Permaculture
Building/sealing earth dams
https://proagri.co.za/?s=Water+Wise+farmers+build+earth+dams Building and sealing earthen dams is a vital aspect of water management in farming and agriculture. Earthen d…
Build it · 67 Guides
Infrastructure
Shade houses, earth blocks, cellars, cob
Start with: Building/sealing earth dams then follow the Guides in order
Infrastructure
Shadehouse
https://www.omdis.co/2020/11/30/oranjemunds-agriculture-project-thrives/ Shadecloth Net House - Shadehouse Growing vegetables in a shade cloth net house (we'll call them…
Infrastructure
Greenhouse
Photo by Mark Stebnicki: https://www.pexels.com/photo/field-of-plants-in-greenhouse-2886937/ What is a greenhouse? Greenhouses are structures designed to create a control…
Infrastructure
Drip Irrigation
How Do Irrigation Systems Work? - DripWorks Drip irrigation is a smart and efficient way to water plants and crops in a…
Infrastructure
Water cooler
Simple wooden charcoal water cooler - easy to build - https://ifdc.org/2017/05/05/charcoal-is-cool/ Building a brick water cooler Building an evaporative water cooler usi…
Business Ideas
Tannery
Wikipedia: Tanning Leather in Marakesh Building a tannery on a small farm or homestead can be an interesting project, but it's essential…
Infrastructure
Slaughter Room & Cold Room
Photo by IAN: https://www.pexels.com/photo/men-working-in-a-slaughterhouse-15933541/ Here's an overview of how slaughtering is typically done on a small homestead and the…
Infrastructure
House built of Mushroom waste
https://www.bio-hab.org/ Imagine a special house where instead of walls, it's made of mushrooms! Well, not entirely made of mushrooms, but they play…
Infrastructure
Managing fire risk
Photo by Vladyslav Dukhin: https://www.pexels.com/photo/forest-fire-4070727/ Let's talk about managing the risk of fire on a farm or in a village in arid…
Infrastructure
Recycle Waste Water
Types of Wastewater:Treatment of Wastewater:Using Greywater Systems on Farms in Namibia: A Practical Guide for Regenerative Water UseWhat is Greywater, and Why…
Infrastructure
Compressed Earth Blocks/Bricks (CEB) House
Compressed earth bricks are eco-friendly construction materials made by compressing a mixture of locally sourced soil, sand, and water. The soil's natural…
Chicken
Chicken House (Coop)
Photo by Brett Jordan: https://www.pexels.com/photo/herd-of-hen-840111/ On farmsteads, various types of chicken houses are used to provide shelter and protection for the…
Infrastructure
Greywater System
Simple and cheap greywater system - sourced from https://www.milkwood.net/2012/10/16/building-a-simple-biological-diy-greywater-system/ What is Greywater? Greywater is th…
Infrastructure
Sandbag House
. Earthbag Construction. - Building Bag House Invention - found on @DSinventions Youtube channel. Well worth a look! . Building the sandbag…
Business Ideas
Bamboo
bamboo Bamboo and its benefits Let's talk about bamboo and its benefits for a small farm or homestead using the metric system:…
Infrastructure
Root Cellar
https://commonsensehome.com/root-cellars-101/ What is a Root Cellar and How to Use It: What is it? A root cellar is like a secret underground…
Infrastructure
Namibian Suppliers
Here we list the suppliers where you can buy the inputs you need for your garden or farm. If you know of…
Infrastructure
Tools & Robots
https://www.linuxadictos.com/en/farmbot-open-source-orchard-home.html Using AI and open-source robots and machines can greatly enhance the efficiency and productivity of…
Permaculture
Swales
https://www.facebook.com/groups/AugustaCountyPermacultureGuild/ Introduction to Swales and Their Construction Ever thought about conserving water in your garden without c…
Permaculture
Hugelkultur
https://redemptionpermaculture.com/hugelkultur-garden-beds-a-step-by-step-beginners-guide/ Hugelkultur is a permaculture gardening technique that involves creating raised…
Permaculture
Microdams/ Half-moons
Micro dams or microdams ...also called Demi lunes, Halfmoon basins, crescent dams, semilunar bunds, semi-circular bunds, crescent catchments, Zai pits, Tassa, planting…
Infrastructure
Biogas Plant
Rural biogas digester being built. www.myclimate.org Building a simple biogas plant or using a biogas bag for a homestead can be a…
Infrastructure
Rainwater Harvesting in Arid Regions: Practical Solutions for Water Security in Southern Africa
Rainwater harvesting How Rainwater Harvesting Works on a FarmBenefits of Rainwater Harvesting on a FarmBuilding a rainwater harvesting systemWorthwhile Books:Worthwhile v…
Permaculture
Terracing
Imagine you have a small piece of land where you want to grow crops, like vegetables or fruits. Now, terracing is a…
Garden
Clay Pipes & Ollah Pots
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378377413000176 You can save massive amounts of water in your garden by installing clay pipes and Ollah pots. Olla irr…
Food Forest
Food Forest
A 2000 year old Food forest in the desert A food forest, or forest garden, is a type of sustainable agroforestry system…
Infrastructure
Coldroom – Chiller
https://www.icecooltrailers.co.uk/blog-posts/walk-in-chiller-perfect-for-summer-heat What's a cold room or chiller? A cold room, also commonly referred to as a chiller, i…
Garden
Worm farm, bin or bath
Photo by Sippakorn Yamkasikorn: https://www.pexels.com/photo/earthworms-on-a-persons-hand-3696170/ A worm farm is a simple way to keep compost worms and harvest their ver…
Infrastructure
Waffle Garden
https://www.thesurvivalgardener.com/waffle-gardening-method-arid-climates/ Waffle Garden: Enhancing Desert Agriculture through Water-Efficient Design A waffle garden repr…
Infrastructure
Rock dams
A rock dam is a simple and effective water management structure constructed using rocks or stones. It's designed to slow down the…
Infrastructure
Hemp
hemp Benefits and Uses of Hemp: Fiber Production: Hemp fibers are strong, durable, and resistant to mold and ultraviolet light. They are…
Infrastructure
