginning. Two weeks ago, the team from Spirit of Joy delivered the camera and laptop to Jean Marie in Burundi. The photo below is of Jean Marie in his office with the new laptop. What we take for granted is a major blessing in Burundi where it is very difficult and costly to obtain these items.

 

Another challenge has been with Internet access. It is expensive and the Internet there is very slow. Despite this, Jean Marie has been faithfully emailing me with his prayers and updates a few times each week over the last year. However, these challenges are small in light of God’s great power that gives us the strength to prevail and see His will done in Burundi.

Below is a photo of the chief farmer that will be managing the Jatropha Test Plantation. He is standing with his family in front of his mud brick home.

In the first update from Jean Marie, he sent the following narrative:

“The jatropha test plantation (JTP) is located north of BUJUMBURA capital city of BURUNDI,exactly in Cibitoke. Let us make this trip together to the discovery of the JTP. From Cibitoke main city,four kilometers north,you reach on your right the muddy road taking us to the JTP. In order to reach the JTP,we pass through healthy green plantations of banana,corn,sweet potatoes and mainly cassava; parallel to an artificial small lake,DOGODO. After 30 minutes of walk,we reach the JTP on your left side.”

You can see in the photo below, the irrigation ditch that the farmers have cleared out. This will be essential as Burundi is still in the dry season and the Jatropha will need irrigation to prosper until rainy season begins in a couple of months.

The Cibitoke province that he mentions is in the north west region of Burundi as shown in yellow below. The yellow provinces are areas we are considering for expansion of the initial plantation.

His narrative continues - “Although the plantation is healthy, people are very poor, living in muddy houses, covered grasses, no clean water, no schools, no health center. Presently,the farmers are cultivating and collecting the cuttings and the seeds to be planted in few days ahead.”

Please pray with me that we can begin to address these needs. In addition to the test plantation, I am looking for the means to drill a well and provide clean water for the village. The needs may be great, but God’s provision is even greater.

 

God bless,

John

 

“Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him. Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you.” Mark 11:23-24

Home Destroyed by Fire

This week brought an unexpected event into our lives. Our neighbor’s home was struck by lightning. I wanted to share the story because I believe it’s a great reminder of how life can change in an instant. One moment our neighbors were safe in their home and in a flash of lightning, their lives were changed. The interior of what was once a beautiful home was turned into ashes. Thankfully, all five people made it out safely, but they were only able to save a very few possessions.

On Tuesday evening of this week, a lightning storm passed over Oviedo. I was playing Uno with the children when Kim asked me  to move into the kitchen because the lightning strikes began to hit all around us. Shortly after we moved, at about 7 pm, we heard a lightening strike followed by a loud “Boom!”. I knew immediately that one of our neighbor’s home was struck and said so to Kim. After a few minutes she looked out the window and called me over. There was an immense amount of smoke pouring from a home across a small pond in the center of the neighborhood. It was so thick that we could not tell which house was burning.

After a surreal 15 minutes had passed, we saw the roof burst into flames. One after another we heard emergency vehicles begin to roll into the neighborhood with sirens blaring. They kept coming, and coming, and coming. At one point we counted 8 pump engines from three townships, several paramedic vehicles, and an assortment of about 10 sheriff and emergency vehicles.

The vehicles stretched from one side of the neighborhood to the other. These vehicles were followed by news crews from 4 different stations, arriving near the end of the 2 hour long fire.

The last hotspot from the fire was not extinguished until 6 am the next morning. From the exterior of the home the damage does not look terribly bad, but Kim was inside, helping the family sort through the ashes and she said there is nothing left.

The whole incident made me consider my own possessions. We even talked about it as a family and what we would take if our home caught fire. I thought about what was really important to me. It’s easy to say that my home and possessions are not that important, but what would my reaction be if this was my home? Would I be able to walk away and say that “the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away” as Job did? I’m not so sure it would be that easy.

I will continue to pray as I always do for the Lord’s protection on my family and my home, however, I also pray that God will enable me to hold everything loosely. We truly can not anticipate what will happen tomorrow, but we can be sure that God is in control and that He will give us the strength to face whatever it is.

God bless,

John

“Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him. Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you.” Mark 11:23-24

Equipment delivery next week

Kim dropped off a laptop and digital camera at Spirit of Joy Lutheran church this week. The mission team will be packing those items next week and will be arriving in Burundi, Africa on June 17th. Pastor Jeff Linman will meet Jean Marie on Saturday to hand over the laptop and camera. Jean Marie will be using the camera to capture photos of the plantation. He will use the laptop to write reports on the plantation progress.

