Battle against Monsanto

It often seems as though some do not take the bio dynamic model of agriculture very seriously, but make no mistake, people are fighting tooth and nail to try and break the iron grip that industrialised mono-culture has on agriculture. Support for the work done by Positive Cycle  is certainly present in society. Bio Watch a Durban based NPO has fought a nine year legal battle against Monsanto which you can read about.
It seems counter intuitive that a company doing business in such an insidious way has been allowed to operate to such an extent that they are a global force. It's unpleasant to realise that many are still ignorant of how these corporate giants can steal our food supply by owning the genetically modified organisms they sell as food items. There are legal battles underway in different countries all over the world to settle ownership of seed and gene stock. India, and Bolivia, as well as a few other independent minded nations and courts have ruled that original strains were a common heritage.Monsanto erred when they damaged their genetic build, and cannot claim that they 'own' the new organisms. That of course is reality, something most of the world is still ignoring. As individuals we can consult a list of monsanto products to avoid and do our best to eat natural foods.

Positive Recycle

Positive Cycle is pleased as punch to announce the formation of our new division, 'Positive Recycle'. In the years spent learning and teaching the art and science of growing food and useful plants without chemicals from labs but rather the natural substances available to use as pesticides and soil inputs, our company discovered the incalculable benefits of recycling food waste. Using anaerobic fermentation, we are able to turn food and other types of organic wet waste into incredibly potent fertilisers and compost. In combination with vermiculture, this system, known as 'bokashi' is set to revolutionise the recycling industry, not to mention play a vital role in off setting the costs of soil augmentation. Bokashi bins are to become a common sight in every home, school, shop, restaurant and office. In fact, we hope to create such a level of awareness, and provide such a high quality service in this field, that failing to recycle food waste will become a shameful thing that decent people simply don't admit to. If you would like to help, if protecting and even promoting the environment has meaning for you (and it should) we would encourage you to get in touch with us by clicking on the header of this post and doing your part by buying our inexpensive and properly carried out recycling systems and services.

Helping out at Siyakhana with Food Garden advice and training.

Mveledzandhivo Community Project.

We must tell you about Mveledzandhivo.
This is not just another school community project with a vegetable patch. This is a place where people get together to learn. The potential these people have, working hard to create a food secure future for themselves is inspiring to say the least. When you are growing up in a place where most people are poor the difference that a properly run healthy organic farm makes to rour life is inestimable. Follow the link (Just click on the name:Mveledzandhivo) to see a full story about how Positive Cycle got a chance to share knowledge and help to build with a community. This kind of farming is realistically the future of much of Africa. There isn't money available to keep correcting the damage done by industrial agriculture, and other commercial concerns. Community Project funding.

Visiting Pretty's Garden.

Positive Cycle paid a visit to a garden in Gauteng, in a 'previously disadvantaged community' being run by a delightful lady named Pretty. It's a fulfilling thing to do, being involved in such an ethical endeavour. We were very proud to be able to assist Pretty with some seeds and seedlings (particularly jalapenos as we have plenty of those at the moment) and also with a little know how and advice. Compost is going to be particularly helpful to Pretty as making it herself is ultimately going to save money. So will the companion planting and square foot planting advice Pretty got from Positive Cycle. These techniques dramatically increase yields (amounts of crops) and also soil health which again limits the yearly expense of augmenting her soil. Positive Cycle feels strongly about the benefits South Africans can reap by working on our economy where it really counts. Helping poor people to grow food and establish income from the crops they grow. That's why we go out to whatever schools and communities we can gain access to in order to help people understand the basics of both successful economics and healthy environmental practises. Seeing the difference good agricultural advice can bring to a community in terms of health and nutrition, psychological well being and economic prosperity is what it is all about for us at Positive Cycle.

Bio dynamic gardening lessons improve one's quality of life in so many ways you'll think you've had a spiritual experience. Except it's totally practical and hands on. Learning how to grow food and other useful plants in a proper environment, a formal gardening class where the instructor knows what to say and the information makes sense and works when you try it out on your own in your garden at home. Most of the reason so many people get started on a vegetable garden at some point in their lives and give up on it before too long is that without a bit of real world knowledge about how to prepare soil, feed plants, water correctly etc it's going to be a difficult skill to learn. Indeed some say gardening is an art. I am one of those and so were the previous two generations of my family. Come with me on a journey into good health, good food and beautiful surroundings by attending a Positive Cycle gardening class.

Food Growing Training Course.

It has been a little while since we I last touched base here so let me tell you what has been going on at the Positive Cycle garden. Our sponsored efforts to teach and develop gardens and gardeners in areas like Hammanskraal and Lesabe around Gauteng province have borne fruit (literally and figuratively) and those projects are taking off now thanks to some enthusiastic learners and all of the beautiful plants they have been growing. As a result of this Positive Cycle, while still operating an edible gardening service, is now mainly occupied with teaching people from all walks of life how to grow food. Learning vegetable gardening and 'bio dynamic growing' in the Positive Cycle garden has become popular with the locals in Auckland Park as well as with many visitors from further afield who come to find out how to creat this simple, healthy life for themselves. It's wonderful to see people progress as gardeners after attending a garden workshop and learning how to prepare soil, make anti pest solutions from the material in the garden and many other great techniques to turn your veggie patch into a wonderland that feeds the whole family. Teaching organic planting and growing methods is one of Positive Cycle's key areas of focus and we are glad of the opportunity to contribute to agricultural education in South Africa.