SUMMARY. We spent five weeks at the Ana Fonio Permaculture Farm in Senegal alongside the FoodForestNetwork team. A lot happened during that time: we continued to maintain existing syntropic agroforestry systems, added biomass to the soil and thereby supported soil formation and the dynamics of natural succession. Valentin Pallutt reports.
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Planting new systems
We spent five weeks at the Ana Fonio Permaculture Farm in Senegal alongside the Food Forest Network team. A lot has happened! We continued to manage the existing syntropic agroforestry systems, added biomass to the soil, improved soil structure and, in doing so, supported the dynamics of natural succession.
At the same time, we have established new systems based on different approaches to successional accumulation, working even more closely with natural succession. Step by step, we are planting pioneer plants, which will later be supplemented by and replaced with secondary woody plants. Our aim is to develop dense, successionally adapted systems that have as few gaps and gaps as possible and can continue to develop in a stable manner over the long term.
Observe, learn and document
Yields and climate-resilient systems
However, our aim is not merely to establish agroforestry systems. Our aim is to develop systems that deliver yields as early as possible whilst simultaneously creating landscapes and production systems that are stable and climate-resilient in the long term. These systems should be adaptable to local conditions and able to be adopted and adapted by farmers. Familiar plants, existing skills and local experience should play an important role in this, complemented by the integration of perennial trees and long-term succession.
Gerade in den Trockensystemen bedeutet das vor allem: beobachten, ausprobieren und lernen.
For several years now, we have been gaining experience in what works under these conditions, which varieties prove successful in the early stages, which techniques are helpful, and how we can cope with long dry spells. There are some things we wouldn’t do quite the same way today. It is precisely this experience that we have drawn on this time to further develop our systems.
Scientific support and exchange
Scientific monitoring and documentation also play a role in this. As part of his Bachelor’s thesis, Valentin Pallutt is investigating how a syntropic agroforestry system can become established under the semi-arid conditions of Senegal through seasonal rainfall, and what effects it has on the soil and microclimate. Together with Jens Hauck, observations and practical experience are being documented and incorporated into the further development of the systems. The aim is to produce blueprints that can be implemented by trained agroforestry specialists, adapted to regional conditions.
We have also planted a resilient hedge in collaboration with Yirwa Permaculture du Sud. This is intended to protect the farm in future whilst also providing food and other crops. A forward-looking project – in a region where pressure from the growing city is set to increase further.
And, of course, it wasn’t just about planting and working. We organised a workshop which brought together lots of people to work together and learn about natural succession, syntropic agroforestry and climate-adapted farming systems.
Five weeks packed with work, observation, experiments, learning, discussions and good spirits. 🙂
Prospects
We are very pleased with what we have achieved together at the Ana Fonio Permaculture Farm over this period. Now it is a matter of observing and documenting the systems and seeing how they develop over the coming years.
If you’d like to come along and see it all for yourself in person, and continue learning with us, please feel free to get in touch. We’re already planning our next major workshop.
Thank you to everyone who took part, contributed their ideas and lent a hand!
