TRY VEGETABLES THAT DO WELL IN UNFAVOURABLE WEATHER

Despite the much rain that has been raining in most parts of Kenya and the world at large leading to floods that has led to loss of life, some parts are still experiencing reduced or no rainfall at all. 

This has prompted me to identify alternative vegetables that can withstand harsh climatic conditions.

Vegetables like Amaranthus take a short while to mature making it appropriate to parts with minimal rainfall. 

Amaranthus, a type of local vegetable

They are very rich in nutrients hence good for nutritional purposes.

Another good crop is the pumpkin which has double benefit. Its leaves can be used as vegetable and the pumpkin itself cam be cooked for food.

Pumpkin plant

The pumpkin can also withstand minimal rainfall as well as do well in much rain. The advantage of the pumpkin is that it is a crawling plant and can spread as far as you could wish it to making it possible to yield more and more.

ROTATE YOUR CROPS FOR BETTER PRODUCTIVITY

The world is experiencing massive population growth which has led to struggle for resources as everyone eyes a piece of land to call his/her own.

This has led to massive land subdivision that has rendered productivity of land to diminish with time.

Viability of land has become an issue as the human race finds a place to shelter as well as farm for food to sustain their livelihood in this world.

In a previous post, I mentioned on why it is important to use farmyard manure on your farm so as to supply essential nutrients to support healthy crop growth.

A massively subdivided region in Kisii, Kenya

Today, I am emphasizing on the need to rotate the crops on your farm so as to give it time to recover the nutrients used by the previous crop.

Each crop requires specific nutrients from the soil and if crops are not rotated, that particular nutrient will be exhausted leaving you with a poor yield year in year out.

Even if the crops you rotate are not what you normally use as your stable food, you can sell it and purchase the food you prefer.

Growing one crop like a marathon on our farm will leave you with very little every other season.

So go ye and rotate crops on your farm.

DELIVER YOUR PRODUCE SAFELY TO THE MARKET

Small scale farmers need to take note when it comes to transportation of their produce to the market.

That’s why today I would like to caution you as a farmer to plan in advance on how your produce will get to the market to avoid total loss.

Passers by look at an overturned lorry carrying water melon

There may be accidents but try as much as possible to avoid it as this can drift you back to several steps.

If you are using a vehicle, ensure the driver is a qualified.

The route to use should be safe lest all you produce enjoyed by idlers on the road.

Have a safe delivery of your produce to the market

START HONEY PRODUCTION

Honey is one product from bees that is recommended by doctors as natural medicine to healing some diseases.

Despite its sweetness, it has no harm to the health of humans and to crown it all it’s the only food that never spoils.

Most people view bees as hazardous but you can turn those bees hanging on a tree to be beneficial.

Make several beehives or purchase some and install them just below the tree and soon enough the bees will discover a conducive environment to migrate to.

A transparent beehive used by a farmer to produce honey

Make sure the place for rearing bees is safe with regard to predators and disturbance that can agitate the bees and make them dangerous.

During harvesting, make sure you are in safe gear, that is, veil, gloves and a smoker to render the bees harmless.

Another thing you should not forget is to plant seasonal flowers to give the bees ample time in collecting nectar for honey preparation and then get ready to reap big.

Try it out.

TEA NURSERY

I have taken quite a while since my last post but this is due to an internet breakdown at the office but I am glad that it has been restored and we can share more on farming.

Today I would like to farmers who are venturing into tea farming and to be more specific, those preparing a tea nursery.

A tea nursery well protected

There are various sizes of tea nurseries but I would like to narrow down to a manageable size of 14feet (length) by six feet (width).

Your nursery should be sited near a water source, proper security, labor as well as a pest and disease free area.

You also require fitos, nails and dry grass to prepare a shade as well as vegetatively propagated (VP) plants and fertilizer (DAP, NPK )

A demonstration of various stages in a tea nursery

One unit can carry up to 1200VP plants which should be constantly watered and ensure you do thorough disease and pest control.

