The Answer Is Moringa

INTENSIVE CULTIVATION OF MORINGA OLEIFERA

HUMAN AND LIVESTOCK NUTRITION

By: Lowell J. Fuglie Illustrated by: Caroline Olivier

Select a site for the garden and protect it with a fence (Jatropha curcas or Acacia laeta can be used to make a live fence).

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Measure the plots 1.5 meters wide (plot length depends on the garden’s size).

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Work the ground in the plots to a depth of 30cm and add manure to the soil.

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Soak the seeds in water overnight, the day before planting them.

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Trace the planting lines 15cm apart and plant the seeds at intervals of 15cm.

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Water the seedlings once a day. If manual watering is not possible, plant the seeds at the beginning of the rainy season so as to have at least two harvests.

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Harvest the plants when they reach a height of 1m, cutting the stems leaving stumps 30cm high. These stumps will produce new shoots, permitting another harvest in 2 months. If the tree’s leaves start to turn yellow, add manure or compost to the soil.

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Bring the harvest directly from the garden to the house, avoiding the leaves’ contact with sunlight which destroys some of the vitamins contained in them.

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Strip the leaves from the stems and wash them in clean water.

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Chop the twigs and stems into pieces, 10cm or less in length.

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Feed the chopped stems to cattle, sheep and goats. With the addition of Moringa in their feed, livestock fatten more rapidly.

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Spread the leaves to dry out of the sun, preferably indoors. Keep the leaves separated.

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In two or three days the leaves will be dry. Pound them into a powder by using a clean mortar and pestle.

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Store the powder in a well-sealed plastic container.

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To improve the health of weaning-age children, add a spoonful of powder to each meal.

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To improve the health of the entire family, add some powder to each meal or use the powder to make a sauce.

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Recipe for Moringa leaf powder...