The Farmers's Handbook, Part 1 - Inside the House

Inside the House

The Farmers' Handbook

+ HayBox

Introduction to this Volume ................. 1

Diet & Nutrition .............................. 2

Household Hygiene .......................... 3

Improved Stove ............................... 4

Hay Box Stove ............................................... 5

This Volume's Authors : Ms Hom Maya Gurung, Mr Bipin Vaidhya, Mr Laxman Rana,Mr Chris EvansTranslated from Nepali by Chris EvansEdited, Designed & Produced by: Chris Evans & Jakob JespersenProof reading: thanks to Mike Feingold, Margaret Evans, Ted Albins, Rupert Greville, JakobJespersen, Andy Langford, Looby MacnamaraPhotos: Jakob Jespersen, Chris EvansAddional photo credits are given in Volume FiveCover illustration: Mr Motilal PhaujaTyping: Chris EvansComputer Coordination: Graphics Edge, KathmanduPublished by: Chris Evans, Jakob Jespersen......Distributors: .......... (see p.8 for address)Printed by: Format Printing Press, Kathmandu......First Edition (Nepali) printed June 2001, 7500 copiesThis Edition.........Farmers' Handbook, ISBN 99933-615-0-XThis Volume One: ISBN 99933-615-1-8

The Farmers' Handbook is about techniques for sustainable farming, and this is the firstof 5 volumes. There are 4 techniques presented here. In five volumes there are a total of 44techniques and approaches.

This Farmers' Handbook is meant for education and awareness raising as well aspractical gardening uses. It is permitted to photocopy for such purposes, but please rememberthat photocopying can cause pollution to the environment, is expensive, and does not give agood quality.

Subject Chapter No:

Chapters are separated by a yellow page

C O N T E N T SC O N T E N T SC O N T E N T SC O N T E N T SC O N T E N T SC O N T E N T S

This is the first of five volumes in the Farmers'Handbook. In all there are forty techniques and approachesshown, of whch three are in this first volume. Here, weintroduce you to some technologies used inside the house.The titles of these are given on the previous contents page.

This Farmers' Handbook provides information aboutsustainable farming methods, and can also be used as aresource to run literacy programmes. Information about these,and how the Handbook can be used, is provided in volumefive. A list of new and/or difficult words and their explanationis also provided in volume five.

Aims

Background

Evaluation & Feedback

The main aim of this handbook is to help farmers maketheir own farms more successful. This is done by providinginformation about using simple methods which strengthen,rather than damage the environment, and help to createsustainable livelihoods for future generations.

The techniques described in the handbook are the resultsof research made by the farmers of Surkhet and Jajarkotdistricts of Mid-Western Nepal. We believe these methods willalso work well for farmers of other countries. However,aroundthe world there are diverse climates and soils, and so weexpect that small changes will need to be made in thetechniques according to this diversity. Similarly, it may benecessary to change plant species according to climatic region,but their function will remain the same. For example, thechapter on the Living Fence describes the use of thorny plantsas a barrier. In the low altitude, hot Tarai of southern Nepal,"Babool" (Acacia nilotica) is suitable for this. But this doesnot grow in the higher elevations. Here, species such as wildpear, wild blackberry and Sea Buckthorn make a good livingfence.

Comments and questions about the techniques andapproaches described in this handbook will be most welcome.Suggestions for improvement will be used for future editionsof this handbook and other similar publications.

The Farmers' Handbook -this Volume's IntroductionThe Farmers' Handbook -this Volume's Introduction

4. Improved Stove

3. Household Hygiene

TechniquesStructure of the Handbook

Inside the handbook each method is descibed in aseparate chapter, or chapter. All methods are descibed in thesame way:-

• "What is?" - the method is defined and described.• "Why?" - the benefits of using this method are then

described.• The main part is then "How to?" make or do the method;• In the "How To" section the centre pages show colour

pictures about the method.• After describing how to create the method, how to

maintain, care for, manage and/or operate it is described.• After this, there is an interview with an experienced farmer

who has built and used the method.• Finally, information is given about other chapters in the

Handbook which are directly connected to this method.

There are minor changes to this structure as necessary.

Techniques

2. Diet & Nutrition

5. Hay Box Stove

Support for the production and printing ofThe Farmers' Handbook has come from

Methodist Relief & Development Fund (UK),ActionAidNepal, MSNepal, GTZ Food for

Work, Helvetas Nepal, Hill AgricultureResearch Project (HARP), ICIMOD.

email:- [email protected]

Nepal Permaculture GroupP.O.Box 8132, Kathmandu, NepalTel: +977-1- 252597

FundingSupport

Distributor andmain contact

addresses

Appropriate Technology AsiaP.O. Box 8975 EPC 849KathmanduNepaltel: +977 1 [email protected]

Permanent PublicationsThe Sustainability CentreEast MeonHampshire GU32 1HRtel: +44 1730 [email protected]

Permaculture Association UKBCM Permaculture AssociationLondon WC1N 3XXTel: +44 845 [email protected]

What is

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In order to live, grow and to protect us from variousdiseases we need a good, nutritious diet. Nutrition is found invarious types of food. Everyone wishes for themselves andtheir family to remain in good health. A healthy family alsomakes a healthy and strong homestead. Besides this, you canalso help others to be strong. If the family is sick it needsconstant expense and can cause much worry. A good, nutri-tious and balanced diet helps to protect and release the familyfrom sickness. A nutritious diet is not just available fromexpensive foods. We can also obtain and prepare a nutritiousdiet from easily available local and even wild foods.

This chapter gives information about what foods areneeded for our bodies, where these foods are available, andsimple ways of increasing the quality of our diets.

Diet and Nutrition ?

Diet and Nutrition ?

The Farmers' Handbook, "Inside The House" Chapter 2 - Diet & Nutrition

Kwashiorkor– thin,

emaciated

Marasmus– swollen

face, hands,feet

3

WhyWhy Do we neednutrition ?

From the time we are in the mother's womb, for ourwhole life long, we need a nutritious diet. To give strength,for growing, and to protect or help cure us from illness anddisease, there are many types of nutritious elements needed inthe body. If any of these elements are deficient in the body,we can become weak and sick. Nutritious foods provide uswith energy, help to build and maintain muscle and organs,and help our bodies to produce other important elementswhich we need to keep us healthy.

Common problems of poor diet in thehome and village

If people do not get the needed amounts of the necessaryfoods they can suffer from malnutrition and anaemia. Ba-bies under five years, children, pregnant women and lactatingmothers are especially at risk from poor nutrition.

