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Biological Agriculture is a type of intensive agricultural production which is based on the principals of sustainable use of natural resources in order to assure long-term soil productivity. Biological Agriculture promotes the development of farming activities which are ecologically sound, economically viable, and socially responsible. Historically, this form of agriculture has been practiced primarily by small and medium-scale farmers.
The following recipes below are used very frequently in the center:
Insect(s): Cricket (cuts vegetable stems during night/early morning)
Insecticide: Cuaba Soap
Effect: Respiratory Toxin
Preparation: � bar (about 2 inches long) of the soap is cut up finely or mashed to be
dissolved in 1 gallon of water and left for 24 hours. After 24 hours, the mixture will
be well dissolved and can be applied directly into the hole where the cricket has bored
during the night. Enough of the mixture can be poured into the hole to fill it before
filtering down through the soil. Within seconds the cricket will emerge from the hole
and quickly die.
Insect(s): Plutela, Falsa Medidor
Insecticide: Table salt
Effect: Dehydrator
Preparation: 2 ounces of salt are dissolved in 1 gallon of water and left
for 24 hours before use. Mixture is applied directly to the affected parts of the plant
by sprinkling the salt water or by using a misting bottle. This method should be used
cautiously as the salt can accumulate in the soil and affect the soil chemistry and general
fertility. It is recommended that this method only be used 3 times per year in the same
bed/area.
Anyone is welcome to visit the center and Rio Limpio. In the link found on this website titled CONTACT US, directions can be found to the center from various points within the D.R. If possible, we suggest that you contact us at least one week before your visit if you are interested in eating and/or spending the night in the center. If you only plan to come for the day, we suggest that you arrive in the morning hours to take advantage of the most intense work hours of the day.
If you plan to make a visit directly to the center, donations at the center are always welcome upon your visit. To learn more about the current funding of the center and how you can directly fund the education programs of the center, see the link on this site entitled �center funding�. Historically, the youth studying in the High-School Level Agronomy Program have been supported through scholarships from foreign and domestic institutions. The current opportunities for supporting scholarships for the youth are described in the above mentioned link.�
If you are a high-school level student in the Dominican Republic and are interested in spending the final two years of your high-school education in CREAR, see the link entitled �student application�. Technical courses, which include food and lodging in the center, can be arranged for government and non-government institutions and associations within the D.R. These courses can cover any of the methods taught in the center, including: intensive horticulture, traditional field crops, animal husbandry, soil conservation, agroforestry, and compost production. CREAR is currently looking into the possibility of hosting groups from foreign education centers interested in sustainable agriculture in developing countries. Please contact Evan Fitzgerald.
Most of the organic agricultural products produced in the center are consumed by the staff and students when classes are in session. However, there are two areas of the farm which maintain sales throughout the different seasons of the year: organic coffee and organic vegetables. Harvest of the organic coffee produced on the farm takes place during the months of October through December and is sold through a domestic not-for-profit organization working in the marketing of organic coffee. Organic vegetables produced on the farm are sold as requested when available, and large sales take place in the center on Christmas Eve day and during Easter which supply the people of Rio Limpio which their vegetables to make fresh salads, etc.