Deseret International Charities Sponsors Family Gardening in Mongolia

Deseret International Charities (DIC) is partnering with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on a major garden project for 410 families and several community groups in Mongolia.

In order to train the local unit garden coordinators, DIC provided a two-day garden training seminar.  All of the garden coordinators from all 22 LDS Church units in Mongolia plus three representatives of community garden projects attended the training.   In all there were 39 participants, including several bishops/branch presidents, and President Altansukh and President Bayardelger from the UB East District,.  The project paid the transportation, food, and lodging expenses for those who had to travel.  The garden coordinator from Khovd traveled the farthest to attend the training; she traveled over 1200 kilometers.

The instructors included Mr. Byambajav, a retired university professor who has authored several gardening books about gardening in Mongolia and has taught gardening classes all over Mongolia.  He arranged for several other professors to teach special subjects:  pest control, fertilizer, greenhouse gardening, etc.

DIC also arranged for a workshop on how to grown Seabuckthorn bushes which was taught by the president of the National Association of Seabuckthorn Growers and Producers and an instructor from the association.




President Batbold taught a class on how to install and use submersible pumps in private wells and rivers.

Elder Ford taught a workshop on greenhouses, square-meter gardening, and composting.  The participants were surprised to see the square-foot garden and greenhouse he set up in the training room.  Following the training, he disassembled the garden and greenhouse and plans to set it up behind the Bayanzurkh building to use as a demonstration garden. 

At the conclusion of the seminar, DIC and priesthood leaders presented a certificate of training completion to each participant.

Each garden coordinator then took home three different gardening books for the participating families in their units.  The books included:  How to Grow Your Own Garden. Last year DIC distributed this book to all gardeners.  This year it will be distributed to new gardeners.  Harvesting Seeds will be given to all participants; and Seabuckthorns, about how to grow Seabuckthorn berry bushes, will be distributed to gardener who requested Seabuckthorn berry bushes.  


DIC also provided each garden coordinator with a master plan for his/her unit showing each participating family in his/her unit and the tools, materials, pumps, seeds, etc. which each family will receive.

The coordinators were charged with the task of holding garden training workshops in their own ward/branches, teaching what they learned in the UB training to the gardeners in their units.  They will also work with the bishopric/branch presidencies to purchase needed gardening supplies, and they will provide ongoing support as needed to the gardeners in their unit.  


The garden coordinators left excited about teaching others what they learned and hopeful of a bountiful harvest.