1. Malnutrition. There are several symptoms of malnutri-tion, for example:• Crying - continuously crying and lack of appetite• Wounds - cuts, boils, etc. spread on the skin and are diffi-cult to heal.

2. Anaemia - lethargic; poor skin colour; yellowish skin,tongue and nails; poor skin texture

Nutritious food, in brief,

• helps us to remain healthy• helps to protect us from disease• helps our bodies to grow• helps us to build a strong household

2

Ms Hom MayaGurungHealth Technician,HimalayanPermacultureGroup,

Surkhet, Nepal

Mr BipinVaidya,Nutrition Pro-gramme,U.M.N.,Kathamndu,Nepal

The Authors of this Chapter

The Farmers' Handbook, "Inside The House" Chapter 2 - Diet & Nutrition 54

Cretinism Goiter

3. Vitamin "A" DeficiencyVitamin A is essential for eyesight.

There are several symptoms of thisdeficiency:

• Night Blindness - unable tosee in half light

• Eyes dry out• A pale, spongy-like spot in

the eye (Whit's spot)• Blindness

4. Iodine Defficiency

Goiter - swelling on the throatCretinism - mentally handicapped, poor limb use, etc.

to getnutrition ?

For Health through nutrition we need to pay attention tothree things:

1. We need to have the right foodsFoods are best if crops are grown using sustainable

agriculture methods. Crops grown without chemicals aremore nutritious.

2. We need the knowledge to select the right foodsWhat to eat and how much to eat ? We need to know

how much of what type of food different people need. Whohas special needs ? For example, pregnant and lactatingmothers, or sick people should have extra of some foods.

3. We need to know how to prepare and serve the right foodsIt's not enough to have the right foods, we need to

know how to prepare and cook them. Without thisknowledge, we can sometimes loose many nutrients inpreparation.

To get health fromnutrition we need

both knowledge andresources.

To be Clever and Ener-getic use Iodized Salt

To be Clever and Ener-getic use Iodized Salt

HowHow

One leaf of Colocasia("Taro") can providethree children with theirdaily needs for vitamin A

The Farmers' Handbook, "Inside The House" Chapter 2 - Diet & Nutrition 76\

Food to pro-tect the

body (fruits)

Food to pro-tect the body(vegetables)

Food forthe body's

growth

Food forEnergy

In this chapter, information is given first about the func-tion of different foods. After that, from page 20 to 22 moredetailed information on nutrition is given. The centre colourpages show examples of the different foods in each group.

1. Foods Which give Energy (Carbohydrates)When there is much physical work,

before and after childbirth, and when sickpeople are recovering, the body needs moreenergy. At this time, if nutritious food is notavailable people can become weak and andcatch other diseases more easily. Malnourishedchildren also need more energy foods.

2. Foods Which Help the Body to Grow(Proteins)

Healthy babies grow fast But if food forgrowth is not available, babies become weak,and this can cause them many problems in thefuture. Growth foods are called Proteins.

3. Foods which Protect the Body(Vitamins & Minerals)The body always needs protection from damaging things.

When recovering after being ill, energy foods (carbohydrates)help to get better, while vitamins and minerals help protectthe body from disease. These vitamins and minerals are foundin fruit and vegetables.

Just as farming can be divided into various types ofcrop. such as livestock, grain crops and orchards, so nutritioncan be divided into three types of food, according to function.In vegetables and meat there are various nutrients. The mostimportant nutrients of our diet can be divided into thesegroups:

Types of Food

The Farmers' Handbook, "Inside The House" Chapter 2 - Diet & Nutrition 98

A mixed diet means many different kinds of food areeaten together. Because there are many types of nutritiouselements in a mixed diet it is well balanced. It is not enoughfor the body eating just to stop hunger, or to enjoy the taste. Abalanced diet is always needed. Pregnant women, sucklingmothers and babies are in special need of a balanced diet.Relatively expensive foods like fish and meat are not essen-tial for a balanced diet. It is also possible to make a balanceddiet from foods common in the villages, such as grains,pulses, green vegetables, spices and fruit.

There are many nutritious types of food for goodhealth available in the villages. Net-

tles, buckwheat, millet, watercress,ferns, pumpkin shoots, etc. are allvery nutritious. But many cul-tures regard these as "poorpeople's food" and so eat themless. If you eat such foods,firstly they are cheap or evenfree of cost, and also these foodscan provide many types of essen-tial nutrients for the body - often

more than highly bred "developed"vegetables.

Community and private forest providesmany types of direct and indirect benefits. Theseinclude nutritious food available from the wild.

Mushrooms, ferns, watercress, bam-boo shoots and wild yams are ex-

amples of some vegetables thatcan be found in the forest. Simi-larly, fruits like berberis, black-berry, amla, chestnut, hazel, wal-nut, etc. are also available. It is also

possible to grow many of these on theedges of farmers' fields to increase the supply,

without needing lots of extra work.

Watercress

Amla for sale -collected from the forest

A Mixed Diet

What, is this Poor People's Food ?

Free Nutrition from the Forest


6f_

+ =1110

• Cooking potatoes with their skins and inpeices as large as possible will savevitamin C.

Pulses Grains

MoreBenefits

MoreBenefits

• When eaten together, grain andpulses provide the same benefits aseating meat

• Millet contains more calcium thanmost other grains.

• Rice de-husked by hand or pre-boiledcontains more vitamin B than ricedehusked in a mill.

• Unprocessed wheat flour has morenutrients than processed white riceflour

• When cooking rice, don't add too muchwater which otherwise you'd have tothrow it away, along with vitamin B.

• Don't scrub rice before cooking it as thisprevents vitamin B from being washedaway

• Sprouted pulses are very high in nutrients. Pulses can in-crease their content of vitamins A and C by up to 10 timeswhen sprouted. Vitamin B also increases, and iron andcalcium minerals which are in food can be more easilyabsorbed by the body. For this increase, only a little waterand time is needed but the benefits are huge. Why not useeasy methods like this?

Soak pulses fora day in water,then wash anddrain themevery day. After4-5 days thesprouted pulsesare ready to eat.

This is like getting free increase in benefits! There aremany types of vitamins which provide more or less nutrientsaccording to the time. In the spring, vegetables or fruit areless available, so at this time vitamin deficiency symptomsare common. But sprouted pulses can be made at any timeand so can solve deficiency problems.

• If you wash green leaf vegeta-bles after they have been cut,nutrients can be lost. Alwayswash before cutting.

There are morevitamins in ricewhich has beende-husked less

How to Preserve Nutrients in Food During Cooking

Chapter 2 - Diet & NutritionThe Farmers' Handbook, "Inside The House"

❁ Animal Prod-Animal Prod-Animal Prod-Animal Prod-Animal Prod-uctsuctsuctsuctsucts - meat, fish,eggs.

