Technical Series

Technical Manual No. 89

COLLECTION
PCC
FIELD
SCHOOLS 1

Agroforestry
Farm Planning:
Manual for farming families
Eduardo Somarriba
Francisco Quesada

Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE)

Turrialba, Costa Rica
September 2009
Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE) is a regional center dedicated to
research and postgraduate education in agriculture, management, conservation and sustainable use
of natural resources. Its members are the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture
(IICA), Belize, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, the Salvador, Guatemala,
Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Venezuela and Spain.

631.58
S693p Somarriba, Eduardo
Agroforestry farm planning: Manual for farming families
/ Eduardo Somarriba and Francisco Quesada. – 1ª ed. – Turrialba, C.R. :
CATIE, 2009.
52 p. – (Technical Series. Technical Manual/ CATIE ; no. 89 )

ISBN 978-9977-57-488-2

1. Agroforestry – Farm Planning

2. Agroforestry – Resource Conservation. 3. Farm Planning –
Teaching Material I. Quesada, Francisco II. CATIE III. Title IV. Series.

Credits:

Authors: Eduardo Somarriba Chavez

Francisco Quesada Chaverri

Editing: Unidad de Comunicación

Illustration,
design and arts: Alexander Corrales Mora

Coordination: Shirley Orozco Estrada

This manual has been prepared with the aim of providing support material for education and
information purposes on agroforestry planning on farms. It was financed by the CATIE Project
Competitiveness and Environment in Cacao Producing Territories of Central America (Central
American Cacao Project).
 Hello everyone. We are all farmers
It’s very nice to see you at with many years of experience.
this meeting. We all have some knowledge to
contribute, so don’t be shy and
let’s all participate!
Today we’re going to
talk about some
interesting things.

What are we
going to talk about
today?

Today’s topic is
planning agroforestry
systems. Ha Ha Ha!
It’s about learning
What systems? a new way to manage our
What’s that all farms, to make good decisions
about? to improve them.

Field Schools Collection № 1. - 3

 In Agroforestry
planning we pay a lot
of attention to the use and And perennial
vines and
management of trees, shrubs, They aren’t like means they live for a
giant grasses like the
palms, rice or corn which produce a long time.
bamboo we have on
harvest, then die and have to
the farm.
be re-planted. Are they?

We call all
That’s right!
these plants Today we
woody have some
perennials. visitors who aren’t
I would like
farmers.
to introduce you to
Carlos, who lives in
Woody comes the city..
from wood and is any
trunk, branch or vine that
produces wood.

I suggest
Hello everyone. we start
I’m not a farmer but I work with Let’s see...
with the basics. Let’s establish what we
an organization that supports
farmers. mean by a farm and explain
Today’s topic what makes it different from
As a part of my revolves around other businesses or human
job I have to visit farms. farms. activities.

It would be
a good idea if we
all could agree on
what we understand
by a farm.

I think a farm is a
business that makes use of
the land for agriculture,
environmental conservation
or for recreation.

4
 That’s a good definition, And livestock
but it would be good to explain it with not only includes cattle; but
more retail. also pigs, goats, birds and
even fish.
Mmm… For
instance let’s remember that
agriculture isn’t just crops, it’s
also livestock.

Did you know that in

China they plant a tree called a
White Mulberry and they use the
leaves to raise silkworms? I’d be willing to go
If you do
to China just to feast on
go, don’t forget to
silkworms!
That’s also bring me a nice silk
a type of shirt!
livestock.

Carlos is talking about

What’s all that preserving forests, rivers and other
about environmental water sources,
conservation?
the purity of
the air and the fertility
of the soil.

And the variety Biodiversity

of plants and animals on is the variety of plants
the farm and its and animals that live in
surroundings, in other a place.
words its biodiversity.

Field Schools Collection № 1. - 5

 Yes, that’s
right, José!
Bio comes from Now let’s
life and diversity means describe the things we
variety. Am I right? see on a farm.

On a farm we
find many types of parcels
or plots,

there may be there may be And sheds

parcels with annual crops or parcels with pastures or where farm tools
with perennial crops, plots infrastructure such as houses, and machinery are
with woods or with fallow lands, paddocks for livestock and to kept.
store crops.

fences that
As well as separate some plots from
Well… By fallow
plots of land, we others and also property
Did you say land we mean a plot of land that
can also find internal lines or boundaries that
fallow land? What does that the farmer cultivated, and then left
roads or paths, separate the farm from the
mean? to rest so that the soil could
neighboring farms.
regain its fertility.

Sometimes
there are water There may also be parts
sources and natural or of the farm that are have sand, swamps,
man made lakes. stones, rock walls, caves and even cliffs
where one can’t grow anything or let
We mustn’t livestock graze.
forget that on some farms
there are rivers and
streams with vegetation
on the banks.

The
vegetation along both
banks of a river or
stream is called a
gallery forest.
6
 Some of parcels of
land, such as the cacao plantation
and the dairy, are used for production,
while others are used for Fallow lands
environmental conservation. allow the soil to recover
its fertility.

Let’s look at
another aspect of the farm:
the human aspect.
some of the workers may
On a farm
there are people who live
there, such as the farmer
and his family.
On big farms
also live on the farm. On every farm there
are people who make decisions.
Often it’s the farmer and his family.
In other cases
the owners hire an
administrator or a manager
to run the farm. Of course -
because on a farm, just
like any other business,
The person decisions must be made
in charge of a farm or in order to achieve
business is called a certain goals.
manager.

Today we’re
That’s
going to learn a method of
right Jose. For
planning our farms. You do
example, the
Going know what planning
manager might To make
back to our main means…right?
say: plans, get organized
topic, and think about what
we are going to do
Our goal ahead of time!
for this year is to
produce at least
10,000 kilos of
cacao on this
farm.

Field Schools Collection № 1. - 7

 Very good
On my farm, for example,
Jose!
one of my plans it to improve half of my
cacao trees with good grafts.
A farm works well
if the farmer and his family plan
how to manage it instead of
improvising everything.

My plan is to That’s
My plan is to take
plant more fruit trees what I keep
advantage of Carmen’s fruit trees
along the inner People telling my My
to make a good nest and have fresh
fences. who plan their children! mother always
fruit for breakfast every morning.
activities do used to say that
better in life. it’s better to plan
that to
improvise.

