This March break, 10 students and three faculty members are traveling to Tanzania to learn about sustainable development and educational opportunities in rural Tanzania. Please enjoy the blog post below from Stella ’27 where she shares how learning about permaculture at Mainsprings revealed the deep connection between sustainable agriculture, community building, and resilience, shaping both newfound friendships and a commitment to a more just and sustainable future. In addition to the blog post, we hope you also enjoy this Instagram reel that showcases the Garden project that the group has been working on.
On our first full day at Mainsprings, I was toured, along with my new and seemingly to me, incongruous, fellow travelers, through the campus’ farm by Lazaro, a farmer at Mainsprings who employs the practice of permaculture. While admiring the lush landscape surrounding us, Lazaro explained to us how the plants act towards each other as good friends, tasking us to think of traits of our friends and how they apply to permaculture practices. We decided that plants, like friends, are necessary for support and protection, and that they benefit from having similar traits. After almost two weeks interacting with the people at Mainsprings and our group, I have learned that Lazaro’s practices in sustainable agriculture also apply to building a sense of community, friendship and resiliency.
Our education about permaculture practices extended far beyond the first day’s tour. We learned about the three tenets of water usage in a permaculture farm: capturing, storing, and spreading. We also learned about choosing plants for a permaculture garden and most interesting to me, how permaculture impacts the environment. The practice of not tilling and instead using organic matter and other plants for protection and nutrients for the soil decreases the amount of carbon released, and the variety of plants within a certain plot conserves land and water. One big passion of mine is the climate crisis, and this opportunity to learn about sustainable agriculture further developed this passion and fortified my intent to pursue an environmental science-based career.
At Deerfield, I have always admired the strength of community and compatibility among groups of people. Upon seeing the roster for the Tanzania trip and attending pre-trip meetings, I wasn’t sure about this group, who were mostly students I didn’t know well, but it took a short amount of time for me to bond and build friendships with everyone. The community we have cultivated within this group is what has allowed us to really buy into the Mainsprings experience and contribute to activities here.
I have often reflected on the warmth that my various Deerfield groups have possessed, but nothing can compare to the comradery and strength of community I have felt on this trip, both within the Deerfield group and among Mainsprings’ people. Every interaction comes with warm greetings, hugs and fond farewells. I have held hands with countless girls, have received friendship bracelets and drawings and have felt more welcome in the community than I have ever before.
During a discussion about permaculture, Lazaro outlined the three main concepts to keep in mind when planning a permaculture garden. We learned that considering Earth Care, People Care, and Future Care will always lead to success in agriculture, but these tenets also extend beyond. These principles lead to success not only across the Mainsprings campus but throughout the rural region of Kitongo, which participates in Mainspring’s “Change Maker” program of permaculture education. The Change Maker program cares for the earth, people and the future by teaching local families about permaculture practices to help them provide themselves with food in an ecologically conscious way while also providing free education for their children.
From what we learned about permaculture on this trip, my group has been able to create plans for a Deerfield legacy garden which future Deerfield travel groups will build upon. This garden will be guided by Lazaro’s philosophy and will provide food for the people in the community in a sustainable way. I believe it will also inspire future Deerfield students to live ethically and sustainably as we bring Lazaro’s wisdom back to our friends and family at Deerfield and beyond.
Applying the practices I have learned throughout this trip about agriculture and development, friendship and community will allow me to care for the earth and the people around me while working towards a more just, sustainable, and compassionate future.