❁ Dairy ProductsDairy ProductsDairy ProductsDairy ProductsDairy Products -milk, yoghurt, but-termilk, cheese, etc.

❁ SeedsSeedsSeedsSeedsSeeds - peanut,pumpkin seeds,sesame, walnut, etc.

❁ PulsesPulsesPulsesPulsesPulses - soya, beans,grams, chick peas, peas,mung bean, etc.

❁ GrainsGrainsGrainsGrainsGrains - millet, rice, wheat,maize, buckwheat, barley, etc.

❁ Sweet FoodsSweet FoodsSweet FoodsSweet FoodsSweet Foods - sweet po-tato, sugar, sugar cane,honey.

❁ Oily FoodsOily FoodsOily FoodsOily FoodsOily Foods - Ghee,vegetable oil, but-ter, cream, fat.

❁ RootsRootsRootsRootsRoots - potato,taro, yam,sweet potato,etc. ❁ GreenGreenGreenGreenGreen

LeavesLeavesLeavesLeavesLeaves - net-tle, taro, broad

leaf mustard,cress, fenugreek,

mustard, radishleaf, pumpkin shoot,

amaranth, lambsquarters, spinach, etc.

❁ VegetablesVegetablesVegetablesVegetablesVegetables - pumpkin, cauli-flower, sweet pepper, ladies finger,beans, carrot, tomato, etc.

❁ FruitFruitFruitFruitFruit - mango,amla, orange, lemon,

guava, pineapple, apricot,peach, plum, raspberry, ber-

beris, lichi, papaya.

!

!@

##

1

3

2

3

For a Balanced Dietyou need to eat food from

these 3 groups

1

2

Salt

1312

Energy Foods

Foods for theBody's Growth

Foodsto Protectthe Body

3


• Partially fermented vegetables in-crease the amount of iron and calciumavailable, which improves digestionof grains.

• Making pickles means vegetables canbe kept for a long time and increasestheir nutrition. In places where thereis a long dry season without irriga-tion, then a monsoon, many vegeta-bles can be grown in only a shorttime. Making pickles and oils allowsthese vegetables to be stored andeaten all year round, e.g. cucumber,tomatoes, radish, leaf vegetables, etc.

• Leafy vegetables can be dried in theshade to keep their nutrition and colour.

• when cooking leaf vegetables add alittle oil, keep the pan coveredand don't over cook. This preventsloss of vitamin A, and absorbtion ofoil improves digestability.

Good Foodand a Healthy

Family

Whoseresponsibility

?

1514

Additions to the Normal Diet

Sometimes it is necessary to eat more than the recom-mended daily diet. For example, a normally activepregnant women should eat an extra handful ofgrain, half a handful of pulses, a handful ofgreen leaf vegetables, and at least one extrapiece of fruit per day more than her daily diet. Apregnant women who has a heavier workloadshould eat an extra one and a half handfuls ofgrain, and if she is malnourished she should alsoeat an extra one and a half handfuls of grain.

A woman who has just given birthshould eat an extra handful of grain, half ahandful of pulses, a handful of green leafvegetables, and at least one extra piece of fruitper day more than her usual diet.

Six months after childbirth the mothershould eat an extra one and a half handfulsof grains and an extra one handful of pulses.

One to two years after childbirth(still suckling) the mother should be eatingan extra one and a half handfuls of grainsand an extra half handful of pulses. Atthis stage she should also be eating one

extra handful of green leaf vegetablesand one extra piece of fruit.


• After childbirth a mother should drink 5 teaspoons of"Jwano" (Trachyspernum ammie) each day.

• While a mother is pregnant, and justafter childbirth should eat at least 3-4times a day. For example, 2 full mealsand 2 snack meals.

• The best milk for suckling infants isthe mother's own milk. If this is notgiven, it can lead to many problems inthe future. So it is much better to feedmothers' milk rather than powdered milk.

• Once a baby stops drinking its mother's milk it should begiven extra food.

• Always feed a malnourished child extra food.

• A baby with diarroea should be fed more liquids. An oralrehydration mixture of salt, sugar and water should be given.It is even better to give the water skimmed off washed orcooking rice.

• It is better to feed a child little and often. Never stop feed-ing a sick child. Pursuade it to drink more liquids. Amalnourished child shouldbe given a spoonful ofhoney or sugar a day.This provides moreenergy. Also, a mal-nourished childshould be fed a ba-nana every day.

• Similarly, old people cannot digestmuch food at one time

and only eat a little.So they need amixed meal 3-4 times a day.

Without nutritiousfood it's not possible

to keep healthy

Drumstick LeavesIn sub-tropical areas the Drumstick (Moringa) tree

is found [this may have other namesin your area]. This tree has manybenefits. It's leaves are good forlivestock fooder and the flow-ers are good for bees. Its seedhelps to purify water. It canbe grown easily and quicklyfrom cuttings. Its flowers, podsand newly sprouted, young leavescan all be used as vegetables. Theleaves are especially nutritious and can be dried andmade into a powder. One teaspoon of this leaf powderprovides daily vitamin needs for one person. In cooler,upland areas where drumstick isn't found, you can storeand use the powder made in the lowlands.

1716


3

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Super Flour

Maize Wheat

one part one part

Soya bean

two parts

Maize, wheatand soya beanflour mixed intosuper flour givesa balanced andnutritious meal.It gives nutrientsfor energy,growth and pro-tection together

Clean themaize, wheat

and soyabean

Bake each of themseparately

1918

Then grind thebaked grains

and pulsesseparately.

Store the flour inan airtight vessel.Then you can use

the processed superflour for several

days.

Make thesuperflour into a

porridge andfeed to childrenabove the age of

6 months.

Once they're usedto it, they'll eat it

themselves.

Maize, wheatand soya beanflour mixed intosuper flour givesa balanced andnutritious meal.It gives nutrientsfor energy,growth and pro-tection together

Super Flour


• anaemia, lackof digestivejuices

2120

The various types of food and nutrients needed for goodhealth are given below. Information about the function ofdifferent elements, effects of deficiency and which foodsprovide them is also given.