But we want to I would like you to

teach you a method of notice that the word agroforestry is
planning on farms two words joined together:
Agro, which
refers to agriculture and
forestry, which refers to trees
based on or to the forest.
something known as
agroforestry.

So agroforestry
means something like Yes, Gerardo,
agriculture with trees or you’re on the right track.
forests with agriculture.
Agroforestry is
the management of woody
perennial plants and trees on
the different plots of lands
on the farm.

8
 Woody Because they
perennials can be are found everywhere,
on pasturelands,
found throughout the woody perennials open
along the edge of the farm,
farm. We find them on up a world of
on the inner paths and in
the plots containing opportunities.
gallery forests, patios and
perennial and annual market gardens,
crops,
on fallow lands
and in the forest.

Woody Goods are

plants provide us things you can touch, like
Of fruit and other food,
course! with a great variety
of goods and Let’s clarify the
services. difference between goods or forage for
and services. livestock, wood and other
building materials, poles for
fences, firewood, medicinal
substances,

materials for
making handicrafts to sell,
of for one’s home.

I still think
we could name
more goods
provided by woody Services, on
plants: the other hand, are
intangible benefits that
You can make the farmer can obtain
syrup out of the sap of from trees but that aren’t
some types of trees and material objects.
you can also get industrial
substances,

and even natural

rubber, which can be used for
tires, boots and other things.

and
they can
even be part
For instance, of our cultural
shade for some crops that need rituals.
it and for houses, and to make the
landscape look nicer,

to improve the
soil, for protection against
the wind, shelter for birds and
other animals

Field Schools Collection № 1. - 9

 Interaction between woody plants, For example
guava trees on the cacao
crops and animals on the plot. plantation give shade to
the cacao trees.

Woody plants The trees on the

on a plot of land affect edge of the pond
the crops and animals drop fruit that provides food
that live nearby. for fishes and their shade
keeps the water cooler.

The effects
between woody
perennials and crops are
called interactions. The word
comes from inter, which means Interaction is
between and action which as something that happens between
you all know means to do two things. These things can be two
something. people having a conversation and
exchanging information, or they can
be a woody plant and the crops on
a plot of land.

Excellent,
Maria!
That’s why
The interactions
the farmer needs to
in which woody plants are
manage them
involved don’t always have good
properly.
effects, sometimes they can
have bad effects. If an interaction is
good, the farmer takes
advantage of it; if it’s bad the
farmer stops it or tries to reduce
it as much as possible.

However, if there
Let’s use the is too much shade or if there
example of guava isn’t enough shade the
trees on the cacao interaction will be bad
plantation. for the cacao tree.

If there is the right

amount of shade, the interaction
between the guava trees and the
cacao trees is good for the
cacao tree.

10
 Thank you On my farm
Carmen, I’m going to there are some guava trees
give you another On my farm next to the pastures. These
example. there’s a row of trees next trees produce fruit that can feed
to the plot of land where I the cows - a favorable
have crops. interaction between the guava
This row of trees tree and the cattle
is called a windbreak – it
stops the wind and keeps it
from damaging the crops.

The cattle disperse

the guava seeds with their As long as
manure, encouraging the guava you don’t put fertilizer Fertilizer
trees to reproduce on the I also on your head everything on my head
pastures. disperse seeds will be fine.
and fertilize the
soil. What a
good joke!

My cousin Tobias My cousin dealt

had to close off a parcel of with this bad interaction by
land where he’d planted pine closing off the plot of land with the
trees because the cows would pine trees so the cattle couldn’t
tread on the young pine come in until the trees were
saplings. bigger.

And sometimes
the cows would come and
scratch themselves on the
young pine trees and would
break the branches or knock
the trees over.

That’s true; the

most important interactions
Here in my on a cacao plantation aren’t the
notes I saw that same as those that occur in the
interactions vary according forage hedges on pasturelands
to which plot of land the or the windbreaks in a
woody plants are on. plantain grove.

Field Schools Collection № 1. - 11

 In fact, on the cacao in hedges on
plantation the most important interaction is pasturelands the most important
between the cacao trees and the other trees interaction is to control the
that provide shade for them, movement of livestock and to while in the
provide forage, plantain grove the most
important interaction is to
stop the wind.

That’s
right!
Pay a lot of
attention to the next The main
thing I’m going to purpose of agroforestry
say. systems is to help farmers
effectively manage the Would
interaction between woody plants anyone like to
and the crops and animals on repeat that?
different plots of land on the
farm.

The main
purpose of agroforestry What
systems is to help farmers did you think
effectively manage the of that?
interaction between woody
plants and the crops and Grade
animals on different plots of zero.
land on the farm.

Well, let’s
continue. We’ve already If we put these
discussed the meaning of three words together we get the
these three words: topic of today’s meeting, planning
planning, agroforestry agroforestry on farms.
and farm.
See how
easy that is?

12
 Don’t think that
there aren’t any other ways Listen
of planning farms. We have chosen everyone, I think this
agroforestry systems because “Afro forestry” thing is
many of us don’t take full advantage great.
of the woody perennials we have
on the farm.
And that means
that we lose a great No one’s
opportunity to improve the talking about African
farm’s production, to increase forests!
it’s value and to contribute to
the conservation of the They’re
environment. talking about
agroforestry.

This parrot
can’t get
tanything right!

Could you Gladly, We’ve already

explain a bit more about Miriam. looked at an example of how one
the three main advantages can increase production on cacao
of agroforestry? plantations by properly managing
Increase production, the shade.
increase the value of the farm and Let me give
conserve the environment. you another example.

If you plant forage trees in

the hedges to feed the cattle, you would
increase milk production.

Field Schools Collection № 1. - 13

 That’s right Of course! On
Cecilia. Now let me explain the outer boundaries of
about a farm’s value. the farm and on the inner
paths one could plant
Look at that other farm, laurel, oak and
over there. It belongs to Rafael and Teresa. mahogany trees. Each tree is
That farm has very few trees and is almost worth a lot of
completely planted with shade-less bananas. money.

