Harvesting the Sun: Forage silage and feedlots for animal feed

The alternative energy experience (harvesting the sun), began in 2015 with the participation in the field school, in the production of silage for native chickens with local resources.

Each family became researchers and observers; from the experience, the mixes for the different animals (pigs, cows, chickens, camuruses, broilers, fish) were modified.

Local raw materials such as mandarins, yucca, plantain, ahuyama, bore stem and leaf, buttercup, matarratón and chaya are used. Before the experiment was carried out, crops were lost because market prices were not profitable.

Through different mingas, the women implemented forage gardens and elaborated a work plan to establish gardens in each of the committee members’ rural reserves.

The main species planted are bore, matarratón, corn, buttercup, sorghum, mulberry, corn, yucca, chaya and switchgrass. This process has allowed us to know the agroecological behavior of each plot, in terms of soil conditions, water, shade and the development of the species themselves.

The agroecological proposal enriches and helps communities to be more resilient to climate change (periods of drought); the silage is used and conserves products that serve to feed the animals in times of low harvest, decreases dependence on external inputs such as concentrates, saves money and improves the economy of women farmers.

Technical characteristics of the proposal

Silage is a forage conservation method and its objective is to conserve the nutritional value of the feed. This process allows for the storage of surplus crops in times of production, to be used in times of scarcity. This is a liberating alternative to dependence on concentrate.

Balanced feed rations are prepared: energy/fiber (70%) and protein (30%), added to the mineral component (sea salt) and cinnamon, to preserve the silage. The silages are used for the feeding of broiler chickens, semi-breeder chickens, camurian chickens and cows.

As for raw materials for silage production, fresh and dehydrated material is used. To produce 100 kilos of silage, 70 kilos of cassava, bore, plantain, ahuyama, mandarin, corn and 30 kilos of hoop, button of gold, matarrratón and/or chaya are used.

Steps to elaborate silage:

• Step 1: Select raw materials and balance the feed ration, chop and mix evenly and then pack in the bin.
• Step 2: Pour the mixture into the bucket in layers and compact with gentle blows with a tamper to «remove» the air. Sea salt is added on each layer when the silage is for chickens and hens, and mineralized salt is used if it is for cows and goats.
• Step 3: When the bin is full and flush, the silage is covered/sealed.
• Step 4: The silage can be used one month after its preparation. When uncovered, it should have a uniform color, pleasant odor and absence of fungus.

The group guarantees the continuous feeding of livestock species. Every 5 months, community mingas are held in which 1,000 kilos of silage are prepared and distributed among the women of the committee who participate in the process.

Forage orchards: The balancing of alternative diets is done from the planting of forage species; for this purpose, the following principles apply at the time of establishing a forage orchard:

• Work with fast rebounding forage species that are known and adapted to the area.
• The orchards are planted with 2 to 3 multipurpose forage species, which facilitates their management (cleaning, cutting, pruning).
• The planting distance used is 70 cm between rows and 50 cm between plants.
• Sow forage species in a proportion, having fiber/energy (70%) and protein (30%) contributions.
• Planting should be done on easily accessible land that is close to homes.

For example, in a forage orchard with 100 plants, 70 should provide fiber and energy and 30 protein. The average area of forage orchards is 500 to 1,000 square meters.

Productive, community, environmental, or economic processes or activities that were positively impacted by the implementation of the community experience of TEJ.

Silage is grown in small areas of the family farms; agroforestry systems, transitory crops, cocoa and fodder gardens were created for silage production. The crops are irrigated with rainwater harvests that were installed on the roofs of the houses.

The main objective of crop diversification is to feed families and livestock species (pigs, chickens, fish, camurian, semi-breeding chicken).

The productive activities led by the women have allowed them to have their own economies, for example, raising semi-coastal chickens and processing food, such as curd, yogurt, coconut oil, chorizos, chocolate balls, coffee, beef jelly, arequipe and banana cakes.

With silage, it was possible to save money that was previously dedicated to the purchase of concentrate. A batch of 10 chickens fed with these silages costs $75,000 thousand pesos, while a batch of 10 chickens fed with commercial concentrate cost between $250,000 to $300,000 thousand pesos.

Women’s participation in the TEJ community experience

The women are leading the changes in the production systems from an agroecological approach, for which they have declared their farms as peasant reserve zones.

Since the covid-19 pandemic, the neighbors have taken the work of the women of Ammucale as an example and are integrating these planting and diversification practices for their own consumption. Men initially did not believe in the community process, which is why the transformations that women have achieved within the territory through their work are so important. The experience allowed the women of the organization to influence decision making and change the so-called «cultural» patterns in which men control decisions, money and permissions.

The women work in community conservation, rescuing biodiversity through the conservation of native seeds.

Impact of the community experience of TEJ on public policy

Have participated in a Latin American campaign on gender equity and empowerment of peasant and indigenous women’s groups – Mujeres 2030: «Towards good living with gender justice and environmental equity: gender analysis of the Sustainable Development Goals in 5 Latin American countries».

https://globalforestcoalition.org/es/lac-gender-assessments-report/