Car

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Oil/

Fat

• gives the bodystrength & vigour• maintain abalanced bodytemperature• assists growth& development

• malnourish-ment (crying,Marasmus,Kwashiorkor

wheat, maize,barley, millet,rice, yam, sugar,cane extract,potatoes (allenergy foodsexept oils)

• used for growth &development• growth & mainte-nance of muscle• making hormones,red blood cells,digestive juices• helps to make upenergy needs iflacking in other foods

• malnourish-ment (crying,Marasmus,Kwashiorkor,etc.)

cow pea, favabean, soya bean,amaranth, peas,fish, meat, eggs,milk, peanuts,pumpkin seeds,walnuts, etc. (allgrowth foods)

• gives energy• helps in the body'stake up of Vit. A• helps in cellformation

• rough skin vegetable oils,ghee (purifiedbutter), butter,fatty meat, fish,peanuts, soyabean

Foodtype

What does itdo?

DeficiencySymptoms

What is itfound in ?

Foodtype

What does itdo?

DeficiencySymptoms


Vit

amin

AV

itam

in B

gro

upV

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in C

• keeps eyeshealthy

• keeps skin soft

• helps to preventdisease fromspreading

• eye disease(night blindness,dry eyes)

• disease spreadsbetween nose,ear & throat

• less ability tofight off disease

green leaf veg-etable & yellowfruit or vegeta-bles, e.g. ripepapaya, pump-kin, persim-mon, carrot,spinach, radishleaf, mustardleaf, corianderleaf, beans,watercress, etc.

• increases appe-tite• helps nervegrowth & func-tion• helps digestionof carbohydrates

• loss of appetite• tingling feet• burning sensa-tion on soles offeet•sore on tongue• sore in cornersof mouth

unhusked grainand its flour,liver, pulses,green leafvegetables,kidney, fish,meat

• joining musclefibres• helps woundsheal• helps uptake ofiron and calcium

• bleedinggums; infectedgums

• slow healingof wounds &sores

amla, lemons,guava, oranges,raspberries,berberis, freshgreen leaf veg-etables, pota-toes, sproutedgrains & pulses


Foodtype

What does itdo?

DefficiencySymptoms


2322

Iron

(a

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• making blood,keeping musclehealthy

• protectionagainst disease

• anaemia• dizzyness,weakness, lazi-ness, breathless-ness• retardedgrowth of babies• miscarriage,still birth

green leaf veg-etables, pulses,millet, beatenrice, fermentedvegetables,liver, meat,eggs, fish,sprouted pulses,food cooked iniron pots

•helps body'sgrowth• helps brain &nervous system• gives heat fromenergy use

• goitre• cretinism,spasticism• mental disor-ders, dull• lack of body'sgrowth• paralysis

seafood, fish,iodized salt

• helps bone, teethformation &growth• prevents musclecontraction &wasting• helps bloodclotting

• poor bone/teeth forma-tion; crumblingbones

milk & milkproducts, greenleaf vegetables,fermented veg-etables, grains,millet, lamb'squarters, pulses,fish

æ

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Mrs Thuli Dhimnan

Mrs ThuliDhimnan

From Nepal, Lalitpur district,Burunchuli VDC, Champi villageMrs Thuli Dhimnan's son SanoBabu was malnourished as ababy. Now let's hear her story.

At two and a half years of ageSano Babu was nothing but skin andbone. At that time he wouldn't eat andcould hardly even walk. It was so hardto feed him at that time. Then I started to feed him superflourporridge with his other food. After only a few days he startedto gain weight. After that Sano Babu's two younger brotherswere also born but they didn't have the same problems astheir older brother. This is how Sano Babu's life improvedwith a mother's love & care, and good, nutritious food.

Sano Babu attwo and a half

year old,malnourished

Sano Babu attwelve years old,with his motherand 2 younger

brothers

Farmers'ExperienceFarmers'Experience

Gri

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Subjects Related to NutritionGood benefits can be had from the information in this

book about nutrition. However, this information is also linkedto other methods. For extra benefits let's read, learn and prac-tice other related chapters.

Improved Stove ChapterIn Nepal 95% of households use firewood forcooking food. Everyone knows the effects of toomuch smoke in the kitchen but what to do ? Nowlet's learn about an easy and successful method.

Hygiene Inside the House ChapterImproved health isn't only about good food. If thekitchen and house is dirty, many diseases canstrike. In this chapter information is given abouteasy methods to keep the house clean.

Fruit Related ChaptersInformation on how to produce and grow im-proved fruit species at home is given in thesechapters about the fruit nursery, grafting, budding,top grafting, stone grafting, air layering, fruitseedling planting and integrated fruit orchards.

Kitchen Garden and Polyculture VegetableGrowing ChaptersThese chapters give information about how toproduce good vegetables with less work.

Read On !Read On !

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What is

The house shel-ters us from the sun,wind and rain. Thehouse is also where wekeep food, pots, pansand clothes necessaryfor our lives. Often,farm tools such ashooks, spades, ropes,and water containersare kept in the home.The home is also ourplace to live and sleep.So all members of thehousehold shouldknow about how tokeep the house clean.There should be acustom of sweepingand plastering. Afterusing any tools orequipment it's veryimportant that they are cleaned and stored in their right place.And everyone needs to cooperate to make a good, cleanhousehold which is enjoyable and hygienic to live in.

House Hygiene ?House Hygiene ?

The text on the wall says "Alwayscover the lid of the water pot".

The Farmers' Handbook, "Inside The House" Chapter 3 - House Hygiene

1

Keep theHouse Clean ?

Problems leading to not keeping the house clean

2

Ms Hom Maya GurungHealth Technician, HimalayanPermaculture Group, Surkhet,Nepal

The Authors of this Chapter

Mr Lal Bahadur BudhathokiRural Livestock Health

Programme

• Eating stale (old) food :- it's important to eat clean andfresh food to stay healthy. So when cooking, cook just theright amount and don't leave food to be eaten later. Old foodcan upset the stomach.

Pathways ofspreading

disease

flies

dogs

dirty hands

dust

On the right side the child is sick and the bacteria arepresent in the faeces. On the left side the bacteria get intothe other child's plate and food, and the disease is spread.In this way dysentery, gastro-enteritis, worms, typhoid,

stomach ache, colds and flu can spread.

How do Flies Eat ?

2

Flies vomit up the remains oftheir last meal onto our food. Thisstarts to digest their new meal

1

2

Then the fly eats the old re-mains and the new food. So, if theprevious meal for the fly was faeces,it is mixed with the food on our platefor the fly to eat it. Can we stayhealthy by eating that food ?

3

WhyWhy

• Eating food without washing hands :- we do most workwith our hands. Doing this work makes our hands dirty. Sobefore preparing food and eating it we should always washour hands well with soap, ash or oil seed cake.

• Dogs licking plates :- after eating waste meat, bones oreven excrement, dogs can come and lick plates in the house.Many diseases can come from this.