Your seedlings should be ready for transplanting after six months

STOREY KALE GROWING

I greet you all hoping you are doing well with your farming activities. Today I will like to tackle an area that is currently picking up among town residents.

Given the escalating prices of basic goods and vegetables, we find ourselves forgoing other lucrative expenses so as to put food on the table.

A storey of kales on a sack of soil

The little space you have can be turned into a storey farm simply by stacking soil in a sack and growing some vegetables like kales on it.

All you need is fertile soil probably from your rural home and you are good to start off growing your own greens without having to till land.

The seedlings are planted from sides round the sack and watered from time to time which is an easy task.

Next time you go the rural home, remember to carry a sack of soil alongside that sack of charcoal.

USE FARMYARD MANURE

Most farmers run to stores to obtain fertilizer during planting seasons. Little do you as a farmer know that farmyard manure in the most commendable for your crops.

Farmyard manure can be prepared by collecting your animals waste and placing it in one place in readiness for farm application.

Manure in a banana plantation awaiting farm application

The most ideal place for preparation of your manure is in a banana plantation. If you are rearing chicken, they will help you in turning your manure over and over.

This helps you with weeding your banana plantation as they clear all the weeds from your farm.

This manure is chemical free and will naturally enrich your farm for better produce.

Try it out.

DON'T GET FIREWOOD FROM YOUR TEA FARM

Tea is a major cash crop among farmers both large-scale and small-scale. This means the much care you give unto you crop the higher you will reap.

Other than other professional means of ensuring the yield increases, fertilizer application is crucial to add nutrients to the land under tea farming.

Prune remains left to be manure in a tea plantation

As a tea farmer avoid collecting remains from tea pruning in your shamba as this add up to the fertility of your land and subsequently improve tea yields.

As a small-scale farmer, avoid temptations of picking firewood from your tea plantation.

RESPECT YOUR HEN

Local chicken are easy to rear as they do not require much care other than providing them a warm place to sleep during the night and ensuring that they do not destroy your neighbor’s crops.

There is one unique thing about local chicken which you need to know so as not to enter into enmity with your chicken.

A hen laying an egg

 A local chicken finds a serene environment to lay her eggs in preparation to have a generation meaning this selection is carefully done.

In most cases the cock will accompany the hen to locate a favorable place to lay her eggs away from enemies.

Eggs on a nest

Once if finds the ideal place, it starts to lay the eggs and counting them one after another each day as it leaves and enters the laying nest.

A strict hen will not entertain disturbance on her eggs. Every time she leaves the nest after laying an egg, she carefully examines the position of her eggs and when she returns the following day, she does the same.

A hen with her chicks

 Once she discovers interruption on her eggs she will sound a warning and give a benefit of doubt but on subsequent discovery of disturbance, she will decide do quit and find another location to lay her eggs.

A hen and a cock enclosed in cage withing the farm

If she doesn’t find a place within the house, he may choose to try her luck outside the house and this exposes her to more risk.

Kindly respect your hen’s eggs. Do not be an early predator please.

UPGRADE BREEDS USING ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION

Local breeds are a better option to most small-scale farmers who prefer them due to their disease resistance and relative feed consumption.

It saves you as a small-scale farmer a lot of energy and resources which you could use to restore the health of your animals and get enough feed for them.

An exotic cow breed on display

If you fall in this category of farmers, a little advice is hereby available to cheaply transform your local breeds to be better yielding animals.

Instead of going for exotic animals directly which is a bit expensive, you can slowly transform you local breeds to desired exotic breeds by use of Artificial Insemination (AI).

An exotic goat breed on display

This is a scientific process of reproduction without use of a bull as most local farmers prefer. AI services are offered by qualified veterinary officers from livestock departments near you.

The advantage of using this service is that it prevents your animals from contacting diseases that the bull may be having and enable you choose which breed you want to upgrade to.

An exotic bull on display

The price per animal serviced ranges from $8 to $10 depending on location and the type of breed you want.

This will enable you as a farmer get better breeds as well as better yields in your farm avoiding inbreeding and disease inheriting.

