Friday, November 3, 2017

Feel Good Friday - Tress for the Future

"We believe in the power of trees." Me too! That' why Trees for the Future is today's Feel Good Friday organization.

Since 1989, Trees for the Future has been working with farmers in dozens of countries to plant over 115 million trees! As they explain on the website, "planting trees provides families with more than just food. It provides income, empowerment, unity, leadership, education and even saves lives. When we can teach people to value themselves and their environment, they see amazing improvements in their standard of living."

Here's how it works. People from the Forest Garden Program provide training, mentoring, seeds and nursery supplies to groups of farmers over a four year period so they can plant specific types of trees and crops in a systemic manner. First comes fast-growing fertilizer trees to stabilize the soil. Next are the fruit, vegetable, nut and timber trees which have a higher value and require advanced skills to maintain. The final phase of the project is transitioning ownership of the trees to the farmer groups that have been planing and maintaining them.

These forest gardens "provide families with sustainable food sources, livestock feed, products to sell, fuel wood and up to 500% increase in their annual income." All that and combating deforestation too! You can learn more about Trees by reading some stories from the field or watching this short documentary (19 min) released in October, 2017.

If you like what you learn, there are a variety of ways you can help including fundraising, donating and volunteering. As always, stay in the loop by liking their Facebook page and following them on Twitter @Treesftf. "Plant Trees. Feed Families. Change Lives."

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