Principles

Text Box: There are 3 Main Principles Trained: 1) Biblical Training 2) Technology 3) Management

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Principles

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Overview

Text Box: 1) Biblical Training The training incorporates a large portion of Biblical principles that allow farmers to unlock the potential of the land. Without the spiritual release from the Lord Himself one can implement the best technology in the world without any benefit. God is after all the Lord of the Harvest. 2) Technology A) Zero Tillage In 2004 71 Million hectares were under zero tillage in the world, & the area is expanding yearly. The FAO has principally committed itself to advocate - minimal soil disturbance & no soil inversion. See www.fao.org/NEWS/1998/tfried-e.htm This drastically reduces costs, labour & annual soil losses. See Advantages. Zero till Maize. B) God’s Blanket In the natural forests, the surface of the soil is covered by leaves, twigs & fruit, which have a critical role in the survival & the productivity of the forest. It is a well known fact that the beautiful Amazon forest, grows on very poor soils & when the land is cleared by slash & burn farmers, the soil only produces crops for a few years. What has changed? God’s Blanket has been destroyed!!! God’s Blanket is the provision which God designed to sustain the forests He so meticulously created. See Advantages. God’s Blanket - in this case maize crop residues. 3) Management Farming God’s Way may mean a saving on input costs & effort, but not on management, which is crucial to ensuring the greatly improved yields. God calls us to be faithful stewards of the land, to rule & reign over all creation in such a way that it would bring Him glory. Farmers are trained to do each step to a very high standard, on time & with minimal wastage. Farmers have got a very poor self image & the negative sentiment towards farming is clearly evident in the lack of young people in the rural poor villages. The next generation instead of taking on a potentially viable business are moving to the cities in search of work. Instead of this we encourage farmers to run their farms as viable businesses & when they implement the Farming God’s Way principles in both Word & technology the land can produce not only for subsistence but for profitability. Typical example of simple management technique which results in significant yield changes - 6 seeds per hole is approximately 110,000 plants per ha which is 3 times the advocated seeding rates.