ActiveOrganic - a series of practical seminars on organic agriculture

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iN3e5RgJB4

Come to ActiveOrganic seminars in Eco-Village Rîșcova!

Learn about benefits and practices of organic agriculture!

Find ideas and examples for creating a rural enterprise!

Try out everything at home!

Become part of a supportive community!

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ActiveOrganic-2017 is already completed. However, we hope that in 2018 we'll be able to open a new edition!

Contact person: Gabriela Isac, +373 69817235 / gabriela@ecovisio.org

What is ActiveOrganic?

ActiveOrganic is a program dedicated to spreading practices of organic agriculture and creating a community of responsible farmers and consumers.

Why ActiveOrganic?

By taking part in the ActiveOrganic, you will have the benefit of:

One or more of the 6 practical seminars, and at least two study visits
Workshops on correct composting, building a greenhouse, constructing a solar dehydrator, etc.
Many examples of rural enterprises
Supportive community
Help with development, planning and practical implementation of your ideas

You can take part if:

if you have a garden or a lot of land in a rural area, or are planning to get one
if you are open to sharing your experience and to getting new knowledge
if you are available to take part in at least one of the practical seminars

(You can download the whole poster here)

The seminars

The ActiveOrganic program consists of 6 practical seminars, each of them lasting two days (Saturday-Sunday) in the period May-November 2017:

1. Basic principles of Organic Agriculture and Permaculture, Soil Protection and Improvement, Composting and Producing your own Organic Fertilizers (May 6-7, 2017) - more photos here and here

On May 6-7, 2017, the ActiveOrganic Program began with its first seminar. 30 participants from over 20 localities and 17 districts of Moldova, with their ages ranged from 18 to 60-something years, shared their experiences, learned about and tested practices of organic agriculture and permaculture, as well as discovered various methods of producing their own organic fertilizers.

2. Plant Protection, Water Resources and Sustainable Irrigation Systems, Community Supported Agriculture. Study visit to village Gura Bicului - the ”Gori’s Tomatoes” farm (27-28 mai). You can find more photos here

The second ActiveOrganic seminar took place on May 27-28, 2017. The first day was spent in Riscova, and featured two external experts: Vladimir Todiraș (PhD in Biology, researcher in the field of plant protection at the Institute of Plant Genetics, Physiology and Protection of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova; founder of the SRL ”EcoConsult”) and Maria Sandu (PhD in analytical chemistry, researcher at the Institute of Ecology and Geography of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova). Together, 30 participants from 14 districts discovered the existence of local analogs to imported (or local, but chemical) products for biological plant protection and the online resources for identification of plant illnesses and pests, as well as about main mistakes and tips for plant protection. Then, they learned about the current situation with water resources in the Republic of Moldova (and, in particular, in Riscova - the specialist performed an analysis of tap and well water for nitrates), about which water is acceptable for irrigation and which not (and what to do in this case). At the end of the day, the group analysed the drip irrigation system that was recently installed at Eco-Village Moldova.

On the second day, May 28th, the participants went to village Gura Bîcului, for a study visit to “Gori’s Tomatoes” farm. There, Nadejda and Valeriu Gori - farmers and entrepreneurs - shared their experience of practicing large-scale organic agriculture, of using biological plant protection methods (with Vladimir Todiraș, Svetlana and Arcadie Nicolev), and of a functioning model of Community Supported Agriculture - which makes that farmers and consumers all feel that they are part of one large friendly family.

3. Social / Rural Entrepreneurship, Organic Agriculture, work in Greenhouses, Solar Dehydrator, Apiculture. Study visit to village Razeni - ”Eco-Răzeni” & ”Floare de Cireș” - and to village Cigirleni - association ”Grădina Moldovei” (June 10-11, 2017). You can find more photos here

June 10-11, 2017 saw the largest (over 38 participants in two days combined, coming from the very north, south, west and vest of the country) and the most intense ActiveOrganic seminar so far. It encompassed: a study visit with the topic of social entrepreneurship to association ”Eco-Răzeni” & SRL ”Floare de Cireș” with Sergiu Gurău vil. Razeni, Ialoveni district), theory and practice of organic garden at association ”Grădina Moldovei” with Mariana Șeremet (vil. Cigirleni, Ialoveni district), experience of small rural entrepreneurship and marketing for organic products from Antonina Tocarenco (from commune Sinesti, Ungheni district), dried fruits and vegetables without preservatives with Igor Mocanu from "Livada Organică” (from vil. Ivancea, Orhei district), a workshop about solar dehydrator from Eugen Guzun, and basics of ecological beekeeping from Ivan Chiriac, Sergiu Leahu, Eugen and Victor Cojuhari. And, as usual, healthy and delicious food from Claudia Botnaru and her assistants.

