COCOYAM AND YUCON WANTED SYDNEY AREA I am going to Kenya in late December where they are experiencing food shortages, worse than usual due to post election violence at planting time earlier this year. I'm hoping to start a permaculture garden while I am there, although I have very limited knowledge. I am looking for Yucon (polymnia sonchifdia) and Cocoyam (xanthosoma sagittifolium) tubers to take with me for the garden. Some comfrey roots would also be appreciated. Any ideas of where to get these would be appreciated.
Re: COCOYAM AND YUCON WANTED Perhaps I should make it clear I am prepared to pay something for these tubers. If anyone knows someone growing or selling some, could you please contact me?
Re: COCOYAM AND YUCON WANTED I got my yacon tubers from greenharvest.com.au you could try daleys as well?
Re: COCOYAM AND YUCON WANTED What about customs etc.........will they let you take plants into the country. PM me with some more details and I'll see what i can do as well. Cathy
Re: COCOYAM AND YUCON WANTED Thank you PPP and barely run for your responses. I'm chasing up PPP's leads and will send a pm to barely run. Kenyan customs is not worried about plants and seeds, and I have taken both in before. They are more concerned about the amount of money going into the country, and items of high monetary value.
Re: COCOYAM AND YUCON WANTED Hi (new to this)... am also desperately chasing some yacon tubers for the health benefits for a family member. Did buy some off ebay, have been nursing them for months watching them slowling rot away, weren't healthy tubers to start with. Also chasing some vetiver clumps if anyone can help would be greatly appreciated. Cheers
Re: COCOYAM AND YUCON WANTED Hi Deni-dog. I'm also new at this. What are the health benefits of yacon? I'm interested in them for food value. Hunger is a way of life in Kenya. It would be nice to make at least a small change for a few people, which will hopefully expand to the community as a whole one day.
Re: COCOYAM AND YUCON WANTED hello cherrypie I have a contact here for cocoyam I think(-their english isnt the best)if your still looking pm me for their number.
Re: COCOYAM AND YUCON WANTED Hi Cherrypie... I have been led to believe that the root is used as a natural treatment for diabetes and liver problems, although packed with sugar in itself, the sugar in question is mainly oligofructose, which cannot be absorbed by the body therefore it does not raise blood glucose levels. It's a great diet food and a diabetic food! Oligofructose also promotes benfical bacteria in the colon. The leaves can also be made into a tea and are used for hypertension to lower blood pressure. All of which are more modern western society diseases and hopefully wouldn't be as predominant in Kenya whereby the food value would be of far greater value. How often do you make the trip to Kenya? Are there other varietes of tubers/plants/seeds you can take? More than willing to help if I can. Cheers and good luck.
Re: COCOYAM AND YUCON WANTED Hi Deni-Dog and Permasculpto, I'm very excited about getting some cocoyam to plant in the swales we'll be adding to the garden Permasculpto. I go to Kenya once a year, as my daughter lives there with her husband. Last year we planted trees. This year we'll be working on the vegies and a frog-pond if we can find some non-fussy fish to eat mosquito larvae when tadpoles aren't around. I still need some comfrey roots--though I don't leave til the end of December. A friend (from the UK) has ordered some chilacayote seeds for me from Germany and will be send them over. They sound like something that might grow during the dry season when people get hungry in that part of the world.
Re: COCOYAM AND YUCON WANTED Yes Permasculptor. Thanks for the number. I will make that phone call as soon as I log off here.
Re: COCOYAM AND YUCON WANTED sorry that didn't work out cherry pie however I just noticed that shipards has cocoyam in their latest catalogue$5.95 pp or purple stemmed for$7.95 pp https://www.herbsarespecial.com.au/index.html (07)54411101 might be worth a try.
Re: COCOYAM AND YUCON WANTED I have just learned that we can get cocoyam in Kenya, so the search is off for that one. And I should be getting some comfrey roots sometime soon, so it's just the yucon/yacon that is in need. I have been offered one at the end of winter, though I'll have to find a way to get it to Kenya then. Thanks so much to everyone who have been helping me with this. Cherrypie