I heard from Michael in Costa Rica this week. They had a delay in getting the Jatropha cuttings, but they have them and will be shipping any day now. If all goes well, they should arrive in Burundi next week. Ed Acosta, the plantation owner, added an additional 200 cuttings, so we should have 500 total. That will be a good start for our testing.

We’ve also been working on the funds that will be used to pay for the land, irrigation system and operating expenses. I had to wait for Spirit of Joy to approve the funds for use on this project since we are donating them through their church. Their board approved the funds, so I expect to be able to wire them by the end of next week.

I was in Seattle last week for a Division Manager’s meeting, so it’s been a couple of weeks since my last update. My Jatropha is growing well, with some interesting variation in the 4 cuttings. One is still nearly dormant, but the other three are doing well. We replanted them in larger pots because they were outgrowing the old pots. You can see the new pots below.

I included a close up of the largest plants. Note that the new growth is now over twice the original cutting length in the plant below. The two tallest plants are 11” inches high (~28 cm). 

John

“Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him. Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you.” Mark 11:23-24

Growth after one week

I wanted to show you the dramatic growth of the Jatropha after just one week. The two photos below show the Jatropha plants on May 23rd (top) and May 30th (bottom). I reversed the middle two pots. The difference really has been in fertilizing the plants and ensuring that the soil stays moist. It also helps that Orlando temperatures are now in the upper 80s during the day and around 70 at night.

The roots are now long enough that I will have to replant the Jatropha into larger pots soon. Note that the cutting on the left is still alive, but the buds are not growing noticeably. We’ll keep experimenting with this one.

I took a close-up photo of a Jatropha leaf below. This plant is quite healthy, with no pest or disease evidence. By the way, this is a Jatropha Curcas L variety. I was at a plant nursery recently with my family and the staff there showed me a couple of other varieties. One of them had red flowers. Jatropha Curcas L flowers and produces a fruit containing the seed pod. It is not an ornamental.

I’ll give a quick status update on the Burundi test plantation. I received the laptop for Jean-Marie. That will be sent out with the digital camera in mid-June with the team that is traveling from Spirit of Joy church.

John

“Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him. Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you.” Mark 11:23-24

Jatropha Project Update

Orlando cutting experiment

In my last posting I talked about our experiment with fertilizer. After just over 1 week, I have good news to report. In addition to adding an 18-18-21 fertilizer blend, we mixed in Black Cow manure to the soil. As you can see in the photo below, the original cutting that I planted is doing very well (see far right). We have seen significant leaf growth in the past week. The cutting second from the right went from one small bud to several areas of leaf growth. The next one was completely stalled and now we are getting leaf growth at the top. The last one is currently stalled, but we’ll keep working on it.

It rained almost constantly this week (5 days straight), so we had to put the cuttings under shelter to keep them from getting too saturated. I suspect that as we put them out into the sun, we’ll see

a higher growth rate.

Burundi plantation progress

I am in the processing of purchasing a Dell D610 laptop off ebay to ship to Jean-Marie in Burundi, along with a digital camera. I’ll be sending them with a team that leaves in mid-June. Since Jean-Marie will be in Rwanda for a couple of weeks, returning in early July, I’ll have to wait until July to post photos of the plantation.

I will be wiring the first funding increment next week that will fund the irrigation system and the land clearing. Much of our initial work will begin in June, so I should have more updates coming soon.

 

John

 

“Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him. Therefore I say to you,

all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you.” Mark 11:23-24

 

Technorati Tags: jatropha,fertilizer

Jatropha fertilization and watering

I wanted to pass along some thoughts on fertilization and watering of Jatropha because there is some misleading information on the internet. Much of the information on the internet suggests that because Jatropha will grow on marginal lands with very little water, you don't have to worry about irrigation or fertilization. Nothing could be further from the truth.

If you intend to grow Jatropha for harvesting seeds, then irrigation and proper fertilization is essential. Otherwise, the yields will be mediocre at best.

I have 4 Jatropha micro stems that I planted - one last November and three in early April. The cutting I planted in November began to shows buds in February and is doing well. The other three started to bud a week after planting, but didn't do very much after that. It turns out that we were doing a couple of things wrong. My daughter Elizabeth replanted the three cuttings into soil that holds moisture better than the soil we started with. In general, we water them every other day, but the key is making sure the soil stays moist. The next thing she did was to add fertilizer. We are currently experimenting with 18-18-21 fertilizer. This made a difference since the 3 newest cuttings are now beginning to show more buds and the buds that were there before are finally starting to grow. I will continue to provide updates as these plants mature.

