If you have followed our projects at the Agricultural Training Center (ATC) for a long time, you know we often talk about the very versatile vetiver grass. We demonstrate and teach about its many uses and rely on it around our projects and promote others to grow it. Vetiver grass is a very tough and hardy plant that tolerates droughts and isn’t susceptible to foraging by free-roaming goats and cattle. We especially promote its use for stabilizing soil along drainage ways prone to washing out during high rains.

We also promote its use as a wind block to protect from wind erosion and for producing a lot of useful biomass for things like mulch. This week, Wilner and the ATC staff transplanted young, harvested vetiver plants along the roadway in the Miracle Village Family Gardens. This will stabilize the roadway and also provide a handy source of vetiver leaves for the families to use as mulch for their gardens and cover material for their compost toilets. The chopped leaves are a great cover material for compost toilets. Covering material is used instead of “flushing” in a compost toilet. The organic “cover material” covers what is in the toilet and prevents odors, and insects from becoming a vector for diseases and aids in composting the toilet material into a useful soil amendment.

Vetiver grass is refreshingly aromatic and is an excellent cover material for use in our compost toilets. Some varieties of vetiver grass are grown expressly for their oils to be used in fine perfumes and fragrances. Ours is not that variety, though. Here are pictures of the young transplants and some prepared cut vetiver leaves ready to use as cover material. This “appropriate technology” helps families have better hygiene and sanitation and helps to improve the soil by stabilizing it and fertilizing it. God’s ways are simple and true, and even include the versatile vetiver grass.

Rad Hazelip
Assistant Executive Director – Love A Child