Biointensive for Russia was formed in July 1993 by Carol Vesecky and Liza Loop, following their facilitation of the Moscow publication of 50,000 copies of a Russian translation of John Jeavons' authoritative PRIMER on Biointensive gardening and minifarming, HOW TO GROW MORE VEGETABLES.... BfR's initial task was to offer a service enabling books to be mail-ordered from the U.S. and sent out from Moscow. To date, Americans have presented over 300 copies of KAK VYRASCHIVAT' BOL'SHE OVOSCHEI... to their Russian-literate friends living in Eurasia.
While continuing the book service described above, Vesecky turned her efforts in another direction beginning in July 1994, when John Jeavons suggested bringing Eurasians to his model mini-farm in Willits, CA, USA for training. Funds were raised to enable Larissa Avrorina (one of nine applicants) to attend the November 1994 workshop. Larissa is educational director of Ecodom, Inc. in Akademgorodok/Novosibirsk, Siberia, an organization of scientists working to develop and build environmentally sound housing with solar, biotoilets, and drainwater reprocessing. (Ecodom project information link will be added soon.) Avrorina's visit led to the ISAR/USAID-funded joint project "Toward an Integral Home and Garden" and to the arrival of three more participants from St. Petersburg in March, 1995, four from various locations in Russia and one in Kazakhstan in March, 1996 (including one from Russia's Ministry of Agriculture) and one from the Russian Far East in March, 1997. The two-week visits include the 3-day workshop and many other gardening and environment-related activities.
All but two of these are now teaching Biointensive from their respective institutions. In summer 1996, Avrorina directed a full-scale experiment comparing the efficacy of Biointensive versus traditional Siberian gardening methods, and the editing and publication of a Russian-English, English-Russian Biointensive glossary. With further funding, she is prepared to organize the translation and publication of more U.S. environmental publications. She co-taught a 3-day seminar on Biointensive gardening and ecologically sound living in Akademgorodok (the "academic town" associated with the Russian Academy of Sciences near Novosibirsk, in Siberia, Russia) at the end of January, 1996 to 65 enthusiastic participants. The attendees included a Georgian from Tbilisi, an American from Rodale Institute based in Moscow, a German graduate student studying in Irkutsk, and many Siberian private farmers and agricultural specialists.
One of the Russians came from Russia's Agriculture Ministry in Moscow. Inspired by their concern for the environment and interest in grassroots cooperation, Vesecky and Avrorina are continuing their efforts to develop joint U.S.-Eurasian designs for environmentally sound living.
For more information on our offerings, achievements, and future plans, please contact Carol Vesecky at <cvesecky@igc.org>, phone 415-856-9751 or fax 415-424-8767.
Tax deductible, cash and in-kind donations to this work as well as unpaid
internships may be arranged through LO*OP Center, Inc.
<loopcntr@rahul.net>, phone 415-322-6491, fax 415-323-4585
Last Updated May 19, 1997
------------------------------------------------------------
Carol Vesecky, Director * * * * * Biointensive for Russia
ph 415-856-9751 * * * * * * * 831 Marshall Drive
fax 415-424-8767 * * * * * Palo Alto, CA 94303-3614
<cvesecky@igc.apc.org>