4. Healthy nutrition, seasonal vegetarian cuisine, marketing tips for agricultural products, solar dehydrator for fruits and vegetables; homemade bread; orchards and trees in ecological agriculture; greenhouses that you can build with your own hands (July 15-16, 2017) - you can find more photos here

The fourth ActiveOrganic seminar took place on July 15-16, 2017, both days at Eco-Village Moldova, but full of various sessions and topics. Secrets of successful marketing and healthy nutrition in theory & practice with Tamara Schiopu; solar dehydrators, experience in orchard creation and study visit to a walnut orchard with Eugen Guzun; prezentation of Seed It Forward initiative with Gabriela Isac; principles of a productive orchard (planting, grafting, pruning) with dr. Arcadie Coroid; homemade bread workshop from Anna Gabur; demonstration of various greenhouse types with Eugen, Dimian, Slavik and Liliana...

And, of course, 26 participants and the team could observe and share everything that happened in the two and a half months that had passed since the ActiveOrganic began - both at Eco-Village (ready compost, bee families that came to live there, etc.), and in personal gardens / lives.

5. How to plan and implement a successful initiative or a project (Riscova, August 5, 2017) - you can find more photos here

On August 5th, 2017, Environmental Training Center in Riscova hosted the fifth ActiveOrganic seminar, dedicated now to development of the project ideas proposed by the participants. Numerous discussions, three great watermelons and, of course, a spontaneous workshop - this time, on growing mushrooms in your cellar.

The next meeting will be at IarmarEco already, but what will happen until that is projects being launched all over Moldova!

6. IarmarEco - the Fair of Ecological Opportunities and Social Entrepreneurship (September 30 - October 1, 2017), more photos here

On 30th September and 1st October 2017 ActiveOrganic participants had the opportunity to help organize, participate in and enjoy one of the most favourite EcoVisio events - the fifth edition of IarmarEco, the Fair of Ecological Opportunities and Social Entrepreneurship. For the first time in its history, IarmarEco was held in the open air - two days rich in ecological and social products & initiatives, healthy food, educative master-classes, raffle, useful discussions and wonderful people. About 5 ActiveOrganic alumni were participanting as exhibitors with their products. There were also many others who came to support them, experience IarmarEco and take part in useful workshops, such as "Honey: how to choose and how to eat?", "Green Pharmacy", "Urban composting", "How to plant trees so that they grow", "Role of vegetables for our health", "How to grow a garden on your windowsill", etc.

7. Harvesting, Reflection and Celebration meeting (November 12, 2017) - you can find more photos here

The last ActiveOrganic event - "Harvesting and Celebration Meeting" - took place on November 12, 2017 and brought to Eco-Village about 40 people - ActiveOrganic alumni and other friends of ecological agriculture. It was an event of closing, but also of new beginnings - the guests shared their experiences in implementing the practices of organic agriculture, evaluated the ActiveOrganic program (running from February to November 2017) and discussed their plans for next year. And, because it wouldn't be an ActiveOrganic event without any practical activities, it was celebrated with an workshop on making churchkhela and a small common planting.

Participants' initiatives:

Application of knowledge, skills and inspiration received during the program was encouraged with small financial support (up to 200 euros for acquisition of materials) offered to the best participants. However, many of the participants just began to do something basing on their own resources or without any investment, requesting only some theoretical support from the main team.

Among the applied practices and realized projects are mulching, solar drying for fruits and vegetables, mushroom growing, beekeeping (in Vulcanesti, Cahul and Telenesti districts), composting, urban composting in Chisinau and Tiraspol, "saving" leaves, grafting, greenhouses, orchards, food forests, etc. A really impressive case is a greenhouse built together by professors and students of the Agroindustrial College of Ungheni.

You can find more photos about this here.