What is the Peace Corps Paraguay Seed Bank?

The objectives of the Seed Bank are:
1. To provide Paraguayans access to non-hybrid seeds (of green manures, trees, garden & field crops, etc.) that they cannot otherwise afford or find locally;
2. To promote sustainability through seed-saving;
3. To operate sustainably by making loans of seed (at 10% interest rate) through Peace Corps Volunteers; and
4. To ultimately help seed other local and regional seed banks throughout Paraguay.

Seed Bank Blog Information

How do PCVs & Chokokuekuera contribute to this blog?
- Anyone wishing to share experiences or information may send the author of this blog the content they wish to have posted. Please send photos along with your content. The email address to send your posts to is: seedbankpcpy@gmail.com

How is blog intended to help those interested?
- This blog is intended to be a resource for everyone planting and seed saving around Paraguay. The seed bank committee will also use blog gather information helpful to its continued success and the success of its members.

What are the key areas and goals of this blog?
1. Communication and Information Sharing
2. Information Gathering
3. Providing Resources and Useful Links
4. A Guide to Seed Saving as a Part of a Sustainable Livelihood System

Saturday, January 31, 2009

Making friends with IFN: Easy Treezy!

Amanda Fuller
G19 Environmental Education

The Instituto Forestal Nacional (ex-SFN, Servicio Forestal Nacional) has their central office and vivero in San Lorenzo. But you don’t have to go there if you want tree seedlings! You can get up to 300 free tree seedlings, natives or non-natives, from one of their local offices in the following towns:

All departmental capitals (except Ñeembucú);
In 2o Dept. San Pedro, there are 2 offices, in Santani and Santa Rosa;
In 5 o Dept. Caaguazú, there are 2 offices in Caaguazú and Coronel Oviedo; and
There are also 2 offices in Canindeyú. Wherever that is.

What you do:
- Write a letter asking for trees for arborización. The IFN expressly does not make donations for reforestations, because that’s a lot of trees. The trees they donate are for your schools, streets, canchas, puestos de salud, capillas, wherever you and your peeps need a little shade.
- You can ask for natives or non-natives, but you can’t ask for all the same kind of tree. Give them a list of several species you’d like to have. If you don’t know, check the new & improved Los Árboles Más Utilizados for some ideas! It’ll be on SharePoint en seguida and in the hot little hands of the G28 Environmental Sector.
- Visit your local office, smile and shake hands and drop off your pedido. Best hours to visit are in the morning, on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
- Come back in a week or more to get your trees. The nice fellow in Santani told me they are open half a day Friday, and then go to Asunción to get whatever trees they need, and then are in the central office Monday and back in the Santani office Tuesday.

Don’t forget the compost!
The staff at the IFN offices may also provide asistencia técnica, and may be willing to come out to your community to do charlas and whatnot. They might charge you for it, however. (Sin comentario).

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