Jean-Marie is working on the small test plantation in Burundi, getting it ready for planting. I will be placing an order for our first 300 cuttings in a few weeks. Until then, I will provide periodic updates.

John

Developing Partnerships

I dream of the day when our Jatropha farm in Burundi, Africa is planted and produces the first crop. We are now less than two months away from planting. God willing, a year from now we will be harvesting seed, although it will take up to five years to reach full yields. It’s all about patience and prayer – plenty of prayer.

The photo below is from the Costa Rica Seed Company farm in Tarcoles where I will be getting my first batch of cuttings. They will ship out in mid-June. Note the small Papaya plant in the foreground. Intercropping other plants is common and is something we plan to do as well.

 

I believe that strong partnerships are critical to the success of a venture such as this. That is why I continually search for organizations to partner with. Recently I discovered an organization called Destiny Florida. They are located not far from central Florida. Billed as America’s first Eco-Sustainable City, they would make a good partner for sharing technology and ideas. Next week I have a telecon with them to discuss their progress to date. I hope to visit them in the near future.

Soil Analysis

Last week I spoke with an agronomist to get a better idea of what to look for in the soil analysis. He gave me the following information:

1. Determine your soil type (sand, loam, clay or a mix). This will help determine irrigation time.

2. Determine the pH of the soil. Jatropha grows best in soil that has a pH of about 6.8. However, it is best to measure the pH where other Jatropha is growing naturally and use the data for comparison.

3. Test the soil for nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium levels. You can also test for micronutrients, although this is not essential.

Armed with this information, we will begin soil testing soon and use this data to help determine fertilization and irrigation requirements.

- John

Mark 11:23-24

Technorati Tags: Jatropha,soil analysis,Burundi

Progress on Jatropha Test Plantation

This week Jean-Marie and I signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) agreeing to conditions regarding our test plantation. This moves us one step closer to planting.

We have several critical milestones that we need to meet in order to get started:

1. Recruiting farmers and an agronomer in June

2. Preparing the land

3. Plowing the land – June 1st – July 1st and installing the drip irrigation system.

4. Shipping 300 cuttings from Costa Rica by June 20th

5. Gathering cuttings from Burundi

6. Planting begins on July 1st

That means we are now just over 1 month away from the official start date of the project. I will be sending over a digital camera and laptop in late June to allow Jean-Marie to begin taking photos and documenting the test plantation. Once I begin receiving photos, I will provide updates on my blog.

 

John Mann

Gearing up to Grow Jatropha

On April 1st-5th I was in Costa Rica for the Jatropha Harvest Experience. I was there to present the results of our Jatropha oil tests. We converted Jatropha oil to jet fuel using a patent pending hydrothermal process developed by ARA. I was joined by my colleague, Dr Lixiong Li, who invented the process. The picture below is of the entrance to Ed Acosta's Jatropha farm in Tarcoles. Following the first day of presentations, we spent a day at Ed's farm, learning about Jatropha cultivation.



I tried to look like a cowboy and ride a horse, but I'll need quite a bit of practice to catch up with my kids since they've been riding every week.



See what I mean?



Now this one might be more my style -



So to get back to my purpose in this blog entry...

I brought back three more Jatropha cuttings, which you can see in the photo below. Click the photo to view a larger image. I brought the leafy one on the left home in November and it's doing well. The other three were planted about 2 weeks ago and they rooted in about a week. You may not be able to see them, but there are tiny buds on the new cuttings.



This is an experiment I'm running to understand Jatropha cultivation. Elizabeth is the real gardener in the family, so she has been helping me. All of that to say that our test plantation in Burundi, Africa is soon to be a reality. I will be posting updates to my blog as we proceed, including photos of the plantation. Here is where we are at this point:

1. We determined that a 1/4 hectare plantation is a good size to begin with. For reference, a hectare is 100 x 100 meters or roughly 2.5 acres. We will plant with enough space between cuttings to allow intercropping with a food crop such as sunflowers for producing sunflower oil. I am shipping 300 cuttings from Costa Rica and we will gather 300 more from Burundi. Jean-Marie, the Executive Directory of SHINE will be overseeing the project in Burundi. Note that Jatropha cuttings will propagate faster than seeds, but they require irrigation to grow successfully.

2. On or near July 1st of this year, the workers will begin preparing the land. They will install a drip irrigation system, which is essential for the cuttings to succeed. I should note that we have several advisors assisting with this project, including an agronomist from Burundi, an agronomist from Nigeria, and we have access to several others as well as experts in plant insects and diseases.

3. Once the land is ready, the workers will begin planting 600 cuttings. I expect the plants to begin showing growth within 2 weeks and major growth in several months.