• Allowing dogs to eat babies' faeces :- dogs shouldn't beallowed to eat babies' faeces because it's possible that the dogcan then go and lick food plates.

• Going to the toilet :- it's wrong to use just any place as atoilet. Wherever this is done becomes dirty. This attracts flieswhich carry the dirt to our food.

• Dirty Kitchen :- flies and invisible bacteria like to live indirty places. So disease can start in the kitchen and on thefood there. If there's dirt on the floor it can spread to wherethe plates, food, water, etc. are.


!!!1

6

5

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2

54

The picture below shows how bacteria can enterour bodies. In the upper part of the picture aresmall drawings of where the food comes from.

From here arrows point lead to the person's mouth.The numbers given to the pictures below corre-

spond to descriptions on the next page. Read theseas you see the pictures.

How bacteria canmove in the kitchen

1

6

54

3

2

Milk :- milk is clean inside the cow's udder but if theperson milking has dirty hands this will make themilk dirty. The hands and udder should be washedalong with the milk bucket. The milk should beboiled and put in a clean container with a clean lid.Use clean water if making buttermilk or other dairy products,and the container these are put in must also be very clean.

Water :- if possible do not use water from streams orrivers. Use water from wells, springs or drinkingwater taps. It's not enough just to use clean water.The containers it is put in must also be clean andhave a good fitting lid. Finally, the cups, glasses,plates, etc. to drink from must also be clean.

Fruit :- fruit is clean on the tree but as soon as wepick it, it quickly becomes dirty. Before eating, handsshould be clean, and fruit should be washed or peeled .

Grains and Pulses :- cooked grains andpulses etc. will become dirty if left uncovered.Dirty utensils used to transfer or serve food willalso make the food dirty. Keep utensils off theground.

Vegetables :- just like 4 & 5 above, vegetablescan become dirty. If chemicals are used in the garden veg-etables should be washed well in water.Vegetables such as radishes, carrot andcoriander are often eaten raw, so must bewashed in clean water. Plates, bowls etc. used for eatingshould also be very clean. Grinding stones used for makingpickles should be kept clean (see page 13).

The Farmers' Handbook, "Inside The House" Chapter 3 - House Hygiene 76

Bacteria are tiny organisms that the eye cannot see.These micro-organisms can be beneficial or harmful. In thesoil, without micro-organisms there would be no humusmade, while in the stomach, if there were no micro-organ-isms we could not digest our food.

Bacteria

Usually, beneficial bacteria live offdead things, breaking them up and rottingthem down, and helping in uptake (digestion)by plants' roots. As for harmful bacteria, theyusually live on living tissues, and often dam-age them. If harmful bacteria get intowounds, or into our stomach, they can makeus very sick.

Bacteriaseen

close up

Bacteria enjoy dirty, dark and moistplaces so if we want to be protected frompossible harm, kitchen pots, pans, clothes,bedding, etc. should be kept clean, dry and aswell aired as possible. Before and after anypreparation, cooking or eating of food, handsshould be clean. Hands should be washed aftertouching hair, animals (livestock/pets), soil,etc. and before touching food or food contain-ers. Food should remain covered when not inuse and old food should not be eaten, exceptby the chickens! If the hands have a wound then use soap towash and keep it covered when preparing, cooking or eatingfood. No spitting in the kitchen, or if possible, anywhere inthe house or courtyard. If attention is paid to all these things, then harmful bacteria can't enter and harm our bodies.

How many mistakescan you see in this

picture?

In a well man-aged housekeeping thepots and the

kitchen clean iseasy

Let's seeLet's see How to keepthe house cleanHow to keepthe house clean

The Farmers' Handbook, "Inside The House" Chapter 3 - House Hygiene 9

In a clean, dry andlight kitchen there isless fear of disease

A basket for keepingpots made from local

resources.

The grindingstone should becovered when

not in use.

Water containersshould always be

covered. The text onthe wall says "Always

cover the lid of thewater pot" in Nepali.

Then, this is the wayto pour water

Dirt can also get intothe milling stone sothis should also be

covered

8


In a well managed House:

Pots and pansare cleaned

and put awayin the right

place

Food is cov-ered and put

away

The grindingstone is covered

and put away

The floor is keptclean and freshlyplastered or swept

Farm tools usedevery day are also

kept clean and in theright place

HowHow to clean theHouse ?

Cleaning and managing inside the house isn't difficult.Below are some things to pay attention to for cleaning thehouse well.

1. Putting away pots, pans, etc. :- pots, pans, plates, etc.should be stored in a cupboard, rack or woven basket in acorner of the kitchen. Water containers should also be kept ina clean and easily usable place in or near the kitchen. Theopening of the water container should always be covered witha clean lid. The grinding stone should be cleaned and putaway after use.

2. Putting away cutting hooks, digging tools, ropes, etc. :-cutting hooks, digging tools, ropes, etc. should be stored in aplace easy to see and access by all thefamily (except babies).

3. Putting away clothes, etc. :-clothes and bedding should bestored away from the kitchenotherwise dust and smoke canmake them dirty. Also, to pre-vent dust getting from clothes orbedding into the food theseshould be kept in a separateplace, in a rack or cupboard.

10 11

The Farmers' Handbook, "Inside The House" Chapter 3 - House Hygiene12 13

Water Containers

Drinking water should always be kept clean. If water isdirty it can cause all sorts of diseases such as diarrhea, stom-ach aches, colds and flu, worms, etc. Many types of dirt canget into the uncovered drinking water container. While sweep-ing the house,dust can blowinto drinkingwater con-tainers, anddrinking thatdirty watercan thencause sick-ness. Beingaware ofsome simplethings canhelp to pro-tect us from these diseases. For example, the water containershould always be covered. The water container's lid can behome made. For this, first measure the lid of the water con-tainer, and make a lid from wood or thick tree bark to fit the

opening. Make a string to tie the lid tothe container. Another method is to usea small plate or bowl to cover the lid.The lid of the container should never beput on the floor otherwise it could getcovered in dirt, which could then getinto the water inside the container.

The Grinding Stone

The grinding stone is a tool used many times a day in thekitchen. After it has been used, it should be washed andstored in a clean place. After the grinding stone has beenused, for example to grind spices for pickle, and if it is leftuncovered, then while sweeping or doing other work dirt canget onto it. We may bring dirt into the house from outside.This dirt can contain harmful bacteria. If the grinding stone isleft out unwashed then these bacteria can then get into thespices etc. we are grinding on the stone. This can then causeillness such as diarrhea, dysentery, worms, and other types ofillness. So we should get into the habit of always washing thegrinding stone before use. After use, again wash the stonewith clean water, dry it and store it covered or upright againstthe wall of the kitchen. If this is not possible (for example, if itis too big), then the stone should be kept covered by a large lidor bowl, plastic bag, clean cloth or even a plate made of leaves.