RAISING YOUR OWN SEEDLINGS IS EASY

It is common among farmers practice to buy seedlings for planting in their farms. Seed planting is common for plants like maize and beans.

For fruits and vegetables like kales, tomatoes and pawpaw, farmers can learn a few tips on nursery preparation and care avoid unnecessary expenditure in purchase of seedlings.

A section of land marked for nursery preparation

A nursery can be as long as you choose but its width should not exceed one meter. This is to facilitate ease of moving during weed removal and watering your seedlings once they sprout.

Ensure the soil is soft to facilitate easy root development and weeding when weeds strike.

A cross-section of a tree nursery

Your nursery should be in a cool place or you can prepare a shade for your sprouting seedlings as direct sunlight is likely to wither them.

The shade also helps prevent damage of your young seedlings from heavy downpour and hailstones.

Water your seedlings every morning and evening during dry seasons to ensure your seedlings have good enough water intake and root development as water softens the soil particles.

Ready polythene bags filled with soil for seedling preparation

Fence off your nursery from stray animals that may step on your nursery and spoil your seedlings.

Once your seedlings have fully sprouted, remove the shade to facilitate photosynthesis as your seedlings need more food for development.

A farmer collects seedlings for transplanting

Transfer your seedlings to the field at an appropriate time preferably during the rainy season to prevent them from drying due to disturbance.

Seedlings in polythene bags ready for transplanting

If you are transporting them to a distance field, it is advisable to use a polythene bag stand for each seedling and rear it before transplanting.

GET KNOWLEDGE FROM AGRICULTURE SHOWS

When we were young we used to push our parents to take us to agricultural shows probably to see animals and have some time riding on the merry go round.

Little did it click our minds that this was a place to enrich ourselves with knowledge on farming and other agriculture related fields.

A demonstration stand to show how local vegetable can be grown

Most farmers take agricultural shows for granted and assume that’s a place for youngsters to go and enjoy themselves.

Agricultural shows can help you as a farmer know what crop can do well in the region where you practice farming and the correct season to plant for better harvests.

A number of animal drugs on display in a ministry of Agriculture in stand

It is during these shows that you get equipped with knowledge on hybrid seeds to use and what type of fertilizer to use for the type of soil you are carrying out farming on.

Fisheries department demonstration stand in a past agriculture show

Some companies go an extra mile to put up stands to practically demonstrate how farming is done to facilitate maximum output.

An assorted number of seeds from a local seed company on display

Other than the gate price paid, as a farmer you can gain much knowledge on maize farming, animal rearing, fish and bee keeping among many other areas in agriculture.

A farmer shows off his cow that won a trophy in one of the Agriculture shows

Take the task of attending agriculture shows in your area to see how successful farmers like you are as well as learn how to improve on your farming. 

EMBRACE GOAT REARING

In the olden days, Goats were precious among farmers as they provided them with milk and meat.

These goats were slowly wiped out in favor of a cow that produces relatively higher amounts of milk.

Goat kids 

As a wise farmer here are reasons as to why you should revert to Goat farming as some farmers have already done.

Dairy Goats reduce space for rearing as space used to rear one cow can be used to rear up to six goats.

Feed consumption by Dairy Goats is lower compared to what cows consume per day.

An average cow can consume over 50 kilograms of feeds compared to a goat that can consume less that 10 kilograms.

A Dairy Goat feeds its kid as a group of women look on

Milk from a Goat, though little, has more nutritional value as it offers better immunity. Those having the HI virus can rely on this milk to boost their immunity.

The price of Dairy Goat milk per liter is higher to that of a cow and its density is higher compared to that from cows.

A Dairy Goat rearing group showing off their success

Women can practice goat rearing easily as they don’t demand much of their time.

Embracing dairy goat rearing can boost the income of small farmers who do not have capital to go commercial.

IMPROVE YOUR SMALL-SCALE DAIRY FARMING

Small Scale Dairy farmers are fond of consuming milk from their local breeds and hawking the remaining to local consumers creating unnecessary competition among themselves.