You could
plant trees that Imagine how
produce wood in some much that farm would
parts of the banana be worth when those
plantation without trees grow.
reducing the production
of bananas.

Good We must
heavens! I can see that Jose is also conserve
becoming quite an expert on this animal life.
topic. But leave the topic of
conservation to me. Sometimes We complain because
we see how the rain washes we hardly see any monkeys, parrots,
away the soil. We see currents agoutis or peccaries any more, but we
of muddy water but we do don’t do anything to conserve
nothing. biodiversity.

For example,
that gallery forest on either
side of the river – why do you
think it’s so important for
conservation on farms?

If we
manage our farm based
on the principles of That’s what
agroforestry, then we conservation is all
prevent soil erosion. about!.

14
 Look, in the
gallery forest you find
animals that live in water, like
crabs, fish and freshwater
shrimp, along with,
animals that live on
land and in the trees, like agoutis,
armadillos, sloths, monkeys,
iguanas and snakes.

You also
find birds and
rodents passing
through in search
of food.

Gallery
forests also serve as
biological corridors,
connecting the cultivated
parcels with the forest Nowadays, with so Speaking of
parcels on the farm and many roads and deforestation, mating, are you
with the protected there’s not much space left for the planning to go to the
areas. animals to move from one place to dance this evening?
another for feeding or mating. The Toucans will be
there!

Well, you
Let’s
should know that we The man
continue,
were invited. is talking about
where were
the band called
we? Ah yes And is
The Toucans,
don’t you agroforestry planning
understand? just for small farms
like ours?

No,
agroforestry planning
is applicable to small,
medium and large
farms.

Field Schools Collection № 1. - 15

 Agroforestry planning on farms

Good, now that

we’ve seen what agroforestry
planning on farms is all about,
we’ll discuss how it’s done.

16
First stage: Agroforestry
planning on farms is done in
Farm two stages.
assessment The first is the farm
assessment or diagnosis and the
second is the search for solutions
to improve it.

Do you know
what the word
diagnosis means?

Of course! It’s what

the doctor does when he Sometimes
examines a patient. He takes the patient’s a doctor will even
blood pressure, tells him to open his order tests.
mouth and stick out his tongue in order to
examine his throat. Then the doctor puts a
thermometer in to see if he has a fever.
And he weights and measures him.

After all these

observations and examinations, the
doctor makes a diagnosis or And he says
assessment of the patient. what is right and
what is wrong with
his health.

A diagnosis can
also be made of a farm. In
other words, we can examine That’s why we
our farms to find out what are going to divide the
diagnosis or assessment 1. Biophysical.
state they’re in. 2. Agroforestry.
into three parts
3. Social and
economic.

There are many

things to observe and analyze on
a farm to determine its state of
health.

Field Schools Collection № 1. - 17

 Biophysical assessment A biophysical
assessment involves describing
the parcels on the farm, how they are
used, which crops are grown, how
I’ll begin by This is so-called much each parcel measures and any
explaining the because it includes a biological special features of the land or the
biophysical description, which has to do with human climate there..
assessment. beings, animals and plants,

and the
physical, which refers
to the characteristics of For example,
the land and the if the land is very
climate. sloping, if the soil is good
or poor, if it floods when it
rains a lot, if it is a windy
site or has a very
clayey soil.

To give you an
example, a biophysical and so on… we But in addition to the
assessment of my farm continue to describe all the parcels on farms, we also have
might begin like this: rest of the parcels. Do you what we farmers call rows and
understand? agroforestry experts call lines.
My farm measures a
total of 15 hectares and includes a fairly
flat banana plantation measuring half a Examples of lines
hectare, 3 hectares of cacao with shade are the property lines, internal
trees of various species… roads and divisions, gallery
forests, windbreaks and everything
that would be represented on a
map with lines.

When the lines

have trees planted in them,
they are called linear For example,
plantations. the row of orange
trees at the edge of that
internal road is a linear
plantation. A row of trees
in a windbreak is also a
linear plantation.

18
 To carry out a As an example,
Draw this
good biophysical we’ll do an assessment of which
map along with your
assessment, you must the farm that we’re going to belongs to Gerardo
family, taking care to
begin by making a drawing visit today, and Miriam,.
include all the parcels
of the farm, in other words,
and all the lines on
a hand-drawn map. I asked you to
the farm.
draw a map of the farm.
Did you do it?

Of
course, Alberto!
Here it is.

Thank
you. Come closer
and take a look at This farm
the map. covers an area
of 8 hectares and
contains the
following
parcels:

Two hectares of cacao with shade.

One hectare of organic banana with
shade.
One and a half hectares of plantain
without shade at the edge of the river.
One hectare of forest reserve in this
steep area that is very difficult to
cultivate.
One hectare of forest on the river banks
and a quarter of a hectare of kitchen
garden.
What is
there in this part,
Gerardo?
Field Schools Collection № 1. - 19
 It’s a small plot Yucca, very This farm is more
of yucca. It measures about good. Those are the or less 400 meters long by 200
half a hectare. Write yucca parcels. Now let’s see meters wide. The property lines,
there; we forgot to write it the lines. alone, which separate it from
down. neighboring farms, measure
1.200 meters.

To this we must add

around 300 meters of main
pathway and 200 meters secondary
paths, with plantations on both sides,
we already have plus 100 meters of windbreak next
2,300 meters. We still need to add to the banana plantation
200 meters of gallery forest on each
river bank; that gives us a total of
2,700 meters in linear plantations.

Gerardo
can tell us what
plants grow in
the lines.

Yes. On the
property lines we
have poro, madero
negro and some
guavas from natural
regeneration.

Along the main

internal pathway or road there
are oranges, poró and some
other trees.

