Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Garden-making time!
Ack! Sorry again for the lack of blogging... when the posts are few and far between it's safe to assume that I'm super busy working on my project. So here's an update!
Since my last trip to the countryside my garden project has really taken off. I was considering 3 or 4 different portable garden designs but I've finally chosen one to mass produce and give to herders to test out. You can see what it's inspired by here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjItiepmPA0
Mine is a little different from the above. The watering system is manual (a.k.a. you pour the water in at the top and when it trickles through you catch it in a soda bottle at the bottom and then pour it back through the top), but otherwise it's pretty similar. I chose this design for a few reasons. First, the frame makes it sturdy and durable, which is important if it's going to be out on the steppe on top of a ger and moved around. Second, you can get all the materials in Mongolia for relatively low cost. So far the projected cost is about $10-$20 per garden, though I will know the exact numbers when it's finished. Also I like this design because it conserves water, which I think will be one of the determining factors in the success or usefulness of the gardens when they're used. Finally, I chose this design for cosmetic reasons. Herders already place large, square solar panels, and square wooden boxes to dry milk products on top of their gers, so I'm hoping this design won't be so bizarrely different from that. I'm hoping the sort of familiarity will make it less weird for herders who are trying out gardening for the first time.
So that is my plan and I have been hard at work making the gardens. I was able to negotiate some work space at the Agricultural University (not an easy task, I'll tell you), and have set up a sort of garden factory in a corner of a professor's lab. Between many trips to the hardware market district and the "black" market I've amassed almost all of the tools I need, plus the necessary hose tubing, etc. It was an interesting day when I went to the plumbing section and told them I needed 400 T-pipe pieces... It became even more interesting when a homeless guy tried to steal a bag of them when I was getting in a taxi and I ended up chasing him down the street. But aside from people thinking I'm an absolute crazy lady, things are going really well! At this point it's mostly just a tedious process of preparing all the parts of the gardens. Oh, and collecting plastic bottles... I need over 800 for all the gardens. A few days ago I scandalized the neighborhood by picking through the trash in the apartment courtyards and collecting bottles. It will probably be my main method for collecting bottles since I need so many. When I have enough bottles and all the parts of my gardens I'll begin assembling them, and then in early June I will distribute them to the families who have agreed to test them.
So that's what I've been up to here in Mongolia. I'm heading out for my final countryside trip in the next few days, provided the weather improves. Spring in Mongolia is a funny time, you can have hot sunny days next to dust storms rolling up from the Gobi, next to blizzard-like snow storms. If the weather is good, I'll be heading off to Arvaikheer by next week!
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Countryside Research Trip 2
Hello again folks!
Since I last wrote I have planned and completed my second countryside research trip! woohoo! That's 2 of 3 initial trips completed. My plan is to try out my garden design with herders living in 3 different parts of Mongolia.
My first site, the Northern site, was interesting because it's a lush valley (by Mongolian standards) and the historical center of agriculture in Mongolia. Most of the people I interviewed had moved to this area from the western provinces anytime from last year to 30 years ago so they could take advantage of the good grazing land that wasn't being used for farming. I think it's a fascinating case study of the interaction between farmers and herders and how that might help or hurt my nomadic gardening effort.
The new site I visited is in the countryside around Undurkhaan city, to the east. This time it was just me and Khongor, my translator friend, so we were able to get it all done in 2 days. This is a completely different place both ecologically and culturally. I chose this site because a. it's the true steppe grasslands, a flat expanse of feathery golden grasses populated by ground squirrels and gazelles, and b. there is a paved road all the way to the city. This means it's easy enough to get back and forth between it (feasibility! always important!). In this Eastern site I found a very different picture emerging from the people I talked to. Most people were born and bred in Khentii province (Undurkhaan's province) and had lived there their entire lives. Most families had more livestock than the Northern families but fewer cows, were busier with their herding, and also were much more suspicious of my presence. Generally fewer people were interested in talking to me. Of course there were still some very warm and hospitable families, but it seemed to be the exception rather than the rule. Still, I was able to do 10 interviews and find 9 families willing to test out my garden. So that's really good!
