Permaculture Pot Herbs Production Project Proposal

Project designed by Dr. Kazi Abdur Rouf

Nobel Institution for Environmental Peace (NIEP) 270 Spadina Suite-403

Toronto.

Pot Herbs Production Project A program for •Intergenerational Pot Herbs Production demonstration learning program – BED Ford-Yong-Lawrence-Jane-Keel neighborhoods areas in Toronto •The program is for herbs fresh organic food production, intake and income generation among low income people.

Project Summary• The NIEP pot herbs production project intends to engage Bedford marginalized families (children,

youths, adults and seniors) in Bed Ford-Yong-Lawrence-Jane-Keele neighborhoods in Toronto • The project would be helped by the Faculty of Forests, University of Toronto graduate and

undergraduate students and other voluntarily interested people in Bed Ford neighborhoods• The project is designed for three years and it has three phases:

• First year, the project mobilizes and selects 100 marginalized families • Distribute upfront 100 planters’ boxes and other inputs for herb production to targeted

families in kinds• The project has planned to train 15 seniors from the area• They could voluntarily share their herbs production knowhow with children and youths.

Summary-continue-2• Second year, the project extends its services to 300 families • Involving in permaculture green social enterprises as a source of earning money and creating jobs• The project focuses on how to cover full costs of the materials invested in the first year by receiving

half portion of the produced herbs from the project growers in each year• After a three-year period, the project would like to spread its activities to other neighborhoods• The project is looking for $55, 850 (without GST, PST) grants funding from United Way Toronto in

the first year (April 2013-October 2013).

Objectives of the Project• To demonstrate and promote urban permaculture pot/roof top herbs production • Preparing composts from home food wastes by marginalized children, youths, parents and seniors

in Bedford area• To develop ecological relationships and exchange/share permaculture herbs production

technologies and to improve their healthy food diet behaviors• To reduce distance travelled and external food dependencies • Promote backyard homestead herbs production gardening and• To encourage people’s involvement in green social enterprise permaculture herb production to

generate income.

BenefitsThe Project has two-way benefit:•First, the project itself can earn revenue to cover its costs•Second, project herb growers can earn income by selling their produced herbs in the local market•The earned income of the project will be reinvested to expand its services to new outreach. •Unite Bedford neighbors and to promote urban agriculture and reforestation•The project is a vision of a social enterprise and green community development•Promotes intergenerational human interactions•Herbs production spots are community hubs-places where children, youths and seniors can meet•Share their experience and stories, and build new connections in the community•People would earn income and have fun •Would interact and develop social ties among intergeneration family members by sharing their life skills and experiences.

Project Locations in Toronto

Bedford Park Community area in the Yong/Lawrence/Jane,/KeeleTorontoProject as two parts:

• Herbs production at the beneficiaries level• Pot herbs demonstration display at different public places-churches, community centers,

schools, road intersections

Some Statistics of Bed Ford-Yong-Lawrence-Jane-Keele Area• Bedford neighborhood is a multicultural community in Toronto• It is a poverty prone area in Toronto• 25% of children are below the age of 6 • 13% are youths (age 15-24) and • 11.7% are seniors (age 65+) • Income of 28, 800 individuals within the area are below poverty line with an income under $30,

000• Poor neighborhoods spiral into further poverty, increased crime• Unemployment rates jumps to 11% and it is increasing • 9% families are on welfare assistance in Toronto• Children do not have the easy access to grandparents and seniors • They may spend most of their time with schoolmates• The project connects children and youths with seniors through engaging them herbs production.

Herbs markets• Variety of herbs products soaps, candles, teas, potpourris, medicines, bath oils, even “dream

pillows” for kids exist in the market and their markets are expanding• Global spice industry has been growing recently at an annual rate of 3-4%• Culinary herbs is growing at a fast pace of 20% to 25% a year• Herbal dietary supplements in the United States increased by 4.5% in 2011• In Canada, exports of special crops (herbs, Spices and medicinal plants) increase S 20.9 million to $

23.7 million from 2006 to 2009 • Herbs production project has social, economic and ecological value.

Open House Sessions, Workshops and Materials for the Project• The first step of the project is to organize Bedford neighborhood families through • Five open house meetings• Five workshops at different Bedford community centers, clubs, schools, and churches• Open house sessions and workshops start in April 2013 • Collect and distribute 100 herb container boxes, soil, herb seedlings for 100 families • Distribute 300 herb pots with herb seedlings to 300 children • Advise herb growers to recycle these materials every year• Organize herb harvesting and cooking events at harvesting time in July-October• Preserve of pots, herbs, roots and seeds for recycle use next year.

Herbs to be produced by the project

• Herbs to be produce by the project Arugula-Roquette • Caraway, Coriander• Dill, Fennel• Lemon balm, Lemon Verbena • Oregano, Scented Geranium,• Sweet basil, Rosemary • Rue, Sage, Parsley, and Spearmint.