Oh, and
the windbreak is
We have planted with teak
conserved a 15 meterwide strip There are native trees.
of gallery forest on each side of trees such as casha, virola, pilon,
the river. gavilan and about 30 other
species, many of whose names I
don’t know.
20
 Let’s continue.
1) Let‛s mak
Before moving on to the e a map of th
indicate the e farm
agroforestry plots and lines where we clearly
assessment, .
let’s 2) Let‛s not
forget to incl
summarize the most such as: ude special si
tes on the m
important points of the
• Areas with ap
biophysical assessment. steep slopes
• Rivers or cr .
I’ll put them in this eeks and natu
chart. as the ditch ral draining ar
we saw near eas such
plantation dra where the b
ins. an an a
• Low produc
tivity areas
sandy or rock such as swam
y areas. ps, cliffs,
• Noticeable
variations of
• Highly erod the soils.
ed areas.
• Areas expo
sed to high w
inds.
3) We also re
commended:
• Reconstruct
ion of the la
where there nd use record
are many tim s, especially
• Listing the ber trees.
farm‛s main
and limitatio opportunitie
ns. s

Field Schools Collection № 1. - 21

 Gladly, Carmen.
For example, on this farm, I
see you have quite a lot of flat
areas; this is a good
Maria, opportunity, as you can plant
could you give me several kinds of crops
an example of the
last point of the
chart? without the
problems of soil
erosion that you get
in sloping areas.

The farm has

good soil and is next to
a forest reserve, which
helps to protect the
biodiversity.

Of course,
but it’s also true that
you get squirrels and
birds that eat the cacao
and bananas grown on
the farm.

As to
We must
drawbacks, I think the
all feed our
main one is that it is far
families. You still can’t get
from the main road to
the city. a motor vehicle in here. The
crops must be taken out on
foot or with oxen.

22
Agroforestry assessment Let’s move on to
the agroforestry assessment.
We’ve looked at how many parcels
and linear plantations there are on
the farm and the number of
hectares and linear meters for
each one.

Yes, and
we’ve also noted
Now we will
down the Let’s go
look at the perennial woody
opportunities and Maria!
plants in more detail present
limitations of each
on each parcel and line of
parcel and line.
the farm.

1.Which species of woody perennials grow in

Let’s see the parcel or line?
now... For each parcel
and linear plantation we 2. How many plants of each woody perennial
must answer the following species are there in the parcel or line?
four questions:
3.Which goods or services does the farmer
obtain from these woody plants in the parcel or
line?

4.Which other favorable or unfavorable

interactions do these woody perennials have
with other crops or animals in the parcel or line?

We must prepare
a census of the woody
This is similar to perennials on the farm,
the census done by the describing where they are, what goods and
government to find out how they are and how many there services they provide and how
many people there are in the are, the kind of, they interact with other plants or
country, where they live and
animals in each parcel and
what they do.
linear plantation. Right?

Field Schools Collection № 1. - 23

 I’ll start, if you’ll Here in these 2
allow, but I would ask Gerardo hectares of cacao there are
and Miriam to help me with the 100 laurels, 50 pejibayes, 30
number of woody plants. Here guabas, 10 avocados, 5 cola
we go. de pava and 5 ojoches.

The cacao In total we

plantation is shaded by counted around 200
laurel, pejibaye and guava shade trees yesterday.
trees, with a few avocado
No trees, cola de pava and
more, no ojoche.
less!

In addition to The pejibaye

shade, those trees provides fruit that can be
provide several goods sold and is also used to
and services. The laurel feed the whole family and Pigs love
provides timber, the domestic animals. pejibayes.
while guava and
avocado trees
produce fruits to
eat.

Ojoche trees
produce a fruit that birds
In the banana Yes, there
and other forest animals
The green leaves plantation there is also laurel, are 20 laurel trees
like very much.
are also a great fodder for though there are fewer trees in this hectare of
cattle. Cola de pava provides than in the cacao grove. bananas.
good firewood and its fruits
also attract birds. You couldn’t
have any more because
there would be too much
shade and the banana
trees would produce
less.

24
 The gallery And in the forest
forest contains several there is almendro de
native species; as I said montaña, manú, casha, laurel,
before, I don’t know the oak and many other species I can obtain
names of many of them. of trees and plants. sawn wood for planks
and roundwood for
supporting beams.

There is
also chonta for floors
and walls, suita for
roofing and bejuco del
hombre to make rope
and baskets.

Let’s see,
what else? Help
me a little,
Miriam.

There are It’s excellent for

medicinal plants such getting rid of hangovers the day
as hombre grande, very after a party and to get you in
good for your blood shape to go back to work!
pressure

and for
stomach ailments.

From the forest

we also get indio desnudo,
which is good for skin
ailments, But I’m not
going back to the
Look at the
wild ginger doctors in the city,
swelling on my foot –
for the kidneys and because they told me that
it won’t go away What do you
many other plants. the only solution was to
chop it off!. think, Dr. Cure-all,
they’re wrong aren’t
they?

Herbalists
and healers use
medicines collected
from the forest.

Field Schools Collection № 1. - 25

 Of course they’re
wrong; no need to chop off
your foot! With just a couple of Let’s
herbs that I’m going to continue with the
prescribe it will drop off by linear plantations.
itself, without any pain.

That windbreak
over there, beside the
plantain, prevents the wind
from knocking over the
plantain trees.

How many
teak trees are there
in the windbreak,
I planted the Gerardo?
teak trees two and a
half meters apart, and
as the windbreak is 100
meters long, there are
40 trees.

After thinning out,

about25 trees will be left. Teak is a
highly prized wood and people will
pay good prices for it.

Thank you, But for reasons

Maria. The count of woody of time, today we’re not
Excuse me, going to count the woody
plants in the lines is done in
remember that thinning plants in all the lines or in the
the way that Gerardo
out means to cut down some forests on this farm.
explained.
trees to open up space and
allow the remaining trees to
grow stronger and more
quickly.