Now, I am beginning to design and construct the gardens. I will let you all know how they're coming along. I'm also planning my 3rd trip to the countryside, out to the west to a town called Arvaikheer. Being on the edge of the Gobi, that will be another different and interesting site!
Since I last wrote I have planned and completed my second countryside research trip! woohoo! That's 2 of 3 initial trips completed. My plan is to try out my garden design with herders living in 3 different parts of Mongolia.
My first site, the Northern site, was interesting because it's a lush valley (by Mongolian standards) and the historical center of agriculture in Mongolia. Most of the people I interviewed had moved to this area from the western provinces anytime from last year to 30 years ago so they could take advantage of the good grazing land that wasn't being used for farming. I think it's a fascinating case study of the interaction between farmers and herders and how that might help or hurt my nomadic gardening effort.
The new site I visited is in the countryside around Undurkhaan city, to the east. This time it was just me and Khongor, my translator friend, so we were able to get it all done in 2 days. This is a completely different place both ecologically and culturally. I chose this site because a. it's the true steppe grasslands, a flat expanse of feathery golden grasses populated by ground squirrels and gazelles, and b. there is a paved road all the way to the city. This means it's easy enough to get back and forth between it (feasibility! always important!). In this Eastern site I found a very different picture emerging from the people I talked to. Most people were born and bred in Khentii province (Undurkhaan's province) and had lived there their entire lives. Most families had more livestock than the Northern families but fewer cows, were busier with their herding, and also were much more suspicious of my presence. Generally fewer people were interested in talking to me. Of course there were still some very warm and hospitable families, but it seemed to be the exception rather than the rule. Still, I was able to do 10 interviews and find 9 families willing to test out my garden. So that's really good!
Now, I am beginning to design and construct the gardens. I will let you all know how they're coming along. I'm also planning my 3rd trip to the countryside, out to the west to a town called Arvaikheer. Being on the edge of the Gobi, that will be another different and interesting site!
Monday, April 2, 2012
Stepperiders
Here's the second post to make up for not posting at all in about two weeks!
So I got back from the research trip on Wednesday, and then on Saturday I went out with a big group of Fulbrighters and friends to Stepperiders, a horse riding ger camp about an hour outside of UB. We split into two groups (there were 12 of us total) and went for a sort of countryside trail ride. Trail riding with Mongolian horses means that the horses more or less end up choosing the path, speed, and duration of the trip. I was lucky and got one of the horses who was more inclined to cooperate with his rider. He was a really good horse actually. Pleasant, eager to please, responsive and athletic... When we got off the steep mountainous part and made it to the gently rolling steppe, he pricked his ears up and cheerfully trotted at the head of the group. We stopped for a break at a well to water the horses and then mounted up again to head back. The horses were all a lot more excited about this part of the trip, the part where we went home.
My horse, who I named 'Toast', wanted nothing more than to gleefully gallop his heart out straight back to the camp. He plunged down into the dips in the landscape and then surged up the hills, snorting happily. At one point we were calmly cantering until Joe's horse broke into a gallop, and with a little squeeze of my heels Toast accepted the challenge. He lowered his head and threw himself forward, quickly catching up with Joe's horse until he was sailing past. Racing across the steppe on the back of a half-wild horse was wonderful and exhilirating!
The next morning we went for a hike around the area. I found some circular piles of stones which I think are ancient grave sites (they look similar to others I've seen in Mongolia), and saw some giant vultures, and even a showdown between a crow and a vulture in the sky! (the crow drove off the vulture). Overall it was another great trip to the countryside: good company, beautiful landscapes, and fun activities.
So I got back from the research trip on Wednesday, and then on Saturday I went out with a big group of Fulbrighters and friends to Stepperiders, a horse riding ger camp about an hour outside of UB. We split into two groups (there were 12 of us total) and went for a sort of countryside trail ride. Trail riding with Mongolian horses means that the horses more or less end up choosing the path, speed, and duration of the trip. I was lucky and got one of the horses who was more inclined to cooperate with his rider. He was a really good horse actually. Pleasant, eager to please, responsive and athletic... When we got off the steep mountainous part and made it to the gently rolling steppe, he pricked his ears up and cheerfully trotted at the head of the group. We stopped for a break at a well to water the horses and then mounted up again to head back. The horses were all a lot more excited about this part of the trip, the part where we went home.