If we pay attention to the small ideas given above, wecan protect ourselves from big diseases.


!

14 15

During the monsoon there is much more rain, it getsvery muddy everywhere and it's a much busier time for farm-ers, so everywhere gets much more dirty. So we should paymuch more attention to hygiene at this time, compared toother times of the year.

It's easier and cheaper to prevent diseasethan to cure it. Let's pay attention to this !!

If we don'tkeep the houseclean we can causemany types ofhealth problems. Ifwe can stay healthyall household workis easier. But if weare always sick,how can we run agood household ?

Other things to pay attention to

æ

Æ


Mrs AtimayaSunuwar

From Nepal,Surkhet district,Gumi VDC,Ratadada villageand a member of"Hariyali" women'sgroup, Mrs AtimayaSunuwar has seenthe benefits of goodhouse hygiene. Nowlet's read aboutwhat she says

Mrs Atimaya SunuwarIn 1998, I be-

came a member of the local Women's Group and learned a lot,but first I started keeping the house clean. I use a bowl to keepthe drinking water container covered, and clean it each day. Ikeep the pots and pans clean and covered, so they can't getdirty. I always wash the grinding stone. These things are easy,and they only seem difficult if you don't have the habit ofdoing them. It's the same for cleaning and putting away farm-ing tools such as the cutting hook and digging tools. I put thedust swept out of the house into a sweepings pit. Apart fromkeeping the house clean, this makes good compost too. There'slots of benefits when we keep the house clean. If we can't keepourselves clean, then what other work will we be able to do ?

Gri

hast

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Subjects Related to House Hygiene

Read On !Read On !

Improved Stove ChapterIn Nepal 95% of households use firewood forcooking food. Everyone knows the effects of toomuch smoke in the kitchen but what to do ? Nowlet's learn about an easy and successful method.

Diet and Nutrition ChapterMany diseases can be prevented by a healthydiet, In this chapter, information is given aboutthe benefits provided by different types of food.

Waste Water ChapterThis chapter gives information on how to get irri-gation for the garden from domestic waste water.

Sweepings ChapterInformation about making good compost fromsweeping the house and yard is given in thischapter.

Pit Latrine ChapterEveryone has a responsibility to use a propertoilet. Information about building and correctuse of the pit latrine is given in this chapter.

Th

e F

arm

ers'

Han

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- "

Insi

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, C

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4 -

Im

pro

ved

Sto

ve

What is an

Improved Stove ?Improved Stove ?

Mrs Chitramaya Gharti-Magar's improved stove,Surkhet district, Nepal

The stove is theheart of the household.The stove turns ourhard-earned farmingproduce into tasty andwholesome food. Awell managed stovehelps in other workalso. If the stove isn'tgood, smoke in thekitchen will causehealth problems and alot of firewood will be used. In this chapter, a usefulmethod is given to help solve these problems, which canbring big improvements in the kitchen, and from there tothe household.

This method is called the improved stove. The im-proved stove can be cheaply made from local resources,and helps to remove smoke from the kitchen, while usingless firewood.

The Farmers' Handbook, "Inside The House" Chapter 4 - Improved Stove

make anImproved Stove ?

Differences between traditional and improved stoves

Traditional Stove or Tripod Improved Stove

1. Uses a lot of firewood

4. Cost of tripod

5. Smoke stays in kitchen

6. Smoke damages health

7. Makes kitchen utensilsdirty with soot

8. Small children can fall inthe fire

9. Cooking makes the potsblack with soot

10. Wind can make the fire jump

11. Can't make tripod fromlocal resources

12. Food cools quickly

3. Can only cook one itemat a time

2. Food cooks quickly2. Food cooks slowly

1. Uses less firewood

3. Can cook 2 items at atime

4. Don't need tripod

5. Smoke goes outside

6. No harm to health

7. Doesn't make kitchendirty

8. No fear of small childrenfalling in fire

9. Pots kept cleaner duringcooking

10. Stove not affected by wind

11. Stove made from localresources

12. Food stays hot longer

2 3

There are some disadvantages of the improved stove. These are :-

1. Large pieces of firewood can't be used;

3. The stove needs good maintenance, and fromtime to time you need to let the smoke into thekitchen (see page 22 for more information).

2. The stove gives less light and direct heat in the kitchen;

Other methods to reduce firewood use

While cooking, keeping the lid on potshelps to reduce firewood use. This alsohelps to conserve nutrients in the food.

Another method of conserving fuelwood is called the"Haybox". This can be made in a basket or box filled with tightlypacked straw, as in the picture below, As soon as food (rice, pulses,vegetables, etc.) is brought to the boil on a normal stove, the pan isremoved and placed in the hay box, and covered well. Here, thereis no fire, but the food slowly keeps cooking, due to the conservedheat in the box. This takes 20-30 minutes longer than on a stove.After a while, take out the pan and the food is ready to eat.

covered by a lidstraw

clothlid of the pot

food inside (just boiled)

strawbasket or box

WhyWhy

The Farmers' Handbook, "Inside The House" Chapter 4 - Improved Stove4 5

HowHow To make animproved stove ?

Things to consider when making animproved stove

• get all the materials and tools ready first;• map out the height of the kitchen's wall;• map out the stove according to the needs of the family;• allow for a place to clean the stove;• the hole to allow smoke out should be out of the wind.

Materials needed to make an improved stove

bowl

string

diggingtools

soil

stones

brick makingform (see p.8)

cookingpans

straw orhusk

This Chapter's Author:Mr Laxman RanaCommunity Service Group,Dahachaur 4, Surkhet, Nepal

Making the Improved Stove

An improved stove uses a chimney to pass the smokeout of the kitchen. There are 2 ways of making a chimney todo this :-

1. Making bricks using mud "pancakes"2. Making bricks using a wooden form or mould

On this stoveunleavened flat

bread can be madeover the mouth ofthe firebox, as well

as smoke goingoutside

1. Making bricks using mud "pancakes"In this method only clay, straw or rice husk, water and a

small bowl are needed.First mix the clay and the husk, or straw cut into 2 inch

lengths, with water to make a stiff texture, like dough.see the pictures on the next page

soil


1

4

2

3

6 7

Making bricks from clay "pancakes"Making bricks from clay "pancakes"

