Subsistence Family Farming Honor

Agricultural Activities

Requirements

  1. Take part in setting up a vegetable garden with an area of at least 10 square meters, fulfilling the following requirements.
    • Choice of location
    • Cleaning the area, including the removal of weeds
    • Preparing the soil for cultivation
    • Carry out the planting and cultivation of some variety of plant.

    Answer: A site with 6h+ of sun/drainage. Clear the weeds. Till to 20cm + organic fertilizer. Plant. Minimum 10m². — Direct sun for 6h+/day is essential for the photosynthesis of vegetables. Well-drained soil prevents waterlogging and root diseases (fungi). Tilling to a depth of 20cm loosens the soil, allowing roots to grow. Organic fertilizer (cured manure, compost) provides natural NPK. 10m² yields vegetables for a family of 4 weekly.

  2. List the basic tools to be used for work in subsistence family farming and describe the main precautions we must take when handling these tools.

    Answer: Hoe, shovel, rake, watering can, sickle, shears, wheelbarrow. Use PPE, sharpen, clean and store dry. — The hoe is the most used tool — for weed control and tilling. Sharp blades require LESS force (safer). The wooden handle needs periodic sanding to avoid splinters. Tetanus is a real risk if a rusty tool cuts the skin — keeping the tetanus vaccine up to date is essential in any family garden work.

  3. Present a report demonstrating and explaining the types of fertilizer, also describing the main characteristics of each material identified.

    Answer: Organic (manure/compost): slow, improves the soil. Mineral NPK: fast. Green manure: legumes. — NPK = Nitrogen (leaves), Phosphorus (roots/flowers), Potassium (fruits). Cured cattle manure (3 months) has a natural NPK of 1.5-2-1. Earthworm humus is the richest organic fertilizer (more bacteria and enzymes). Green manure (jack bean, velvet bean) fixes nitrogen from the air, reducing the need for chemical fertilization.

  4. Demonstrate, through a practical activity, the process of organic fertilization of your vegetable garden.

    Answer: Spread manure/compost (2-3kg/m²), mix in 5-10cm, water. Repeat every 3 months. Take a photo. — Cured cattle manure (without a strong smell) is the most used because it is cheap and rich in organic matter. Homemade compost (peels + leaves + food scraps) takes 3-6 months to be ready. Do not use fresh manure — it burns roots and causes imbalance. 2-3kg/m² is the recommended dose for subsistence family gardens.

  5. List which of the following plant families you will grow in your vegetable garden, name at least 3 species from each of the families listed below and mention the best time of year for cultivation.
    • Tubers
    • Grasses
    • Legumes
    • Leafy greens
    • Fruits

    Answer: Name at least 3 species per family and the best cultivation time: 1) Tubers/roots: potato, cassava, carrot, sweet potato, beet — autumn/winter (milder climate). 2) Grasses (cereals): corn, rice, wheat, sorghum — corn/rice in spring-summer (rainy season), wheat in autumn-winter. 3) Legumes (pulses): beans, peas, peanuts, soybeans, fava beans — rainy-season beans (Oct-Nov) and dry-season beans (Feb-Mar), peas in autumn-winter. 4) Leafy greens/vegetables: lettuce, kale, arugula, spinach, chicory — autumn-winter (heat makes them bolt), kale all year round. 5) Fruiting nightshades and cucurbits: tomato, bell pepper, eggplant, squash, cucumber — spring-summer (heat). — Leafy vegetables (greens) prefer a mild climate (15-25°C) and are therefore grown in winter in tropical climates. Summer fruits require more sun (25-30°C) and heat to ripen. The Brazilian agricultural calendar varies between regions — the Northeast plants corn in October; the South in September. Embrapa publishes a free regional calendar.

  6. Demonstrate in a practical way, and by means of a drawing, how you will organize your vegetable garden for growing the plants of your choice.

    Answer: Beds 1x5m + paths 50cm. Tall plants to the north, short ones to the south. Label and plant. — Tall plants to the north prevent them from shading the short ones (southern hemisphere rule). Beds 1m wide allow you to reach the middle without stepping on them. Paths 50cm wide fit a wheelbarrow. Spacing between plants varies: lettuce 30cm, corn 50cm, tomato 80cm. Intercropping (several species together) reduces pests and optimizes space.

  7. After clearing the area intended for planting, which plants can grow better in the place where stumps and trunks were burned?

