Great connections with friends & supporters at this year's Annual General Meeting!
Missed it?  Find out about what we've been working on and what's ahead by visiting our blog - click here!
You can renew your membership or make a donation online by clicking here!
Many thanks for all the good wishes, for coming out to celebrate with us, and
to everyone who helped with the food, the chai, the sweets, the set-up and the clean-up!
Namaste and special thanks to dancers Cathy Stoyko, Kristi Walker and Anne Marie Scott 
for a very beautiful and moving Indian dance performance.  ....
Fertile Ground and our partners in Assam will be offering opportunities for volunteers again in 2016.  Do you love organic farming?  Know how to make compost or use a digital camera to produce simple videos?   Interested in learning about the people and cultures of north east India?  Contact us for more details! 
Planting seeds of knowledge and protecting important seeds of Assam!
Thanks to a donation from Salt Spring Growers & Seed Savers, farmer and seed saver Mahan Borah is now storing and growing out over 200 varieties of
indigenous paddy (rice).   Mahan has also collected seed of many traditionally-grown vegetables, including brinjal (eggplant), chili and bean.

Reflections on our 2014 AGM!

Congratulations to Jennifer Pickford and Judy Goldschmidt - winners of the two insulated bags full of organic sprouts, oils and other goodies generously donated by our friends at Eatmore Sprouts! 
Want to help out?    
Donate online or write to us at Box 179, Merville, BC  V0R 2M0
Tax receipts available for donations of $25 or more.
Fertile Ground Coordinator, Peggy Carswell, at a meeting with tea growers, the Tea Board of India, IFOAM and FAO's Intergovernmental Committee on Tea, requesting more support for independent, small-scale producers
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In northeast India, there is still limited support available for farmers and growers following local farming methods, or for those interested in incorporating organic agriculture practices such as composting, mulching, and natural pest control.

For the past 12 years, Fertile Ground has provided encouragement, training and resources to farmers, small-scale tea growers, extension staff,  teachers, students and families living in the state of Assam.

Our projects support people to grow healthy food by combining important elements of India's traditional knowledge with simple organic practices that make use of locally available materials.

An important part of our work is providing opportunities for volunteers to take part in outreach activities in towns and villages throughout the state - to share their skills and enthusiasm and exchange information about the cultures and values of our two countries
HIGHLIGHTS OF FERTILE GROUND'S 
10TH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING!
       Just a few of the terrific volunteers who've traveled to Assam to work with us !  
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Clockwise from upper left:  Michelle Hua, Taiwan, Niels vonMeyenfeldt, British Columbia., Megan Lickley, Nova Scotia, Samantha Parlour, Ontario, Sundar Sekarmathi, Tamil Nadu, and Hillary Barter, Nova Scotia


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Mitch Brost, a recent graduate of Camosun College's Environmental Technology program, volunteered with Fertile Ground's projects in Assam.
“I found my experience in Ambikapur to be incredibly eye-opening.  I had an amazing time there, and found the work to be very fulfilling.

I'm so grateful for having had the opportunity to participate with this project. 

I'm not overstating it when I say this trip to India has changed the direction I'm taking in my life and the work I want  to do.”
A new organic farming program is underway at Kakojan College,
near Jorhat, Assam!  
 CLICK HERE FOR INFO!
or view a slideshow
    Read more about this and other  
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES    on Vancouver Island and in Assam.
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click here to read or download the
FALL 2014 NEWSLETTER !
Great fun at "Get Growing" - a workshop held at Lake Trail Neighbourhood Connections!

Stengthening connections with small-scale organic tea growers!               
For the past 2 years, growers from Assam, Tripura, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Bhutan and Meghalaya have taken part in meetings organized by OSTGANE,  the Organic Small Tea Growers of North East (India).  

OSTGANE was created in response to a meeting organized by Pompy Ghosh, a staff member at Adarsh Seuj Prakalpa located in Digboi, Assam.
 
Click here to visit OSTGANE's website and follow exciting new developments that will bring much-needed support to independent, family-run tea gardens!

Things could be looking up for some of Assam's small-scale tea growers!
www.teanewsdirect.com/2013/10/india-tea-board-approves-micro-mini-factories/




Find out how Kids to Kids has made connections between young people in Canada and Assam - or watch some neat videos about past projects - just cllick on the photo above!
                       "10 YEARS OF FAIR TRADE TEA" -   CELEBRATING THE ASSAM TEA PROJECT !
                                                           with World Community, Edible Island and Fertile Ground
                                                                             Read more about last October's event by clicking here or visiting our new blog!
                                                                                                                          ...more photos on Facebook