As a farmer, commercializing this sale can earn you a better deal with your milk.

A local breed cow feeding by the roadside

Coming together creates a better bargaining power in terms of milk pricing. As a group, you can collect your milk and sell from one point.

You can as well obtain a cooling plant as a group to store your milk as you sell it to avoid disposing it off at a cheap price due to lack of storage facilities since milk is highly perishable.

A milk bar run by local farmers

You can as well be easily accessed by animal officers for advice on animal care and you can demand service with a stronger voice and affordably rather than going alone.

You can as well form a Dairy Center where consumers obtain milk from after you as farmers deposit it there.

This can as well help you earn in lump sum either weekly or monthly and such funds can be used for a worthy cause compared to the daily cash you earn by hawking your own milk.

LUCRATIVE FISH FARMING

Farmers who choose to start fish farming, the field is still green as demand is on the increase. If you own land in a swampy place or you border a river, better for you. But if you can afford water and provide oxygen, any location is ideal for the business.

A well covered fish pond to avoid predators

But ensure your domestic water supply is not contaminated as this will be harmful for your fish. Ensure the water you use is not chlorinated and if it is, then you need to de-chlorinate it.

Fingerlings can be obtained from centers of multiplication and stocked as soon as your pond is ready.

The price of fingerlings range between $0.04 and $0.07 for a tilapia and catfish respectively but can vary depending on location.

Consider the size of your fish to avoid overstocking as this will create unnecessary competition for food 

and oxygen leading to starving or even death of your fish.

One day old fingerlings in a fingerling pond

Get advice from your nearby fisheries department on the type of feed to use in feeding your fingerlings.

For example;

Tilapia ingests a wide variety of natural food organisms, including plankton, some aquatic macrophytes, planktonic and benthic aquatic invertebrates, larval fish, detritus, and decomposing organic matter. 


With heavy supplemental feeding, natural food organisms typically account for 30 to 50 percent of tilapia growth according to http://www.thefishsite.com/articles/58/tilapia-life-history-and-biology

Oxygen supply to a pond

Ensure constant oxygen supply in your pond, the pond should be well fenced and covered to prevent predators from attacking your fish.

Harvested fish ready for the market or consumption

If well practiced, fish farming is a lucrative business other than providing a basic meal for your family members.

Pond sizes can be obtained from fisheries department or some websites like http://www.gardensite.co.uk/How_to_Calculate_Pond_Size/ can offer useful information.

SILAGE PREPARATION

Due to land scarcity, farm animals are competing with humans for food. This has left the farmer wondering how to balance feeds and food on his small land.

Farmers have learnt how to survive by making silage from green feeds and storing them for use during times of scarcity.

A Farmer chopping green feeds for silage Preparation.

Green feeds consisting of nappier grass, maize stalks and even legumes are chopped into small pieces of about an inch in length.

Feeds chopped into small pieces

Molasses mixed with water in the ration of 1:3 is added to facilitate fermentation.

Mixing of molasses and water in the ration of 1:3

Mixing of chopped feeds with molasses

The ready feeds are then stacked into polythene bags for storage.

The polythene bag used for storage

The feeds are ready for use after 21 days for a period of up to four years after preparation.

The feed is them stored in a cool dry place away from the rain

Silage has helped farmers to continuously feed their animals with quality feeds during times of drought or scarcity. 

INTRODUCTORY STATEMENT

Land sub-division in Kisii region in KENYA

Land in the whole world is becoming smaller by the day as population surges. This has reduced the area under which farming is done leading to subsequent lower food production to feed this growing number of the human race.

To fully utilize this small treasure we have, it is necessary that we find ways to maximize production from the small pieces of land allocated to us.

This brings forth the concept of commercializing small-scale farming as going individual is not viable among farmers.

A stand showing how to maximize maize production in small land pieces

Alternative farming that reduces the acreage under farm practice is also necessary to capitalize on the available resources availed to us.

The aim of SMALL SCALE-FARMING COMMERCIALIZED is to share successes of those who have embraced the idea and advice where necessary on how to be part of this noble move.