Vetiver Nursery in San Agustin

==================== Beginning on 15 March 1997, we planted a nursery of some 6,000 plants on land belonging to our landlord, Hector Gonzalez Hernandez. These plants derived from some 200 'clumps' of year-old grass previously planted in a mother nursery at ITAO (the local agricultural school). Thus we realized a gain of some 30 times from the original planting. We could have achieved a factor of 50 or more by planting smaller plants.

We hope and expect this nursery to multiply our stock of planting material by some 30-50 times for the 1998 planting season. We realize that it is not possible for a central nursery such as this to supply the needs for grass plants to establish the kilometers and kilometers of hedges needed to help the thousands and thousands of campesinos in Oaxaca. See our Program Plan for more details on our long-term strategy.

A portion of the expenses incurred to date was paid by donations to a fund administered by the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Fayetteville, Arkansas raised by Rev. Harold Olsen for which we express our sincere thanks.