Living land and clean water of Vinnytsia region: a practical guide for the community

🌱 Soil, water, and crops are not abstractions, but the daily reality of every resident of Vinnytsia. Today we face challenges: soil degradation, drying up of water bodies, fewer pollinators, and the impact of war on the environment. But the good news is that the solution is in our hands.

“Our task is simple: to move from “taking from the earth” to “restore and multiply”. This is not theory, but practical steps that are available to everyone — from the agrarian to the homeowner,” — Timur Lyevda, head of the AVELIFE Institute of Nanotechnology and Organic Products.

5 steps for farmers

1. Accounting for soil as an asset. “Soil is the main asset of the owner. Just as a businessman cannot do business without accounting, so an agriculturist cannot work without soil analysis.” Analyze organic matter, pH, trace elements, density and water permeability.
2. Cover crops and mulch. “Every bare hectare is a loss of moisture and fertility. Cover crops are a natural “blanket” for the land.”
3. Feed wisely. Combine organic and microbial fertilizers, gradually reducing excess mineral nitrogen.
4. Water retention. Use contour farming, forest belts, and ditch traps.
5. MRV system. “We must not only act, but also measure the result. Land and water speak the language of numbers, and this language must be heard.”

3 practices for private households

1. Compost. “Every bucket of organic matter is not trash, but a store of fertility. If it goes to waste, it’s a loss; if it goes to compost, it’s a gain.”
2. Collect rainwater. Barrels, drip irrigation, mulch under bushes.
3. Plant a mini-forest. “A couple of apple trees, a few berry bushes, and a strip of flowers is your own personal ecosystem that works for you and the bees.”

How to restore water bodies

• Passport of each pond.
• Bioplateau and biofilters made of reeds or irises.
• Coastal buffer strips — 10–30 m without chemicals.
• Coordination of field processing with beekeepers.
• The right types of fish to maintain cleanliness.

“A pond is not just water, but a bioreactor of life. If it is properly configured, it works for the community for decades,” – Timur Lyevda.

Why is this beneficial?

• Lower costs for fertilizers and irrigation.
• More stable yields even in hot weather.
• Added value of the “ecological product”.
• Cleaner water in wells and more shade in the heat.

12-month community plan (brief)

• Month 1–2: pilot villages, soil and pond diagnostics.
• Months 3–6: first cover crops, bioplateaus, composters, and mini-forests.
• Month 7–12: scaling, honeysuckle strips, monitoring system.

A simple step towards change

“We are a generation that can choose not depletion, but renewal. And this decision starts small: a composter in the yard, a strip of flowers along the garden, or an agreement with a neighbor who is a beekeeper.”

👉 We invite you to the “Pact of Communities of Vinnytsia Region on Living Land and Water” – a joint initiative that will unite farmers, households, schools, and businesses.

In a few years, we will be able to say: our fields are holding moisture, our children are swimming in clean ponds, and Vinnytsia is breathing again.