26
 In the property
lines we have madero
negro, poro and some
guava trees.
The first provides
timber, the second improves the
soil and the guavas are eaten by
birds, pigs and other animals.
I use
guavas to make
marmalade.
Then we have
the woody plants in the
kitchen garden, where Miriam
has planted mango, avocado,
oranges, lemons, cas, star
fruit, grapefruit and bay,
which is a medicinal tree.
Corteza amarillo
trees make the farm and the
landscape look beautiful. The
soursops and oranges are to eat
and to sell..
The indio desnudo
provides shade and the bark is
used to used to cure skin
ailments. The poró fertilizes the
soil and the leaves make good
forage for cattle.
In the internal
pathways there are many
fruit trees, several types of
citrus trees, guavas, some
soursops, poró trees, indio
desnudo and corteza amarillo
trees, which look so beautiful
when they bloom.
The woody
plants in the kitchen
garden adorn the patio,
provide the family with
food and medicines
and help to keep the
house cool.
And
something very
There are also important: without woody
bananas and several types plants there would be
of plantains – without nowhere to hang our
counting the spices and the hammocks.
ornamental and
medicinal plants.
Let’s continue.
The social assessment
helps you to understand
the family’s objectives and
its relations with its
social setting.
Field Schools Collection № 1. - 27
 Social and economic The social setting or
assessment context is the group of
organizations to which the farmer or
his family belongs, such as
cooperatives, associations or
What is support networks.
the social It also includes
setting? Government institutions,
churches, clubs and other
organizations with which the family
is involved, both in the local
community and beyond.

The economic for example, food or

assessment describes the
ways in which the farmer and
his family obtain their income,
either in the form of money
or of another type,
construction materials that are
obtained from the farm, so we don’t
need to buy them.

An economic
assessment describes the
costs or expenses of the
farm and the family.
Cecilia, it
would be good to have
a list of points to guide us
when we do the social
and economic
assessment.

I have
already
prepared a
list.

Great!

28
 Let’s illustrate Well, I’m 47
the first point by years old, I’m married to
looking at Gerardo and Miriam, who is 44. We
Miriam’s farm. Let’s see, have four children. Eliseo is
Gerardo, you begin 22 and is married
by describing your to Flory, who is 20,
family. and they have a
little boy who is 2
years old.

Eliseo and
Flory live and work
on the farm, but Flory
And our Then isn’t very involved in
youngest child, there‘s Hector who farming activities
Marquitos, is just five is 15 and Nubia, who because she has to
and hasn’t started is 13. They both go look after her son.
school yet. to school.

Flory’s
brother, Juan, also
lives in the house. He is
27 years old, single and We are
works with us on the farm. farmers and this is
And there’s also my father, the life we love. We’re not
who has just had his 82nd thinking of selling our farm
birthday but still helps us and going to live in the city.
a lot and gives us Instead, we’d like to make the
advice. farm work as efficiently as
What about possible and then leave it to
Point 2, the one our children,
about the family’s
objectives?
both to those
who want to continue
working it and those
who prefer another
type of work.

They will
have to make an
agreement among
themselves.

Field Schools Collection № 1. - 29

 Correct, the And Eliseo
Point 3: farm is ours – won’t move a finger
I believe this farm Miriam’s and mine. without first consulting And me too,
belongs to you, is Flory! even the youngsters
that right? ask for my advice and
I make most
of the decisions, but I approval!
always consult Miriam
and my son Eliseo.

Here we have a Other relatives

very typical example of a family are paid and receive
farm: the farmer or his wife own board and lodging.
the land, they work it and some
family members help them out by
providing their labor.

With this
information we are
also covering Point 4,
about decision-making
on the farm- who
takes decisions and
how.

Let’s look at
Point 5. Gerardo and
I like trees very I would like to
much. plant more timber trees but
Gerardo is not very keen,
because he says you have to
wait a long time before you
Look how can harvest the wood.
beautiful that huge
javillo is - it’s always
full of birds.

I love fruit
trees. I planted all
those citrus trees,
My father avocados and
doesn’t like trees soursop trees.
because he’s very
scared of lightning.

30
 I’m going to be I keep telling
90 soon and I’ve just Gerardo that laurel and
planted 1,000 laurel trees, cedar grow quickly, that timber
because with that wood, trees can serve as savings
in a few year’s time I accounts for our retirement in
want to build a little old age, or as capital for our
children. I’m not
house and get married
worried about how
again.
I’ve long it takes for the
already found a timber trees to grow. In
good match for any case, I’m not
you - a young thinking of leaving
man who is just this farm.
75! ha-ha.

My
children will
also live here.

Let’s
discuss My father is
Point 6: very hardworking
and gets up very early
every day, ready to
start work.
The
strengths and
weaknesses of the
family group, degree And my
of family union and mother is just as
knowledge and skills busy. She has real
of each family “green fingers” for
member. farming. Everything
she plants grows
really well.

My
father-in-law
Gerardo, is very
observant and
asks lots of
questions.

My husband,
Eliseo, is like his
father and is always Now he’s very
reading and trying enthused with the idea of
new things. organic agriculture.

Field Schools Collection № 1. - 31

 When there’s a Now tell
lot of work to do on the us about some
We are a of the family’s
farm, my brothers and
very closeknit weaknesses.
Gerardo’s brothers come over
family.
to help us and sometimes
we help them.

We work,
make some
money and have a
good time.

Well, I
have a small son
who hasn’t started
school yet, and that
prevents me from
leaving the house
to go to work.

It’s the same

for my daughter-in-law
Flory, who has a little girl
Let’s of 2 and is expecting
continue with Point another child.
7 on the list.

Here in this
community we and our
neighbors all help each
other a lot; we exchange
labor and lend each My cousin
other tools. Tobias has a small truck and
We we take our produce to
belong to the market together.
local farmers’
cooperative.

We lend
our chainsaw. We
all help each
other out.

We obtain
better prices there when
we buy fertilizers,
machetes, spades and
other tools.

32
 The village is only 2 Last year
Our farm kilometers from here, but when it we lost part of our
products have rains a lot there are landslides the yucca harvest
good access to roads get blocked and you can’t take because of that.
On the other
markets. the produce to the capital, where hand, one advantage of
the prices are better. our farm is that we don’t
suffer from flooding.

And who
gives the farmers
credit?

There are Now let’s look

loads of money lenders at Point 8 which refers to
around here, but I prefer the economic assessment.
the banks. This includes several
things.
Miriam and
Eliseo are trying to Let’s begin
convince me to ask for a with income, which may
loan to plant timber trees be of two types: money and
on the farm. goods and services
provided by the farm.

On our farm the

money for our daily food
comes from the sale of
plantain and bananas.

We sell the
plantain to
middlemen who visit Cacao produces
our village every two two harvests a year: a small
weeks and pay for it With that we harvest in June and the main
in cash. buy our food and cover harvest between October and
other family expenses such January. We prefer to sell it to the
as clothing, transport and cooperative rather than to
medicines. intermediaries.