Natural Swimming Pool
A Namibian pool using a windpump as pool pump. The gravel bed is below the pool on the far side. Water flows…
Infrastructure
Fly Trap
Make your own fly trap without using chemicals or poison! Here's a simple guide on how to make a cheap and easy…
Infrastructure
Mushroom drum
Growing mushrooms in a mushroom drum using bags is a simple and effective method that anyone can try at home. Here’s a…
Permaculture
Gabions & Check dams
Gabions Gabions: A Tool for Combating Drought and Enhancing Water in the Landscape Gabions: A Tool for Combating Drought and Enhancing Water…
Infrastructure
Cob Building
cob building OverviewCompositionConstruction ProcessClimate SuitabilityThermal PropertiesAdvantagesLimitationsTools and EquipmentCommon CombinationsSustainability & C…
Infrastructure
Fog Harvesting: A Sustainable Water Source for Farming on the Namib Coast
fog harvesting Introduction The Namib Desert, one of the driest places on Earth, may seem like the last place you would find…
Garden
Shieldboxes
The ShieldBox is a simple, low-cost innovation designed to protect young plants and seedlings in Namibia’s dry, harsh environments. Made from recycled…
Garden
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 thro…
Food Forest
Air-prune beds: raise trees and test what works in Namibia
Raise a small batch of trees with space for air beneath their roots. Start with a trial you can water reliably, then compare the plants after planting out.
Infrastructure
Charred timber posts: local trials and the limits of a surface treatment
Charring timber is a traditional surface treatment.
Infrastructure
Solar cooking: match the cooker to the meal and the weather
Solar cooking uses sunlight as a heat source.
Infrastructure
Elephants and beehive fences: a community option to assess
Beehive fences use bees as part of an elephant-deterrent system.
Infrastructure
Rocket stoves: choose a practical cooker and measure the fuel saved
A well-designed rocket stove directs heat from a small wood fire toward a cooking pot. It can make everyday cooking more economical, but performance depends on the stove,…
Infrastructure
Wood gasifiers: understand the system before investing
A wood gasifier converts solid biomass into a combustible gas that can supply suitable equipment. It is an energy system with fuel preparation, gas cleaning and operating…
Business Ideas
Charcoal kilns: compare the complete production system
A charcoal enterprise turns a suitable wood supply into a marketable product. Kiln choice matters, but harvesting, drying, safe cooling, grading, transport and the buyer’…
Infrastructure
Solar food drying: preserve a harvest with a controlled process
A solar dryer uses the sun and moving air to remove moisture from food. It can help preserve seasonal surplus, but a warm box is not automatically a safe drying process.…
Business Ideas
Small grain mills: choose equipment for the grain and the job
A small mill can save time and turn local grain into useful food. The right choice depends on the grain, desired flour, daily quantity, power supply and ability to mainta…
Infrastructure
Keep mosquitoes out of stored garden water
Water saved for a garden should not become a mosquito nursery. The most useful starting point is physical access: remove unnecessary standing water and make necessary sto…
Garden
Growing towers: distinguish aeroponics from a vertical sales pitch
A growing tower can place several plants in a small footprint. Some towers mist suspended roots, while others circulate nutrient solution through channels or growing medi…
Garden
Garden weather records: learn what happens at your own site
A simple rainfall and weather record helps explain why a crop succeeded, struggled or needed extra water. Nearby forecasts remain useful, but your garden’s rainfall, fros…
Garden
Read a catchment map before changing how water moves
A catchment is the area from which runoff drains toward a shared outlet. Seeing your garden or farm within that larger area helps you understand incoming water, erosion a…
Infrastructure
Red insect netting: separate a promising study from a local result
Red netting has attracted attention as a way to reduce insect entry. The promising question is specific: can a particular net keep a particular pest away while preserving…
Garden
Blocked drip lines: diagnose the blockage before cleaning
A dry patch beneath a dripper does not tell you whether the problem is dirt, mineral deposits, biological growth or pressure. Find the cause before choosing a cleaning me…
Garden
Measure dripper output before changing the watering time
An irrigation timer measures minutes, not the litres delivered to each plant. A simple container test can show whether a line distributes water evenly and whether the lab…
Chicken
Poultry bedding: keep deep litter dry and workable
Bedding in a poultry house should give birds a dry, comfortable surface. A deep-litter approach needs regular observation, adequate ventilation and prompt correction of w…
Garden
Seedling grow lights: test whether you need them
Grow lights can help where seedlings lack suitable daylight, but they also use electricity and create equipment costs. First decide which problem you are solving. A prote…
Garden
Rainwater tanks: compare roof yield with actual demand
A large tank is only useful if enough water reaches it and the stored water serves a clear purpose. Start with roof area, rainfall, losses and demand. These simple quanti…
Infrastructure
A cucumber trellis for a small growing space
A trellis can move a cucumber crop upward, make fruit easier to find and reduce contact with soil. It also catches wind and needs regular training. Design something you c…
Garden
Frost covers: a simple evening and morning routine
A frost cover works best as part of a routine: watch the forecast, cover vulnerable plants before the coldest period, secure the edges and check conditions again in the m…
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