Walt, how did you get involved with Vetiver grass and soil conservation in El Salvador?
My primary interest is in soil conservation for agriculture. However, anti-erosion measures, in general, are of interest to me. In May of this year, I visited El Salvador, at the invitation of Aldo Miranda Sol of NOBS (They raise and sell Vetiver). His General Manager for soil conservation, Ronaldo Chavez, arranged daily field trips for me during my 8-day visit. The situation that seemed most attractive to me was the effort of the Fundacion de Amigos del Lago Ilopango (now Asociacion de Amigos del Lago Ilopango). Therefore, the director of the Fundacion, Jeanette Monterrosa, and I began to develop a loose-knit agreement whereby I purchase and help to install (with my own two hands) vetiver in small projects. Her organization includes a number of agronomists and agronomists in training. During my first trip, I actually worked alone in the field. That was a little boring! The trip just completed was with one of her teams (three agronomists). This trip was quite successful. I think its th