My horse, who I named 'Toast', wanted nothing more than to gleefully gallop his heart out straight back to the camp. He plunged down into the dips in the landscape and then surged up the hills, snorting happily. At one point we were calmly cantering until Joe's horse broke into a gallop, and with a little squeeze of my heels Toast accepted the challenge. He lowered his head and threw himself forward, quickly catching up with Joe's horse until he was sailing past. Racing across the steppe on the back of a half-wild horse was wonderful and exhilirating!
The next morning we went for a hike around the area. I found some circular piles of stones which I think are ancient grave sites (they look similar to others I've seen in Mongolia), and saw some giant vultures, and even a showdown between a crow and a vulture in the sky! (the crow drove off the vulture). Overall it was another great trip to the countryside: good company, beautiful landscapes, and fun activities.
The group of us
View from the top of the mountain
Me and Toast! and everyone!
Stopping for water
Countryside Research Trip 1
Apologies for the long break in posting! I've spent about a week and a half in and out of the countryside, plus a few days before that of hectic preparation. But I'll make up for it with an extra post today!
So last week I went on my very first research trip to the countryside! The plan was to interview as many nomadic herders as possible about the plants they eat and use, and what they think about agriculture or gardening in general. I was able to team up with Ana, another Fulbrighter, who is here studying heavy metal contamination of water sources. We decided to go to Darkhan and Selenge provinces- about a 5 hour drive north of Ulaanbaatar- because there used to be lots of mining there, and it's also the agricultural center of Mongolia. Potentially contaminated rivers for her, herders who live next to farms for me!
On Saturday March 24th we assembled our crew and hit the road. Together we were a group of 6: Me, Ana, our driver Miga, my translator Khongor, my roommate Holly, and Nathan the biologist. Holly and Nathan were just looking to tag along on our adventure in the countryside so they chipped in for gas and came with us.
Overall we had a really great trip! In a nutshell, here are some of the highlights of the 5 days we were in the countryside:
Meeting several nomadic herder families, breathing fresh air, enjoying the sunny/warm weather, "helping" herd, aka petting baby goats, drinking salty milk tea, staying overnight with a herder family in a ger, visiting the Russian border town, birdwatching, photo ops at random monuments, picnics, puppies, tree-climbing, fossil-finding, visiting sacred wishing trees.
Here are some of the photos we took!
So last week I went on my very first research trip to the countryside! The plan was to interview as many nomadic herders as possible about the plants they eat and use, and what they think about agriculture or gardening in general. I was able to team up with Ana, another Fulbrighter, who is here studying heavy metal contamination of water sources. We decided to go to Darkhan and Selenge provinces- about a 5 hour drive north of Ulaanbaatar- because there used to be lots of mining there, and it's also the agricultural center of Mongolia. Potentially contaminated rivers for her, herders who live next to farms for me!
On Saturday March 24th we assembled our crew and hit the road. Together we were a group of 6: Me, Ana, our driver Miga, my translator Khongor, my roommate Holly, and Nathan the biologist. Holly and Nathan were just looking to tag along on our adventure in the countryside so they chipped in for gas and came with us.
Overall we had a really great trip! In a nutshell, here are some of the highlights of the 5 days we were in the countryside:
Meeting several nomadic herder families, breathing fresh air, enjoying the sunny/warm weather, "helping" herd, aka petting baby goats, drinking salty milk tea, staying overnight with a herder family in a ger, visiting the Russian border town, birdwatching, photo ops at random monuments, picnics, puppies, tree-climbing, fossil-finding, visiting sacred wishing trees.
Here are some of the photos we took!
First water sample site.
Darimaa and her children, one of the families that agreed to test the prototype of my portable garden this summer.
This family wanted me to pictures of them with their herds.
I'm helping! I'm helping!
Kids from another family that agreed to test my garden. Proudly posing with their latest generation of livestock.
Ana in the van!
Holly and Nathan in the van!
Khongor in the van!
Me in the van!
This mother dog looked like a little coyote. Her and her puppies were friendly and we fed her some leftover scraps.
The sacred Wishing Tree site we visited. The whole area was decorated with ritual khadag (scarves) tied to trees and draped over branches and logs.
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