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Sustainable Environmental Livelihoods Farm, Fiji

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Commenced:	01/06/2008
Submitted:	07/12/2013
Last updated:	07/10/2015
Location:	Km 20 Sigatoka Valley Road (PO box 1368 Sigatoka), Sigatoka , FJ
Phone:	(679) 938-6437
Website:	www.facebook.com/teiteifarmstay
Climate zone:	Wet/Dry Tropical

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Sustainable Environmental Livelihoods Farm, Fiji

Sigatoka , FJ

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Terracing Steep Land Using Horses and Bullocks.

Project: Sustainable Environmental Livelihoods Farm, Fiji

Posted by Austin Bowden-Kerby almost 11 years ago

In Fiji I learned from an old Indofijian farmer how to terrace the Land- with a wonderful outcome! And without any machines.

The secret to this method is to plow along the contours of the hill in ONE direction, and to throw the soil downhill- that means plowing left to right when facing uphill. The plow is dragged on its side to the starting position each time. The first plowing forms a sill that catches the second, third, and forth plowings and it forms a steep embankment. The last several passes with the plow form the nearly flat terrace... about 1.5-2 meters wide, which is finished off by hand with hoes. We complete the terraces by shovel, cutting away some more at the uphill side and digging a trench to catch runoff and any soil that is being carried with it. This forms a swale that encourages the watr to be absorbed by the ground- and it prevents heavy rains from running too quickly off, adding needed moisture to steep hillsides. The terraces in effect become self-watering- AND they will last for generations!

Comments (2)

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Greg Stahl : Looks great Austin. I'll have to come take a look when I'm there in March '14, as we have hillsides on our coastal property that I want to terrace.

Posted almost 11 years ago

Austin Bowden-Kerby : Looking forward to it Greg! That would be super.

Posted almost 11 years ago

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