ENVIRONMENTAL AND RESOURCE STEWARDSHIP (EARS)

 

As many of  you know, I applied back in January to do a training school within YWAM called Environmental And Resource Stewardship. The jest of the school is that this school is designed to provide us (students) with knowledge and hands on experience in the following areas:

1. Water collection, purification and storage
2. Food production with creative techniques for difficult environments
3. Solar energy via thermal capture and photovoltaic cells
4. Animal care and development
5. Recycling and creative use of waste
6. Scriptural basis for being a good steward of our land, water, air and bodies

So part of my training includes taking care of 10 goats, 2 horses, 4 dogs, 4 cats and around 120 chickens.  Not only do we (as a school) have the animals to take care of, I personally am overseeing the 2 main gardens we have in which we are growing many different fruits and vegetables. What are we growing?

Arracache (a local root veggie), Broccoli, carrots, corn, cucumber, garlic, granadilla (passion fruit), green onions, jalapenos, lettuce, potatoes, radishes, strawberries, tomatoes, squash, cilantro, rosemary, oregano

Before I came to this school I really felt that during this time, not only would I gain even more skills and become stronger in some hands on work, but that God would use this time to counsel me and teach me things about my self and his character.  Well for the last 2 and half months He has done that. God has been showing me more and more things in my life that need to change and be improved.  Which has been good, however a little messy at times.  Not only has God been showing me things in my life that need to change he has been showing me more and more different aspects of his character that I really did not understand or even knew He had until I took the time to study his creation and gain an understanding of his heart for what he has created, and our roles as Christians to take care of creation and tend the garden; according to Genesis.

The EARS school has only 3 students; myself, a girl from the states and another girl from Mongolia.  Definatley a small school! 

Each one of us was given a specific area of the base that we needed to research and create a research paper/manual that can be used in the future to help this place become a fully self-sustaining facility.  The area I was given was in the area of fruit and vegetable production specifically and how we can provide all the fruits and veggies we need for our selves.  During my studies I researched things such as Aquaponics, Permaculture/bio-intensive gardening, companion planting, etc. 
Aquaponics is a closed system which uses fish waste to fertilize the roots in the grow bed, then the plants in the grow bed filters the water and then the water is then taken back to the fish tank.  with this system you get fish and veggies to eat, and it is completely self-sufficient. 

Permaculture is a type of gardening/landscaping that makes sure that everything grown, placed and design has a purpose to maximize the amount of food grown in a smaller space.

So, as you can see I have been extremely busy, therefore my communications have been slim.This school has been a great help, because now I am feeling even more confident and prepared to take what I learned and my passion in creation care to the field long term!! :)