Documentation of medicinal plants
The collective learning workshop has also motivated the research farmers to document the
medicinal plants existing in the community surroundings based on their perceived and
indigenous knowledge. Farmers have agreed to document their perceived knowledge on
medicinal plants of each site (with detailed descriptors of each species along with the
illustrative sketches of the plant species and the parts used for specific purposes), collect
and compile it from all four sites and publish it with support from the project. This activity is
going to be included in the forthcoming annual activity plan of the project.
Disseminating materials
Poems (reflecting the importance of home gardens during the exposure visit) and devotional
songs (Bhajan) were a means to disseminate the message to other participants during
exposure visit. Such initiatives have been taken by LI-BIRD by publishing it in the calendar of
LI-BIRD (B.S. 2061).
CONCLUSION
The farmers' exchange visit was organized with an objective to provide farmers exposures to
diverse home gardens and an opportunity to share with and learn from each other. The
collective learning and sharing approach has been very effective and instrumental in
highlighting the significance and importance of the concept and the value of home garden.
The exchange visit provided an opportunity for research farmers to interact and exchange
knowledge, skills and materials with each other. It has also provided an avenue for farmers
to learn innovative practices. The early impact of the exchange visit clearly demonstrates
that farmers have started to diversify and systematize their home garden system. Home
gardens used to be considered a less important part of farming system from a direct
economic contribution point of view. This concept has been changed after the FTLW, and
home gardens are now considered an important source of economic returns and a major
source of dietary diversity and food security.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We would like to thank the research farmers of home garden project for their active
participation during Travelling and Learning Workshops. We especially thank the farmers of
Panchakanya, Ilam for managing and organizing the interaction/sharing meeting and guiding
the participating farmers of Jhapa, Rupandehi and Gulmi. The staffs of Horticulture Farm,
Nawalpur and Kirtipur, ICIMOD’s demonstration and testing site, Godawari and Organic
Farm (AAA), Bhaktapur are indebted to for their valuable time and guidance during the visit.
We are thankful to Dr. Pratap Shrestha, ED of LI-BIRD, Mr. Bimal Raj Regmi and other
professional members of the home garden project for their kind and valuable input during the
entire process. Mr Shambhu Basnet, Mr. Balabhadra Poudel, Ms. Durga Gautam, Ms. Bhim
K Rai and Ms. Kunta Shrestha deserve special thanks for their support during the farmers
travelling and learning workshop.
The study is a part of global home garden project, which is coordinated by IPGRI, and the
financial support for the Nepal home garden project is provided by SDC. The authors are
highly thankful to both of the organisations. We are thankful to Mr. Sanjaya Gyawali for
providing his time and valuable inputs to improve the quality of the paper.
REFERENCES
Shrestha P.K. 2003. IPGRI. ICRA. Building Capacity in Multi-stakeholder Problem-solving
Approaches to the Management and use of Agro-bio diversity for Improved Livelihoods
of Rural People.