The pancakes should be8 inches in diameter

8 inches

The bowl should be 4 inchesin diameter

Place thebowl upside

down on the pan-cake and pressdown, like this

The up-turned bowl

will cut the clay

make 30-35 pan-cakes like this

This willmake a hole

the same shapeand size as thebowl

5

2. Making a chimney using a wooden formor mould

Materials needed to make the form

One 3-inch nail

Eighteen 2inch nails

measuring tape

hammer

roundpiece ofwood

saw

timber

length 4-5 feet, width 7 inches,thickness half to one inch

Cut the timberinto pieces asshown here len

gth7 i

nches

width7 inches

onepiece

2 pieces of length 7 inchesand width 4 inches

2 pieces of length 7 inchesand width 4 inches

One village will need only one of these forms


Join the 3 pieces of woodwith nails, like this

Saw 2 pieces of woodas shown below

length 15 inches,width 4 inches

Join the pieceswith nails, asshown here

Now put the round pieceof wood in the form

diameter4 inches

length3 inches

On the undersideof the form make

an 'X' betweenthe 4 corners tofind the centre

Holding the roundpiece of wood on

the other side, nailin the long

nail tohold it in

place

Making bricks in the Form

• mix the clay, husk or straw and water• wash the form well• scatter a little husk or straw in the form so it sticks to

the wet wood

Now put the claymix into the Form


Scrape off the excessclay to make level

Turn the formupside down and

tap gently

Leaving theclay brick onthe ground,gently lift theform off

To make thechimney,12-13 brickslike this areneeded

Make 1 brick without a holefor the top of the chimney

Make 2 brickslooking like this

The formused to

make thechimney

Rice husk, orchopped straw

Husk orstraw mixed

to a thickpaste

1

2

3

Let's seeLet's see How to make animproved stoveHow to make animproved stove


;fpnf;fpnf;fpnf;fpnf;fpnf

12 13

4

8

7

6

5

Cleaning the Form

Pressing theclay/straw mixinto the form

12-13 ofthese bricks

2 brickslike this

1 brickwithout ahole

Chimney brick afterremoving from the form

Starting tobuild the

stove

Bridgingstone overthe fire-box hole

Smokeleaves here

Build up thestove, leavingholes for potsand a path for smoke

Bridgingstones

Red arrowsshow pathwayfor smoke

Yellow linesshow emptyspaces left in-side the stove


11

10

9Holes for pots Hole for smoke

Cookingarea

prepared

Put firewood here

Now start to buildthe chimney withbricks made withthe form (or clay

pancakes)

After plastering,the stove is al-

lowed to dry outand can then be

used

In the below pictures is the processof building the stove in drawings

First, estimatethe best place for

the stove, andmap out with thetypes of pots tobe used and achimney brick

If using the clay pancakes for thechimney, use them to measure

Mark out ac-cording to themeasurements

Mark out theareas and path-

ways for firewood,fire and smoke


Start to build thewalls according to the

measurements

Iron rod

Use an iron rod if available. This sitsinside the pot's hole and allows

smaller pots to rest on it

Continueto buildup thewalls

Cooking areafinished

Inside the stovelooks like this

Below the sec-ond pot-hole asmall hump is

made. Thissends the

flames right upto the base of

the pot

This shows theinside when afire is burning

Between thehump and baseof the pot a 1.5

inch gapsmoke going

out

fire burning inthe stove

clay hump

Note: the pots should sit down in the hole (see page 22)

smoke goingout


Now use a string tomeasure the hole

going outside

Firstchimney

brick

Place thechimney

bricks likethis

If using the clay pancakebricks they look like this

After placing 12-13 of these bricks

the level of thehole is reached

This isthe waythe top 3

bricksare

placed(see

p.20)

After placing thetop 3 bricks, the

hole from thechimney and thehole going out-side should fit

exactly

1

3

2

1

3

2


The method to place the top 3 bricks is shown below

Brick 1 seenclose up

Brick 1


Brick 2

Hole to the outside


Brick 3

Finally, plaster thestove, and allow itto dry out. Then it

is ready to use


Things to pay attention towhen using the stove

In this picture the stove is beingused correctly - the pot islow in the hole wheremore flames reach thebase, and smoke can escape.

In this picture the stove is notused well - because the potdoes not sit low in the hole,the flames do not reachclose. In this way foodcooks slowly. This is due to using the wrongsize pots for the hole.

If the pots are the wrong size for thehole then, as in the diagram, put 3small stones under the pot todraw the flames up wherethey heat the base of thepot. But this allows moresmoke into the kitchen.

stones or clay

A well made stove, used correctly, will not let smoke outinto the kitchen. But this can cause another problem in thatthe smoke helps to control various pests which otherwise candamage timber, stored grain and seed. Smoke, protects thetimbers from these pests. Therefore, every few days smoke needs to be let into the house.

Cleaning the Improved Stove

• watch if smoke is passing or not• watch if food is cooking fast or slow• clean the chimney every week or 2 (see below)• plaster the stove daily (do not use dung)• measure how much firewood is used

Once every 2 weeks wrapcloth on the end of a stick to

clean the chimney

43

1

2

stickwithcloth

Open the stove to removethe dirt and soot

Clean from theoutside also

Re -plaster

Gri

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Mrs ChitramayaGharti Magar

Mrs ChitramayaGharti Magar

From Nepal, Surkhet district,Dahachaur - 4, and member of"Ritu Laligurans" and"Hariyali" women's group MrsChitramaya Gharti Magar hasmade an improved stove. Nowlet's read about what she says.

Because smoke affects ourhealth it's important to make thesmoke go outside. In the im-proved stove less firewood is alsoused, so time is saved collectingfuel as well as helping to protectthe forest. To make this stove stone, clay, rice husk and aform to make the chimney is all that's needed. We didn'thave a form in our village, so I used a bowl to make 35-36clay pancakes. The form also uses more clay. Making thepancakes needs less clay and you don't need the form, so Imade up this method. There's no smoke from my stove, andit uses less firewood. Once cooked, the food stays warm along time left on the stove. There are no flies and thefood can't burn. Also, the pans don't get so black withsoot. Now, I want teach others in the village howto make the stove.

Far

mer

s’ H

andb

ook,

“In

side

the

Hou

se”,

Boo

klet

5, H

ay B

ox

The need of today is to con-serve, recycle and use resourcesefficiently, and to save waste. Todo this many types of stove havebeen developed and taughtaround the world, in order to savefuel in cooking.

One method of cookingwhile saving fuel is called theHay Box. Food such as rice,pulses andvegetables are broughtto the boil on a traditional stove,and then immediately placed in abox packed with straw, and cov-ered. The food continues to cookeven though it is not on a stove,because the heat in the pan isenough to keep cooking the food,while the box and straw stop theheat from escaping. After sometime the pan is removed and thefood is ready to eat.