    Answer: Cassava, sweet potato, corn, squash, watermelon and legumes. Ashes provide potassium and calcium. — Plant ashes contain 5-7% potassium (K) and 30-40% calcium (CaO) — they form a natural fertilizer rich in macronutrients. Cassava and sweet potato are tubers that make good use of potassium. The soil pH rises (more alkaline), favoring legumes. The indigenous/backwoods 'coivara' system has used this technique for centuries in historical tropical rural Brazil.

  8. Present a report demonstrating the main pests, diseases and weeds common to vegetable gardens. Demonstrate and explain how you can control the occurrence of these problems.

    Answer: Pests: aphid/caterpillar (neem). Diseases: blight/rust (Bordeaux mixture). Weeds: hoeing + mulching. — Bordeaux mixture (copper sulfate + lime) is the classic organic fungicide since 1885. Neem (Azadirachta indica) is a natural insecticide effective against 200+ pests. Mulching (a cover of dead straw) suppresses weeds and retains moisture. Manual hoeing is more sustainable than glyphosate (whose toxicity is questioned).

  9. Through a planting plan, explain in which ways a continuous food supply can be obtained.

    Answer: Staggered plantings (15-30 days), short + long cycles together, species by season. Harvest all year round. — Staggered planting ensures food throughout the year. Lettuce (45 days) + carrot (90 days) + cassava (12 months) cover different horizons. Embrapa publishes a regional calendar. A small greenhouse (4m²) allows you to produce vegetables all year round even in climates with frost in southern Brazil or prolonged drought in the Northeast.

  10. Demonstrate how to harvest for family use and for commercialization.

    Answer: Family: harvest on demand, at the ideal point, wash and store. Sale: harvest in batches, grade and pack. — Morning harvesting (before 9 a.m.) preserves more nutrients and firmness. For sale, grade A vegetables are the 'extras' (lettuce leaves >15cm), B are intermediate, and C are small (for home use). Packaging in perforated plastic bags (50µm) or cardboard boxes is the CEAGESP/CEASA São Paulo standard in Brazil for resale in markets.

  11. What is crop rotation and what is its importance for cultivation in subsistence family farming?

    Answer: Change the plant family with each planting (leafy → legume → tuber). This prevents soil depletion and breaks pest cycles. — Each plant family consumes different nutrients — solanaceae (tomato) draw out phosphorus, legumes (beans) FIX nitrogen from the air, enriching the soil. Classic 4-year rotation: leafy → fruit → tuber → legume. It avoids excessive use of chemical fertilizer and reduces attacks by fungi/insects that specialize in a specific crop.

  12. Present, through a drawing or by practical means, a program in which you will carry out the rotation of the cultivated planting, as well as of the harvesting system.

    Answer: A drawing with 4 beds: year 1 leafy → year 2 legume → year 3 tuber → year 4 fruit. For each one, note the planting and harvesting season. — A graphic scheme with colors makes visualization easier and trains agricultural reasoning. You can use an Excel spreadsheet, graph paper, or the free Trello app. The 'Syntropic Farming' system (Ernst Götsch, BA) is a modern evolution of rotation that combines species in vertical layers imitating a natural forest — popular in modern Brazilian agroecology.

  13. Explain what you can do with the area of your vegetable garden after several years of cultivation.

    Answer: Fallow (1-2 years of rest with green manure), agroforestry, fruit trees, or switching the area. — Fallow with green manure (mucuna, sunn hemp) naturally restores fertility in 12-24 months. Agroforestry (the Ernst Götsch system) combines crops + trees in ecological succession. Fruit trees (banana, mango) keep the land productive and shaded. Worn-out soil can take 10 years to recover with chemicals; fallow solves it naturally.

  14. Present a written report of at least 300 words, or a 5-minute oral report, on the importance of subsistence family farming, referring to its main characteristics.

    Answer: 300+ words or 5 min oral: family labor, small area, diversity. Food security and income. — In Brazil, family farming produces 70% of the food that reaches the table according to IBGE 2017 — 80% of beans, 70% of milk, 50% of corn. Law 11.326/2006 recognizes and protects this model. The National Program for Strengthening Family Farming (PRONAF) offers subsidized credit to families with up to 4 fiscal modules (≤80ha).

  15. Visit a rural property where a family lives off agricultural production and prepare a report highlighting the main activities carried out there.

    Answer: Schedule a visit; observe crops/animals/tools/trade; write a report with photos and an interview. — The Food Acquisition Program (PAA) and PNAE buy products from family farming for schools and daycare centers. The visit can be made to agrarian reform settlements, local cooperative farms, or a church family's property. The interview reveals the producer's reality — climate, marketing, and financial challenges.