Culture: How to Start a Garden

A simple reality of Malian life that we have had difficulty expressing to our blog readers is how long it can take to get things done. Yes, this is because we are still developing our language skills, but let’s just say that Malian culture – for better or worse – is less “efficient” than what we are used to. For example, starting a small garden in the United States (prior to planting) can be done with some effort over the weekend. But here, it has taken two months…

 

Task 1) Attain the desired seeds and gardening tools

Step 1. Ask mom for vegetables seeds and gardening gloves from America

Step 2. Bike 20 miles round-trip to buy a metal shovel and machete

Step 3. Take bus to big city to buy watering can and some Malian seeds

Step 4. Pick up care package, thank mom and Gruler’s of Petoskey, MI for donating the seeds

Step 5. Order “dabas” (Malian hoe) from blacksmith at site

Step 6. Wait and pick up dabas two weeks later

 

Task 2) Construct a compost pile since enriched soil is not available

Step 1. Start collecting kitchen scraps in a smelly plastic bucket

Step 2. Find out a nearby location where cows like to poop

Step 3. Use the shovel to dig a shallow meter-by-meter hole

Step 4. Periodically pile food scraps, cow crap, and dirt into the hole

Step 5. Watch as melon seeds accidently take root and start to grow

Step 6. Watch as children accidently trample melon one week later

Step 7. After some time, turn the entire pile and add more cow poop

Step 8. Wait for decomposition

 

Task 3) Find a convenient location for your garden

Step 1. Scout the area for good soil close to a reliable water source

Step 2. Set up a meeting with the village chief to ask permission

Step 3. Wait a week until that meeting

Step 4. Get approval to use that land for gardening

Step 5. Find out that your location is actually some guy’s poorly-tended peanut field

Step 6. Wait weeks for the peanuts to be harvested

Step 7. Watch others harvest their peanuts, but not this guy

Step 8. Wonder if this guy is mad at you for getting permission to take his land

Step 9. Consider asking the village chief for different land, but figure it will take too long

Step 10. Measure off your garden with a meter stick

 

Task 4) Construct a fence to protect your garden from free-grazing animals

Step 1. Decide to buy an expensive metal-fence instead of building a wooden one

Step 2. Travel to a large city and ask a half dozen shopkeepers about their fencing

Step 3. Bargain a great deal for 25 meters of fencing

Step 4. Have Peace Corps drive fencing out to site, since it’s crazy heavy

Step 5. Go out into the bush with machete and a friendly farmer to cut trees

Step 6. Watch capable farmer cut down eleven trees without your help

Step 7. Load trees onto a donkey cart

Step 8. Save the donkey’s life after cart tips over and nearly chokes it to death

Step 9. Reload trees, transport, and unload them by garden plot

Step 10. Prepare to dig eleven holes with a shovel in order to set up tree perimeter

Step 11. Get angry when condescendingly told you have to dig holes with a machete

Step 12. Insist that you know how and it is better to use a shovel

Step 13. After one hole, dig ten more holes with machete

Step 14. Place eleven trees in holes and fill in tightly with rocks and sand

Step 15. Unroll metal fence to discover that its only 14 meters… not 25

Step 16. Take a deep breath

Step 17. Answer Malian’s questions about why your fence is too short

Step 18. Prepare to travel back to large city after a week

Step 19. Tie gigantic fence to bike rack and precariously take it 3 miles to the road

Step 20. Throw it on top of a bus and buy a ticket to ride

Step 21. Return to shopkeeper and lose temper in foreign language

Step 22. Get money back

Step 23. Find another shopkeeper and make him measure fence first

Step 24. Bargain a price and return to village… somehow

 

Task 5) Prepare the garden bed (I have yet to do this, mind you)

Step 1. Use daba to weed and aerate the soil

Step 2. Water with watering can and wait for a few days

Step 3. Use shovel to overturn soil with double-digging method

Step 4. Mix the compost into soil

Step 5. Form the vegetable beds sunken, since rainy season is almost over

Step 6. Make a seed nursery with sticks and cover (for select vegetables only)

Step 7. Plant the seeds with proper spacing… finally

Step 8. Keep in mind that, in reality, more steps are probably necessary

 

So, as you can see, work here in Mali is a little bit different. :) Thanks for reading!

 

~Jim