Field Schools Collection № 1. - 33

 Pigs are a We also earn
great saving. We sell something from the sale of
them mid year and in fruit, particularly oranges,
December. soursops and pejibayes.

Generally
We’ve
we sell two pigs
also been
each season.
growing yucca for
two years and it’s
doing well.

They’re
doing really well.
They’re getting loads Stop this There’s plenty
of yucca out of that nonsense! Don’t of timber on the farm.
parcel. exaggerate and let Every two or three years we
people listen. cut down a couple of large
The man laurels to sell or to use on
takes sack-fulls the farm.
of yucca to
market.

I do some
sewing and make aprons,
table cloths and things like
that to sell. I earn a little
extra money that way.
I do a bit of
construction work and
some small jobs outside
the farm when people
call me, especially in
the local village.

Do you have
any relatives working
in the city who send
you money?

Not in our case, but

some families in this community
receive money sent monthly by Miriam,
their children who live in the city tell us what
or abroad. your farm
produces.

Certainly.
Our farm provides us
with a lot of food:-
bananas, plantains,
yucca, fruits, eggs and
poultry meat.
34
 We harvest
tomatoes, sweet peppers,
Now let’s
spices, medicinal plants Each week we have
look at the
and ornamentals from our to buy some products for the house
farm’s
kitchen garden. and the family, which the farm does
expenses.
not provide, such as salt, sugar,
Eliseo is coffee, cooking oil, soap, matches
building his house and other things.
with timber and
other materials
from the farm.

That’s
a big
saving. And there’s
also expenses like
clothing, buses or taxis
and school books and
Now let’s supplies for our
talk about the costs children.
of maintaining the
family and the farm. And we have
to buy medicines when
someone gets sick.

On the farm we
use wire for the fences, tools,
gasoline and oil for the chainsaw A lot of jobs on
and some medicines for the sick the farm and at home we do
animals. All those things must ourselves, with help from the
be bought. family, but at certain times of
the year we need to hire day
laborers.

Gerardo is
thinking of improving
the cacao with good Some we pay
grafts that will have to with money, others with
Seed for our be bought in a products from the farm or
crops is another expense- nursery. with labor.
either bought or taken
from the farm. Anything
else?

Field Schools Collection № 1. - 35

 And we That’s right, Maria.
must add the cost We hired Good. Now we just need to
of taking our Melquiades’ oxen for cover point 9. What about the
products to the transportation. future of the family and the
village. farm?
You don’t
have debts, but if you
did, you’d need to include
the monthly payments to
the bank in your
expenses.

Talking about the

future isn’t easy, because we
don’t always know what our
children will want to do.

But we
do have some
We were idea.
considering buying half the
farm belonging to our
neighbor Tencio, because
someone is interested in
buying the other half. I think our farm has a
bright future. We’ve taken good
care of it, we’ve planted trees and
we’ve looked after the soil by leaving
the land fallow to rest

This would
enable us to add another 6
hectares to our farm and we
could plant sugarcane or corn, keeping the
which now fetch very good soil covered, digging
prices. drainage ditches and
planting windbreaks.

And Eliseo? Very good. We

have completed the 9
points of the social and
economic assessment. Now,
let’s all have some lunch!

He will inherit the

farm in about 20 years or so!
Hector, Nubia and Marcos don’t
want to become farmers. The
want to be professionals and
work in the city.

36
 Now let’s look
at the second stage of
Second stage: agroforestry planning

The search for solutions on a farm.

After lunch…

Here’s a piece
of chocolate to stop you
from feeling drowsy. Let’s We must
continue with our make the most of the
discussion. After
time before it starts to
we’ve done a
rain.
good assessment
of the farm.
He tries
to cure him.

What do you
think should be the
next step?
What does
the doctor do after That’s
he’s diagnosed the right, he tries to
patient’s illness? cure him, but
how does he do
that?

If he has an
infection, he gives him
If the patient has
an injection or sends
a cough, the doctor
him to a pharmacy to
prescribes syrup to get rid of it.
buy a medicine with a
If he’s very fat, the doctor puts
strange name. Sometimes
him on a special diet and
tells him to exercise. he has to go to
With his hospital for an
studies and experience, operation.
the doctor knows how to
cure a sick person.

What type
of solutions are we
talking about?

Well, one
solution is the whole
set of actions that a
farmer should carry
out to improve the
farm.
Just as the
doctor recommends
solutions to cure the patient,
we farmers must find good
agroforestry solutions to
improve our farms.

Field Schools Collection № 1. - 37

 For example, thinning
These actions out the shade trees in the banana
are mainly aimed at the plantation when there is too much shade,
Planting forage
woody component on eliminating certain trees from the cacao
trees in the hedges to
the farm. plantation because they are hosts for
increase milk production.
pests that attack cacao,

Planting a row of
trees in the lot below to The solutions will
combat erosion, depend on the farm and on the
state it’s in. That’s why we carry
out an assessment first.

You’ll see that

using chicken when you start to think,
manure to make natural several solutions will
compost and to fertilize the occur to you.
fruit trees in the kitchen
garden.

I love this!
Then we’ll choose
the best. Mmm…well
some of the solutions we
think of will have drawbacks,
but it will be easy to
eliminate these.
The first
thing to do is to
make a list with all
the possible But there are
solutions that come always several good solutions.
to mind. It’s a matter of choosing one or,
at most, two solutions. The
best ones!

To decide
which solutions are
best for the farm, you
need to spend some
time thinking,

do some
It’s also important
calculations and
to see if the proposed solution
measurements, find out how
fits in with the farmer’s plans
much it costs to hire workers,
and those of his family, taking
the price of materials and
into account their tastes and
study the market.
preferences.

38
 Sometimes you
can and sometimes you
And if you can’t, either because you
find two good don’t have enough money
solutions, why or labor or time.
not put both into
practice?

Sometimes the
problem is that people
cannot agree on something,
even when the solutions
are good.

You’re quite right.

That large farm over there,
To apply a
where the road ends, would be
solution means to make
excellent for planting timber
some changes on our farm, or
sometimes even try out
things that are new.
But Julian and
Aurora can’t agree on
anything; if one says white, The
the other says black. experts say that
most people
resist change
and innovation.

