“When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe.” – John Muir, 1911

Agriculture

The Village will be supplied mainly through the labor of the national brotherhood in the field of agriculture. From grains such as corn and beans to vegetables and herbs to give flavor and nutritional value. One ministry that has influenced us is Farming God's Way. They have demonstrated excellent results in areas that are normally extremely unproductive in Africa. The majority of the truly poor are subsistence farmers who have not found a seat at the table of commerce. In order for The Village to have supplies year round storage of grains, canning of vegetables and such will be a challenge that must be overcome.

Aquaponics

Aquaponics is a mixture of aquaculture and agriculture. Water tanks hold Tilapia which can be fed by ground duckweed that grows rapidly on the surface of the water. The “dirty” water from the fish is then sump pumped into gravel beds that have planted vegetables and herbs growing in them. The gravel beds then filter the water and is returned clean back to the Tilapia tanks. It is said that in an area of 10'x20' that enough meat and produce can be raised to feed a family of four. Very little water is wasted. There is a lot of information on this subject that can be obtained at Faith and Sustainable Technologies, Aquaculture International, and AI's Video page.

Chickens and Eggs

Another use for duckweed grown in water vats is to feed chickens. Duckweed is very nutritious and produces nice healthy eggs. Meat of course is the main reason for raising chickens yet there is one more unexpected benefit. Chicken manure is an excellent source of producing methane and once the methane has been extracted the compost can be placed on crops.

Methane Gas

Waste both human and chicken in our case is cycled through methane digesters to produce fuel for stoves and power generators. It is actually a lot more simple than it sounds. The Village Global will post the details on all these projects as we progress.

Conclusion

The majority of the inhabitants of planet earth are oblivious to the idea of sharing the totality of their lives and possessions with others. If the first become last and the greatest least then we have a system that is free from exploitation as far as the church is concerned. The Village is sustained by a love for one another therefore we lay down our lives for our friends (Jn.15:13).

“'See', they say, 'how they love one another', for themselves are animated by mutual hatred; 'how they are ready even to die for one another', for they themselves will sooner be put to death.” – Tertullian A.D. 200