NAMIBIA & SOUTHERN AFRICA
Knowledge that
takes root.
Grow food. Make the most of your water. Build abundance, wherever you call home.
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NEW HERE? BEGIN WITH ONE SMALL STEP
Start growing your own abundance.
A doorway into permaculture, practical skills and people learning together in Namibia.
Feed yourself and your village
The best way to save money is to feed yourself and grow food. We understand that most of us don’t have much water or much land, so we try to teach you how to grow food with little space and little water. Have a look at this video of Auguste in Windhoek – if you […]
Books to read
Here is a list of books available in Namibia which are good to learn from: If you cannot find them in the shops then you can find them on Amazon.com and read them with a Kindle app on your phone, Table or Laptop. You can also read all the information on this Wiki first and […]
Websites & Youtube channels
There is a LOT of information on the internet about how to grow more food…we’ve made our list of favourites below. This should be a good start to learn even more than what you find here on https://wiki.living-earth.africa. Youtube channels Namibian Channels The Food Forest Namibia – The Food forest Namibia is based just outside […]
Important Organisations
There’s a number of important organisations in Namibia with the same aims as this site, namely to make Namibia a sustainable, resilient, thriving, happy place for all of us. The Nutrition and Food Security Alliance: (NAFSAN) is a mayor contributor to Namibia’s push to eradicate malnutrition and to achieve food security. Explore their Home Gardening & […]
START WHERE YOU ARE
What could abundance
look like for you?
You do not need a farm, a big budget or all the answers. Pick a path, learn one useful thing and take your next step. These paths connect the original wiki’s planning, growing, water, tree and community topics.
A little space. A fresh start.
Grow your first food
A doorstep, a few containers or a small yard. Begin with what you have, even when water and money are tight.
Follow this path 02Turn a yard into possibility.
Create an edible garden
Use a courtyard or suburban garden to grow food, build living soil and make room for trees.
Follow this path 03Healthy land. New possibilities.
Regenerate your farm
For communal and commercial farmers exploring soil health, water, trees and productive landscapes.
Follow this path 04Start together. Grow together.
Build community abundance
For neighbours, schools, village groups and anyone who wants to turn shared effort into shared opportunity.
Follow this pathStart by seeing how food, water, soil and people can support one another.
KEEP YOUR CURIOSITY GROWING
Worth exploring next
Selected for you while reader activity builds up. Mahangu is a community recommendation.
Mahangu
How to Grow Mahangu (Pearl Millet) in a Small Homestead Introduction: Hey there! Mahangu, also known as pearl millet, is a fantastic crop to grow on a small homestead. It’s like a drought-tolerant champion that brings a wealth of benefits to your garden and your table. Let’s explore how to grow Mahangu step-by-step and why […]
Vegetables for a Namibian garden: choose your crops
Use this overview to choose a manageable mix of food plants, then follow the links to their individual guides. The original vegetable list is retained here, with tomatoes and cucumbers added and older links corrected. Inclusion is an invitation to assess a crop—not a claim that it needs little water everywhere in Namibia.
Trees – Start here
There are many awesome trees to plant in your village, farm or homestead. Trees can provide shade, fodder, fruit, wood or medicine.
Map the microclimates in your own garden
A simple sketch can reveal why one corner grows well while another struggles. Map the sun, wind, water and cold spots before choosing plants or building structures. You do not need an expensive weather station to begin observing consistently.
A few useful places to begin
489 guidesHolistic Rotational Grazing
Introduction to Holistic Grazing Holistic grazing is a land management approach and agricultural practice that aims to mimic the natural movement and grazing patterns of large herds of animals in order to restore and improve the health of ecosystems and agricultural lands. It was popularized by Allan Savory, a Zimbabwean ecologist and farmer, who developed […]
Mobile Electric Camp/Paddock for mob grazing
Building small mobile enclosures with electric fences for mob grazing can be a practical and effective way to manage livestock rotation without the need for a herder. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to create such enclosures: Materials Needed: Step-by-Step Process: Remember that electric fences are effective when properly installed and maintained. Ensure the electric […]
Fungal Diseases
There are several organic or natural methods that can be effective in preventing and managing fungal diseases in plants. These methods focus on promoting plant health, creating a less favorable environment for fungal growth, and using natural substances to combat the diseases. Here are some strategies: Remember that while these methods are considered organic or […]
Compost
Plants need food, just like animals do. To have a productive farm, you need to focus on feeding the soil in which the plants grow. Luckily we can make our own plant food cheaply with compost, worms and mulch. In this document we focus on compost. Especially in the desert where you don’t have great […]
Start here
This Wiki is for all who want to learn more about growing their own food for themselves or their village and making their village and community more self sustaining. Our plan is to make it easy for every village to produce more than enough food for all their villagers with only a single borehole. We […]
Growing potatoes in Namibia: from seed to storage
Grow a manageable potato crop by matching healthy seed, planting season and water supply to your site. This guide brings planning, planting, crop care and harvest together so you can follow the whole growing cycle in one place. Start small enough to water and inspect the crop reliably.
Growing cucumbers in Namibia: beds, trellises and harvest
Cucumbers can provide a regular fresh harvest from a bed, container or reachable trellis. Choose the variety, water supply and support together, then follow the crop through flowering, picking and seed saving. A compact growing space still needs a dependable root zone and daily attention during heavy harvest.
Mulch
What is mulch? Let’s talk about mulching, which is a helpful gardening technique that you might find quite interesting. Imagine you have a beautiful garden with some plants growing in the soil. Now, mulching is like giving your garden a cozy and protective blanket. Just like you cover yourself with a warm blanket to feel […]
Agave & Agave Alcohol
Growing Agave in Arid Southern Africa: Agave is a remarkable plant that can thrive in arid regions like Southern Africa. Here’s how you can grow Agave and some essential tips: Agave’s Uses: Agave has several valuable uses: Agave Alcohol as a Business Venture: Starting an Agave alcohol business can be an exciting venture, especially if […]
Commercial Aquaponics
You can build a commercial aquaponics system as a business. It allows you to produce a lot of fresh vegetables in a small space close to your markets, best near a larger town or city. Commercial aquaponics is a modern and innovative farming method that combines aquaculture (fish farming) with hydroponics (growing plants without soil). […]
Aquaponics – possible issues and diseases
Let’s explore some possible issues and diseases that can occur in aquaponics. Remember, while aquaponics is an exciting and sustainable farming method, it requires attention, care, and regular monitoring to keep it running smoothly. By staying observant and addressing any issues promptly, you can overcome these challenges and have a successful and rewarding aquaponics experience! […]
Simple Aquaponics
Simple Aquaponics is a very simple system which anyone can afford. It uses very little water and can produce a lot of vegetables and fish. The fish poo in the water, and the poo is food for the plants. The plants clean the water and it flows back to the fish. There are two types: […]