An innovation As true as
is something new. the world is
True? round!

Right!
Did you know Carlos.
that good innovations, Explain these five
the ones that people points.
accept, fulfill five
requirements?

Field Schools Collection № 1. - 39

 Certainly, Maria.
The first is very easy: if someone
suggests something new to me and
I see that it’s no better than what I
already have, then why should I
change?
For instance, if
someone suggests planting all
the parcels of a dairy farm with
timber trees, where will the
cows graze?
For example, if
someone suggests planting a
crop that has a very good market
but has seeds that are difficult to
obtain or the crop itself is
complicated to grow because it
requires a lot of care, then what
do you think will happen?
An innovation
can be very good, but it’s
no use to us if it‘s too
expensive to put it into
practice.
For example,
there’s no point in
telling me to build a
conveyor belt to transport
the cut banana bunches
to this warehouse.
40
But if the innovation Being
promises to increase the production compatible means that it is
of a particular crop or saves me money appropriate to the farm, to its
and labor, then perhaps I’ll be size, its crops and meets the
interested in trying it.. objectives, preferences and
capacities of the farmer and
his family.
Sometimes the
proposals are not compatible with
the farmer’s preferences. You’re not
going to plant fruit trees if you don’t Something
like fruit trees. very important:
innovations should not be
complicated; they should
be simple, because
people don’t like
complicated things.
That the
farmer won’t follow the
recommendation because
it’s too complicated and
will look for a simpler crop,
even if it has a smaller
market.
I wish they would
build aerial conveyor belts
all over the farm, so I could
hang from them and travel
around effortlessly.
That’s a solution
for large plantations owned by
the banana companies, not for a
15-hectare farm like mine.
 Finally, it’s
important for farmers to
see the results of the
innovation quickly and
with their own eyes.
I agree and I grow papaya,
I’m going to give you but I was having a problem
an example. with a fungus that was
damaging the fruit when it
was stored ready to take to
market.

That prevented
me from storing papaya
for more than two or three
days.

And
what solution
did you find?

A farmer I tried it with a few Let me ask you

recommended that I spray the
papayas with agricultural lime that
we use on the soil, before storing
them.
papayas, and he was right! a question. Of these five
The fungus disappeared. requirements, which do you
consider is the most
important?
As I could see
the results in just a couple of
days, I decided to adopt that
recommendation
permanently.

I think it depends
on the person. For example,
my husband Emilio doesn’t care For me the
very much if something is most important thing is
complicated. to see results quickly. I would put
Emilio is used to requirement
dealing with difficult things, he number 5 first.
likes challenges and he has a
lot of patience.

For him,
But you the most important
certainly need to requirement would
convince him that what be the first: it must
you are proposing is be a better
worthwhile. solution.

Field Schools Collection № 1. - 41

 To choose the
Very good,
best solution, you need to take
but after all these
those five points and discuss
comments, it would be
them with your family.
good to see an
example.
Every farmer Let’s apply
should ask himself which of what we’ve discussed to
those five requirements are most Gerardo and Miriam’s
important to him and, according farm, since we already
to that, gradually eliminate did the assessment.
options

until he’s
left with one or two
very good solutions,
with which he feels
comfortable.

All we can do
now is to propose solutions.
Afterwards, Gerardo and
Miriam will decide whether
they want to put any of these
solutions into practice.

Let’s begin! I see

that the property lines and That’s a good I wouldn’t put
internal divisions on Gerardo idea. Which ones would you fruit trees in the property
and Miriam’s farm are not suggest, Alberto? lines because they would
clearly demarcated.
be too far away from the
house and there are plenty
Leaving the of folks round here who
area in the front of the would help themselves to
house free, I would suggest the fruit. I would plant
planting timber trees along timber species and trees
the property lines and that attract birds.
the internal divisions.

But they In the internal

should be five-star roads and divisions I
hotel trees like would plant trees that
guarumo or capulin. improve the fertility of the soil
and produce many flowers to
adorn the farm and make it
look really pretty.

I would also
add some fruit trees so
that the children have
different fruits to eat.

42

I would propose
improving the shade in the
banana plantation, which
looks very uneven.
The shade
trees in some of the
very shady areas need
to be thinned out and
pruned.
There are
also some places with
very little shade where
you could plant trees.

True, in
that patch over
there we could
plant two
laurels.

In the parcel with

cacao, which is way over there,
If you’re
I suggest planting almendro de
going to sell the
montaña, because this tree
resin, I agree. But
improves the soil and its fruits
don’t touch the
attract a great variety of birds.
fruit!

The fruit is
edible for humans and
the trunk produces a resin
that is used to make
cosmetics in Brazil.

At some point
we’ll have to find a market
for the resin that we
produce here.

Any The plantain

suggestions has been planted right
for the plot with up to the water’s edge
plantain? and that’s affecting the
river banks.
With each
flood the riverbed gets
wider. You could plant
bamboo or sotacaballo to
help keep the riverbanks
in their place.

Field Schools Collection № 1. - 43

 Sotacaballo is
a very leafy tree with
powerful roots that hold
the soil very well
But it produces
a lot of shade so you can’t
grow plantain very near
these trees.
Very good point.
In both cases, either by restore a strip of at least
planting or managing natural 15 meters on either side
regeneration
You must
remember that in
our country it’s
forbidden by law to
cut down trees on
riverbanks.
Those
trees cannot be
used for timber.
44
We farmers
have planted right up to
This
the river’s edge, cutting
gallery forest has
down all the native trees
the same problem
and destroying their
as most of the
biodiversity.
farms in this area.
That forest
has to be restored
either by promoting
natural regeneration or
by planting native
species.
we must
of the river.
So in the gallery
forests we need to plant trees
that will provide food for
animals
protect the river
bed, embellish the farm or
provide products that we can
extract without cutting down the
trees. For example, resins, sap,
vines, medicines, or fruits.
For example, we
could plant bejuco de hombre in
the trees, which could be used for
making baskets and rope.
 Let’s discuss the Miriam, your
patio, usually the family’s patio is lovely, but if this
There we have
favorite place on the farm were my house, I would add a
avocados, citrus trees and
because it’s cool and gives a couple of small trees to block
other fruits, medicinal
pleasant climate to the out the view of the people
plants and herbs and
house. passing along the road.
species for food.