In this booklet we describehow to make and use a hay box outof locally available resources, toconserve fuel use in the home.

What is a

A pan of cooked ricetaken out of a hay box

Hay Box?Hay Box?

The Farmers’ Handbook “Inside the House” Booklet 5 - Hay Box

Use aHay Box?WhyWhy

Advantages of using the Hay Box

• Food can be cooked with less fuel (wood, kerosene, gas,electric, etc.)

• Because food is not boiled for a long time,many vitamins are saved

• Because pots are in the flames less, theylast longer

• Less time is spent cooking, so there ismore time for other activities

• The hay box can be made from local resources• It doesn’t require much skill to make and use.

Once the traditional stove has brought the food to theboil, the packing of the hay box (hay, straw, wool, cottoon,etc) keeps the heat in and this is enough to keep the foodcooking. This may take 10-20 minutes longer than if using adirect flame. In this way, for example, rice is brought to theboil, packed in the hay box and covered. It will continue tocook itself and will be ready in about 20 minutes longer thanon a normal fire.

This booklet’s authorChris Evans, advisor,Himalayan Permaculture Group, Nepalwww.designedvisions.com

You can make a Hay Box in your own home for yourown use. There’s no need for any special skill. In this bookletwe show how to use a traditional bamboo basket to make the“box”. But instead, a wooden box, cardboard box or even anold fridge or drum can be used. The size of the “box” shouldbe about 4-6 inches wider than the width of the pot. Becausein Nepal the bamboo basket is available everywhere, we findthis easiest to use.

Bamboobasket("box")

Materials needed to make a Hay Box

to make aHay Box ?HowHow

Towel orblanket

Lid forbox

Cooking pots

Straw/hay(or wool,cotton)

2 3


Method

Straw, hay etc. is packed tightly into whatever type of box orcontainer is available. While packing, leave enough space forthe size of pot you will be using. Keep some straw aside tocover the pot later. Keep a towel or blanket ready. The box isnow ready for use.

Instead of straw, dried grass, wool or cotton can also be used.

Once the box is ready, the cooking can begin in the kitchen.Start to cook your usual food, such as rice, vegetables, etc.,on your traditional stove, as you would normally do.

In the pictures on the next 4 pages we use the example ofcooking rice in the hay box. But whatever food you are cook-ing, use the stove just to bring it to the boil. As soon as thefood is boiling it is removed from the stove and placed in thehay box.

4 5

While pack-ing, leaveenough spacein the basketfor the pot tobe placed.

Pack straw tightly intothe bamboo basket.Instead of straw, driedgrass, wool or cottoncan also be used.

1

Let’s see How to make theHay BoxLet’s see How to make theHay Box

3

2


In the kitchen,start to cookyour usualfood in theusual way.

Thencom-pletelywrap thepot in ablanket ortowel.

In a few minutes thefood will start toboil. Then, cover thepot and remove itfrom the stove.

Cover it all withsacking or a blanket.

Pack more straw on topto completely fillthe box.

Place thewrapped potin the mid-dle of thepackedstraw.

4

5

6

7

8

9Booklet 5 - Hay BoxThe Farmers’ Handbook “Inside the House”The Farmers’ Handbook “Inside the House” Booklet 5 - Hay Box6 7

The Farmers’ Handbook “Inside the House” Booklet 5 - Hay Box 9

Finally, place arock or heavyobject to weighdown the lid.

Here the rice iscookedperfectly.

In 20-30 minutes thefood in the pot willfinish cooking by it-self. After this, youcan remove the foodwhenever you areready to eat.

How to usethe Hay Box

The food will cook by itselfinside the box in 20-30 minutes.After this, you can remove the foodto eat, or you can leave it there for3-4 hours or until you are ready toeat, and it will stay warm.

basket or boxstraw/hay etc.

food just boiledlid of pot

blanketstraw/hay etc.lid of the box

After a short while the food in the pot will start to boil.Then, cover the pot and take it off the stove. Then, com-pletely wrap the pot in a thick towel or blanket. Put the pot inthe middle of the packed straw. Cover it with more packedstraw to completely fill the box. Cover the box with a lid, andfinally place a weight on the lid.

MaintenanceMaintenance10

11

12

8 The Farmers’ Handbook “Inside the House”The Farmers’ Handbook “Inside the House”

The Farmers’ Handbook “Inside the House” Booklet 5 - Hay Box10

Inside the box with itslid and tightly packed straw,food cooks and stays warmfor a long time. It works inthe same way that freshlyboiled tea is kept hot for along time inside a thermosflask.

Another benefit of using the hay box is that because thefood is not boiled for a long time, vitamins are not lost inover-cooking, so the food is more nutritious.

Just by keepingthe lid on the potwhile cooking saves a lot offuel. Nutrients in the food arealso saved.

Another way of saving fuel in cooking

WhoseResponsibility

?

GoodFood &HealthyFamily


æ

Æ

I find this hay box reallyeasy to use and very benefi-cial. I can start cooking thengo off to the fields or the forest and just at the time whenI start to feel hungry come home and the food is ready,hot and fresh in the hay box. I boil the rice in the pot andskim off the excess water, then wrap the whole pot withrice and lid in a thick cloth and place inside the hay box,and it's cooked in just half an hour. I reckon that it savesabout the same amount of fuelwood that I'd use to cook

the vegetables each meal. I really likemethods like this, that can make our lives

easier as well as helping to protectthe environment

From Humla district capitalSimikot Mrs Shivakala Rokayais a member of JolimungraVegetable Growers Group.She's made and used a hay box -let's read about her experience.

Mrs Shivakala Rokaya

Mrs ShivakalaRokaya

11

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○

○

○

○

○

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Read On !Read On !

Subjects Related to the Hay Box

Hay BoxChapter

Diet and NutritionChapter

Improved StoveChapterIn Nepal 95% of house-holds use firewood forcooking food. Everyoneknows the effects of toomuch smoke in the kitchen

but what todo ? Now let’slearn about aneasy andsuccessfulmethod.

Many diseases can beprevented by a healthydiet, In this chapter,information is givenabout the benefits pro-vided bydifferenttypesoffood.

Good benefits can be had from the information in thisbook about the hay box. However, this information is alsolinked to other methods. For extra benefits let’s read, learnand practice from other related chapters.

The Farmers's Handbook, Part 1 - Inside the House

Design

resultsthis farmers

farmers of surkhet

mr chris evanstranslated

chris evansedited

hay box stove

techniquesseparate chapter

methods willresource

simple methods