• What's CIESA?
• The Biointensive method
• What for?
• How?
• What do we count with?
• Where?
• Who are we?
• How to support us?
What's CIESA?
It's a project created by Mr. Mark Jordan and Fernando Pia, agronomic engineer, who started an educational demonstration garden in 1994 in Las Golondrinas Valley, in Chubut Province, Patagonia Argentina, putting into practice the Biointensive method developed by Mr. John Jeavons, Ecology Action Executive Director, who continues working and spreading his knowledge to others next to his team in Willits (California), since 1970.
The Biointensive method
The Biointensive method has demonstrated, since 1994 through experiences in our region, that produces 2 - 3 times the region average, utilizes 1/5 less water, increases the organic matter of the soil, requires the use of hand tools and is sustainable. After many tests we can say that a family of four can grow the 40-60% of a vegetarian diet (saving approximately $1000 a year) and have an annual income of $2000-3000 in 50 beds of 10m2 each (500m2) working one person 6 hours a day for 9 months.
What for?
Environmental objetives:
The organic agriculture doesn't use agrotoxics (synthetic chemicals) that contaminate the environment and are dangerous to aur health.

Social objetives
• To introduce an alternative self-sufficency to the massive emigration from the fields to the cities, that implies not just uprooting but an increased unemployment, extreme poverty, malnutrition, infant mortality, alcoholism, etc.
• To promote family mini-garden and organic garden development, offering an efective tool for those who leave from big cities looking for a way of life close to nature.
• To estimulate cultural exchange sharing experiencies through workshops among different cultural background people of the country and the world.
How?
1 - Research Program:
• Sustainability of production;
• New vegetables and berry variaties;
• Covered crops;
• Organic pest control;
• Compost crops.

2 - Workshops:
Oriented to diseminate the Biointensive method, CIESA offers 3-day workshops in its experimental center in Las Golondrinas. Up to date (Sept. 2001) we have offered more than 30 workshops teaching more than 700 participants in Argentina and LatinAmerica Considering the Biointensive method can be applied in different climates, extra regional workshops may be offered under request.
a) Organic gardening basic and intermediate levels;
b) Permaculture;
c) Alternative cooking;

3 - Annual Apprenticeship Program:
a) Annual: Program especially focussed on teaching teachers coming from the patagonian desertic areas, supported by Ente Región Sur, Río Negro Province, where there are over 10 Biointensive gardens growing under extreme weather conditions.
b) Summer Program: oriented to university students.

4 - Other activities:
Conferences, garden tours, published articles and booklets, radio programmes.

5 - Production
Our Production is sold:
a) In our farm.
b) Feria in El Bolsón.
c) Home delivery.


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What do we count with?


There are 2 hectares where the 3500 sq. m. garden, (the project's heart) and a 150 sq. m. building of adobe and strawbales with kitchen, apprentices bedroom, office and multipurpose room are placed. We have got a mud stove, a compost toilet to recycle human waste (in research), a 500 sq. m. green house and 100 sq. m. builing for appropiate technology workshops.
Where?
In Las Golondrinas, Lago Puelo Municipe, Chubut Province, Patagonia Argentina, 7 km south El Bolson, by National Road Nš 40, turning to the left in Km 138,5 and 400 m. towards east there is a sign it says CIESA on the right. For visiting make a prior arrengement by the phone.

You can contact us by:
Mailpost: Proyecto Ciesa - Lista de Correo (8430) El Bolsón, Argentina
Prhone 54 294 4471832
E-mail: proyectociesa@gmail.com
Who are we?
• Fernando Pia - Agronomic Engineer - CIESA Cofounder General Director.
• Mark Jordan - Cofounder and permanent collaborator.
• Carlos Straub - Permaculture Coordinator.
• Temporary team of apprentices and volunteers.

Support
Thanks:
• To Direction of Agriculture of Chubut Province
• To Ecology Action, Deep Ecology and LEAF Foundation (USA) for their immeasurable support.
• To Avina Group.
How to support us?
If you are identified with our objectives, it would be very important to us to count with money support and memberships to make possible the continuity of this project. If you want to be part of CIESA PROJECT, fill in the form on the back and send it with the amount you choose.
Thanks.
Proyecto Ciesa - Lista de Correo (8430) El Bolsón, Argentina
Phone: 54 294 4471832. E-mail: proyectociesa@gmail.com