We’ve given you

Because the forest
many ideas on how to
produces so many things, we
improve cultivated parcels such
would need to see which ones
as cacao plantations, banana
Gerardo and Miriam consider most
and plantain groves, gallery
important and apply solutions Either
forests and patios
based to their opinions thinning out,
through agroforestry.
And the harvesting, planting, or
forest? selecting areas for
natural regeneration.

We collect I think it would be

suita leaves from the a good idea to manage natural
forest for roofing, chonta And I also
hunt some animals regeneration by thinning out the
stems for walls and floors, trees a little and eliminating
and laurel and cedar for for meat.
some vines
timber.

and perhaps
plant some timber
species in the more
open patches, with little
We cut several
shade.
species to extract
roundwood for supporting
beams and wood to make
planks for construction.

Field Schools Collection № 1. - 45

 I have a I’m sure I
suggestion. believe that it’s to
sweeten the air! You
Place lazy rascal!
well-peeled ripe plantains in
the trees in different parts of
the farm to sweeten the air
with good smells.

Good, now
Good, with all these we all know what
suggestions and with some of an agroforestry
your own ideas, you can now plan is.
prepare an agroforestry plan to
improve the farm.

It is important to
calculate the cost of
implementing this plan, the
benefits it will produce and how
long it will take to see the
results.
The next step is
for all of us to apply this
on our farms. Thank you
all for coming.

46
GLOSSARY OF TERMS USED
Agroforestry The effective
management of woody perennials
on the farm and their interactions
with other crops.
Assessment Evaluation or opinion
issued by an expert on the status of
something. For example, a doctor
examines a patient and afterwards
issues a diagnosis or assessment, to
determine the patient’s status. To
prescribe medicines, the doctor must
first diagnose the ailment.
Aversion Something that we do not
like.
Biodiversity The variety of living
species -animals and plants- present
in a given location.
Census A count to determine how
many inhabitants a country has,
where they live and what they do. In
the case of a woody plants census,
the aim is to find out which types of
plants grow on a farm, how many of
each species and which goods and
services the provide to the farmer.
Compatible Well-matched or
appropriate. A solution is compatible
with the farm if it fulfills the farm’s
objectives and reflects the
preferences of the farmer and his
family.
Enterprise Activity carried out by Minimize Make something as small
individuals or groups of people to as possible. Minimize an interaction
obtain an economic benefit or some means to reduce it as much as
other type of benefit. possible.
Farm Enterprise based on the use of Objectives The goals that a farmer
land for agriculture, environmental and his family wish to achieve on
conservation or recreational their farm.
purposes.
Property line Line that marks the
Fertility A necessary condition in the boundary between two farms.
soil to ensure that crops grow well
and produce good harvests. A fertile Woody perennial Tree, shrub, palm
soil contains sufficient nutrients to or giant grass that has a woody
feed the plants. structure.
Firewood Trunk, branch or vine that
burns when set alight.
Goods Material things obtained by
the farmer, such as firewood, timber,
fruits, leaves, logs, pollen, honey.
Innovation: New thing, something
new.
Interactions Effects that are
exchanged between two things, for
example between woody plants on
the farm and the crops in a parcel.
Lines These are property lines,
internal divisions, internal roads,
rivers or streams, rows of trees and
everything that can be represented
on a map using a line. Areas used
for growing crops and
for other purposes are called
parcels.
Plant names
Avocado (Persea americana)
Almendro of montaña (Dipteryx panamensis)
Araza (Eugenia stipitata)
Arce (Acer saccharum)
Banana (Musa AAA.)
Bamboo (Bambusa vulgaris)
Bay (Pimenta racemosa)
Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris)
Bejuco del hombre (Heteropsis oblongifolia)
Cacao (Theobroma cacao)
Caña agria (Costus spicatus)
Capulin (Muntingia calabura)
Cas (Psidium friedrichsthalianum)
Cascha (Chloroleucum eurycyclum)
Cedar (Cedrela odorata)
Chonta (Iriartea exhoriza)
Coffee (Coffea arabica)
Cola de Pava (Cupania cinerea)
Corteza amarilla (Tabebuia neochrysantha)
Cucumber (Cucumis sativa)
Grapefruit (Citrus paradisi)
Gavilán (Pentaclethra macroloba)
Guaba (Inga spp.)
Guarumo (Cecropia obtusifolia)
Guava (Psidium guajava)
Hombre grande (Quassia amara)
Indio desnudo (Bursera simarouba)
Javillo (Hura crepitans)
Laurel (Cordia alliodora)
Lemon (Citrus limon)
Animal names
Agouti (Agouti paca)
Armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus)
Green parrot (Amazona farinosa)
Iguana (Iguana iguana)
Owl (Otus cooperi)
Peccary (Tayassu pecari)
Madero negro (Gliricidia sepium)
Mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla)
Maize (Zea mays)
Mango (Mangifera indica)
Manú (Minquartia guianeensis)
Morera (Morus alba)
Orange (Citrus sinensis)
Ojoche (Brosimum spp.)
Papaya (Carica papaya)
Pejibaye (Bactris gasipaes)
Pilón (Hyeronima alchorneoides)
Pine (Pinus spp.)
Plantain (Musa AAB)
Poró (Erythrina berteroana)
Rice (Oryza sativa)
Roble (Tabebuia rosea)
Rubber (Hevea brasiliensis)
Sotacaballo (Pithecolobium longifolium)
Soursop (Annona muricata)
Suita (Geonoma congesta)
Starfruit (Averrhoa carambola)
Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum)
Sweet pepper (Capsicum annun)
Teak (Tectona grandis)
Tomato (Lycopersicum esculenta)
Virola (Virola spp.)
Yucca (Manihot esculenta)
Raccoon (Porcyon lotor)
Sloth (Choloepus hoffmanii)
Squirrel (Sciurus spp.)
Tick (Borrelia burgdorferi)
Toucan (Ramphastus sulfuratus)
White-faced monkey (Cebus capucinus)