11. Agroforestry

One of the things I have been telling people I want to do is to grow some trees here on unused land of the meditation centre I was living in.  I have just completed planting 1 acre (200ft x 200 ft) on land with 89 Burmese pines that are set about 20 ft apart.

We first cleared the patch of thick growth of wild shrubs that can be seen on the right of the first picture.

Picture 2 shows my hired labourers clearing the shrubs. It is mostly a type of wild sunflower bush that takes over all fallow land here.

Picture 3 once you have slashed the bushes you have to go through and dig up all the roots of those bushes.

Really had a hard time convincing the locals not to burn everything. It is incomprehensible for them to break this tradition. But luckily it rained and I won this time.

Picture 4 convince a local friend that it is great merit for him to take me to pick up the trees from the nursery. Didnt take much convincing.

Picture 5 Some burmese pines on the land. I picked these trees for this acre plot as an experiment. They are fast growing. I have grown them before. Cows and water buffalo dont eat them. They are easily recognised by the burmese farmers as something that someone else has planted so they tend not to chop them for firewood when your back is turned.


I envisage that this plot will in 20 years be a nice pine forest which meditators will be able to walk in and listen to the wind whistling through the needles of the trees. The ground will be covered in pine needles and be very peaceful.

Picture 6 is digging the holes to plant the trees.
Picture 7 is a bag of organic fertilizer I bought to put in the holes beneath the seedlings. Took 2 bags for 89 trees.
Picture 8. is a seedling planted.
Picture 9. Is a view up the field from the bottom corner of the plot.


It took 3 men 8 days to clear the land and took one day to dig holes and plant the trees. I will have to clear around the seedlings in 3 months and 6 months time.

Total cost of this project on 1 acre plot with clearing, organic, fertilizer and planting and maintenance will be $200 US for the first year.

I estimate that each tree would take out at least 2 tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere but I need to research further to calculate carbon offsets.

I have possibility to put in another 10 to 20 acres of trees like this in this area. So if you want to do something good for the planet and donate to plant some trees then let me know.