4. At our first harvest (approximately 9 months, give or take) we will extract the seeds. We already have a seed buyer lined up in Tanzania, although we will need to expand the plantation before it will be practical to sell seed.

5. We have applied to several organizations for additional funding, most recently the Ford Foundation. I believe having the test plantation will help us achieve funding as it proves the viability of Jatropha cultivation and will allow us to estimate yields.

Please continue to pray for the success of this plan as it will ultimately create jobs for many people. My dream is to travel the world, helping people wherever we go. Kim and I are filing applications for the kid's passports this week so they can join us on some of these trips.

Peace and blessings,
John

Costa Rica update

I am writing this from Jaco, Costa Rica where I have been at a conference called the Jatropha Harvest Experience. I was invited to present the results of my company's conversion of Jatropha oil into jet fuel. The conference was organized by my good friends at the Costa Rica Seed Company. We had over 50 attendees from 11 countries, coming from as far away as Nigeria, Africa.

As a result of the conference, I have made some adjustments to my plan for growing Jatropha in Burundi, Africa. I have come to the conclusion after meeting with agronomists and growers that we need to start with a small test plantation. To that end, I have developed a test plantation concept that will have roughly 500 jatropha plants. This test plantation will allow us to experiment with different varieties, irrigation, pruning, fertilization, disease, and pest control. What we learn will be directly applicable to the 100 hectare plantation. My hope is that we can begin with the test plantation this August and cultivate it for one year. Following this test, we will refine the concept for the larger plantation.

Thank you for your prayers. I have made significant progress over the last 5 months with respect to defining this plan. I will continue to press forward because it is essential to helping provide jobs in Burundi.

Peace and blessings,
John

Riding Bandit

Since January, Kim has been taking the kid's to a local farm for horseback riding lessons. I put together a short video of their lessons where each of them are learning how to steer the horse.




Elizabeth has been working in her garden much more now that the temperature has risen. Here she shows off a Monarch that landed on one of her flowers.

Biofuels!

Kim and I are going to Costa Rica in February for some business and pleasure. I will be meeting with my friends from the Costa Rica Seed Company (CRSC) and hopefully meeting with some businesses and government officials as well. The picture above shows me holding a bottle of jatropha oil and seeds from Costa Rica. The long term plan is for us to convert the oil into biodiesel as well as aviation fuel. The logo in the photo is for United Biofuels of America (UBA), a consortium we are forming to include biofuel researchers, farmers, universities, etc.

It won't be all business though. Costa Rica is full of biodiversity and Kim and I plan to enjoy seeing some of it. I was there back in November, but I was there primarily for business and did not have time to see much, other than the beautiful Pacific coast and the Los Suenos resort.

I will post some photos when I return.

I should also mention that this ties in with my other venture - growing jatropha in Burundi, Africa. The plans for that venture are still moving along. I have been working on financing. I appreciate all of those who have been praying.

Peace and blessings,
John

Prayer for Burundi Trip

I am planning to travel back to Burundi from June 17 - July 1st. I have been planning this trip since returning from my last trip in August and there are many details that need to come together prior to June. This trip will only be possible with God's help. I would ask as many of you as possible for prayer support. I will have the opportunity to directly impact 70 or more people this trip and indirectly hundreds more will be impacted.

The primary purpose of this trip is to train about 70 farmers how to cultivate jatropha and to begin the work of preparing fields and setting up the infrastructure to sustain the cultivation and processing of jatropha. This venture will provide sustainable jobs for these farmers and help them support their families. I will periodically provide updates as the date gets closer. Here are specific prayer needs:

1) Funding for operating expenses (wages, supplies, jatropha cuttings), land lease, warehouse construction. We may need as much as $450,000 to fund everything, but I am working with my ministry partner, Jean-Marie, to reduce the amount required by getting land from the government and by getting equipment and supplies donated or for less than we have estimated.
2) Favor with the Burundi government for a low cost lease for 100 hectares of land (roughly 250 acres).
3) An agronomist in Burundi that can help support this project.
4) Provision for the agronomist to join me at a jatropha training conference in Costa Rica on April 1st.
5) Skilled laborers that can support this effort.
6) That God would work out details for a trip to Tanzania to meet with a jatropha grower and a trip to Zambia to visit another ministry.
7) Workers that can help build the warehouse, drill the well, and set up the irrigation system.
8) Partnerships with non-government organizations (NGOs) that can assist us with this effort.
9) Materials and supplies to be donated or found at reasonable costs.
10) Wisdom in developing peacebuilding training for the farmers involved in this project

Peace and blessings,
John