Dear Friends,

Around Karawa, about 800 miles to the north of Kinshasa, they call it "Mr. Fuga."In the Kasai region, 600 miles east, they call it "Apollon" (from outer space?) In the Bandundu region, where Katherine and I grew up, it is called "kufwa nfinda" which means "Forest Killer".Everywhere I've visited in my travels around the Democratic Republic of Congo, locals regard this plant with equal amounts of disgust, astonishment, and admiration.I consider it an interesting opportunity the Lord has given this country to rebuild the land.

The scientific name of the plant, Chromoleana odorata, is unremarkable enough.However, in the published literature, it is also known by a long list of aliases and epithets betraying its profound impact wherever established.Most international agronomists know it by the common name "Siam Weed," a suggestion of its origin or at least first description.The weed seems to be distributed world wide in tropical regions.We became acquainted with it in Haiti although there, the weed was on the defensive, having to fight with multiple competitors of equal valor.

To visualize the vigor of Siam Weed in Congo, consider if, in one summer, the dandelions in your yard grew into bushes fifteen feet high with a stem four inches thick.Without the cold of winter to kill them off, they thrive throughout the year in the Tropics.Siam weed seeds are similar to dandelion seeds; tiny wind-born tufts that explode into the air when you touch the dry flower.Most roads in Congo are now bordered by dense thickets of Siam weed that nearly clog the way even for bicyclists.You must drive with the windows rolled up to prevent the car from filling with leaves and twigs. Since few vehicles have air conditioning, this is a major hardship.As you pass into breaks in the thickets, you end up cranking the windows down for fresh air and then frantically rolling them up as you enter another thicket of weed.Driving at the end of the dry season is even more hazardous because the seeds are dry.If you happen upon a thicket unexpectedly with the windows down, the whole volume of air inside the car is suddenly filled by an explosion of seed tufts.They get in your eyes, you hair, up you nose, and stick in your throat.A surgical mask is ‘de rigueur' driving in the summer in Congo.

Siam weed was not here when Katherine and I left Congo 20 years ago, and it's arrival has made a tremendous impact on agriculture.It used to be that the common practice of cutting down and burning a small patch of forest for a garden gave you a couple years of weed-free farming.The shade of the forest eliminated the weeds, and it took some months for birds and wind to bring in weed seed.Not now.Siam weed pops up right along with the corn, beans, or cassava crop planted.Now Congo's farmers, who are mostly women, spend much of their time fighting back a never-ending onslaught of weed.Hence, the large and colorful dictionary of names given the plant.

However, the weed is not universally reviled. It turns out that the soil under areas invaded by Siam weed, becomes more fertile.A garden plot, wrestled from under a vigorous stand of Siam weed, yields a reasonable harvest. Congo's forests in Bandundu and other regions are almost completely cut down and good farm land is vanishing.This plant, once cursed, is beginning to be regarded with cautious admiration.

It turns out, research has discovered that good management of tropical soil requires that it be treated as a forest would treat the soil.It must be always covered by a dense layer of biomass to protect it from the intense heat of the sun and erosive effects of torrential rains.The shade smothers weeds and allows the build up of a layer of mulch.The future hope of Congo's agricultural production is in farmers learning how to manage the land to keep it productive.Siam weed is already showing the way because prior to Siam weed's arrival, trying to convince Congo's farmers to try cover crops would have been difficult.There are certainly better cover crops that tropical farmers can use, ones that add nitrogen to the soil in addition to protecting it from the sun and rain.Siam weed, now everywhere, is helping folks see and understand this new soil management technique.

In collaboration with fellow IM missionary Ed Noyes and others, I am managing a project called "DEVRU" which stands for "Rural/Urban Development" in French.It is funded by the Food Resources Bank and One Great Hour of Sharing. The objective of this project is to combat the causes of poverty and hunger in Congo by introducing technologies to increase food production.One of our principal objectives is to help farmers restore the fertility of their land.In a country where chemical fertilizers are non-existent, this means intensive use of soil-restoring green manures and cover crops.We are doing trials at several locations to see which fast-growing vines, shrubs, and trees offer the greatest potential to increase soil fertility, crop yields, and farm income.We are even intentionally introducing Siam Weed on barren land to see if it will render it productive.

As we seek a better species of ground cover for Congo's farmers, the last 15 years of experience with Siam weed has shown that ground covers allow crop production where the forest has been removed or never existed.We hope to identify ground covers that will be easy manage, improve the soil, and reduce dependence on forest clearing.We hope for a slowing of the devastation of Congo's forests and for an increase in agricultural production for people who struggle to survive on very poor soils.Through our efforts, International Ministries, is making an impact in the agricultural sector in Congo.Thank you for your partnership, through which, some of Congo's farmers will find more bountiful yields.We covet your prayers to the Lord of the harvest that through our work, there will also be a bountiful harvest for God's Kingdom.