Project activity loops/schedules • A baseline survey and open house five sessions -April, 2013• Select and train 15 seniors for voluntarily sharing their herbs production knowhow • Organize five workshops to provide training and distribute pot herbs samplings to 100 selected

families –May, 2013• Encourage people for commercial herbs/vegetables production –June-July, 2013• Organize community cooking together and celebrate herb eating –August-September, 2013• Preserve materials, seeds, roots and reuse them for next year production-September-October, 2013• Link youths with Youth Enterprise Foundation (YEF) for summer enterprise micro loans and other

micro finance institutions • Project duration• The NIEP pots herbs production project will take place over 3 years (April 2013-October 2016).

Project Evaluation and Monitoring

• Project activities and outputs will be monitored as part of regular project cycle management• Record keeping systems will be put into place to ensure that all information is documented • The progress and success of the project will be constantly reflected and assessed by the NIEP staff

involved.• The project progress will be assessed against this report at the end of the project (October 2016).

Challenges• There are no other community agencies and private agencies involved in pot herbs productions in

this area • This green social enterprise relays on some startup grants and donations to support the project

activities and to promote ecological education to people• If heavy rain falls, insects could jeopardize the bumper herbs production that is challenge for the

project.• Producers’ intensive care and integrated pest management (IPM) practice could reduce/prevent

such challenges.

Nobel Institution for Environmental Peace (NIEP)• NIEP is a charity organization• NIEP work is involved in environmental projects, ecological education • It has three projects that • (a) advocate for environmental peace and justice • (b) do research on environmental engineering• (c) edit Environmental Peace and Justice Journal • NIEP has a group of professors, teachers, biologists, economists, sociologists, engineers, physicists,

chemists, mathematicians, architects, designers, and artists • It has mandate to carry out both pure and applied environmental action research.

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NIEP Mandate• Promote and assist in the promotion of the planning for and the development of environmental

peace and justice• NIEP has mandate to address children, youths adults and seniors environmental justice care

concerns and undertakings• To provide permaculture production services, ecological education and better living conditions of

seniors, youths • To facilitate co-operations with other organization • To encourage and to promote a better understanding of affordable permaculture principles and

green recreational activities for seniors• To carry out and do all other lawful actions suitable or advisable for mentioned objects • To provide and to operate affordable permaculture platforms and environmental care to primarily

for persons of low or modest income.• Priority is given to children, youths, single mothers and adult women with their families.

NIEP Project Administration• NIEP has a Board of Directors who are elected annually during its Annual General Meeting• Each Board Member assists the staff with the four broad categories of responsibility: • Environmental development, education, peace and justice• Community outreach• Green programs support services

Administration • NIEP has an Executive Director (Professor Dr. Roger Hansell) • Professor Dr. Biswajit Ganguly, President, NIEP, is a Research Professor of the Faculty of Forest,

University of Toronto. • Dr. Kazi Abdur Rouf, a visiting scholar, University of Toronto and Assistant Professor (Adjunct), has

also been associated with NIEP since October 2012• Dr. Kazi advises NIEP on green social enterprise projects research and development.

Anti-racism, Access and Equity Policy• The organization recognizes that barriers exist for many members of our city’s diverse

communities, particularly for equity-seeking groups such as:• Women• People with disabilities• Ethno-cultural and racial minorities• Immigrants and refugees• Faith groups• The poor• Aboriginal peoples

Project cost• Workshops costs: each workshop food costs $200 per workshop + stationary costs+ carrying costs,

food costs for ten workshop costs $3000 • carrying costs $50 total• (five open house sessions and five workshops total 10 workshops) • food cost $2000+ stationary costs $500 +carrying costs $500 • Sub-total $3000.• Herbs planter boxes and deliver costs: Mayne 20 incX36inc black color $189X100=$18,900• Herbs young samplings prices: per planters boxes young herbs prices $20X100= $2, 000

• Soils five trucks: $1000X5=S5000• Shovels: $50X100=$5000• Total costs = workshop food and stationary cost $4000+herbs planters boxes costs $18,900 +

young herbs samplings cost $2,000 + Soil and carrying soil cost $5,000 + shovels $5,000 + miscellaneous $2,100 = Total $33,000

• With GST and PST taxes = Total $37,850. • Project Coordinator for six months @$3000 = $18,000

Total costs = 55,850 (without GST, PST)

Project Income• Herbs planter boxes deliver to herb producer families with an agreement to give half of their

produced herbs to the project to cover herbs planter boxes costs given to the herb grower families. • Income• First year: return per family $50X1000 = $5,000 • Second year: return per family $70X1000 = $7,000• Third year return per family$100X100 = $10,000• Total direct return income =$22,000 (covers material costs of the project within three years) • The project has planned to reinvest its earned revenue in further scaling up its green services to

new outreach area in Toronto.

Conclusion • The NIEP herbs permaculture project is a transformative learning sustainability project in food

sector for intergenerational family members in Toronto• The project is creating opportunities to permaculture transformative learning experiences through

pot herbs production.• The project designs to collect half of the produced herbs from the growers to recover its materials

and costs supplied by the project• The project endeavor is to make the project as a model of revenue generating green social

enterprise in Toronto.

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