Last time we met Felix Otiende we were talking to him about his BSF project and how he got it started.  Since I had already written about BSF, I had a lot of questions for him.  Given the fact that the BSF can only reproduce with temperatures between 21.4 and 27.2 degrees Celsius, can he produce the whole year around?  “Yes, I do not have a problem with that.  Kisumu, the area I am in, in Western Kenya, is so high above sea level, that the temperature never reaches the high of being a danger for the flies.  February is the [...]

The last time we met Deng James Bol, he explained to me the projects of the Christians Initiative for Development Aid in South Sudan and his responsibilities.  These responsibilities include everything related to agricultural project management, like: Overseeing the daily farm operations and management of farm staff for each project Ensuring the farm follows the highest standards to achieve high yields and crop quality Managing the farm budget, costs, and expenses for farm operations and improvements Monitoring crop health and making decisions to address any issues Supervising crop planting, maintenance, and harvesting activities Maintaining and improving farm infrastructure, equipment, and facilities One such project is an onion [...]

In July 2022, we first met Chris at his Mkulima Nursery in Kisii County, Kenya. A lot of water has run under the bridge since then, and Chris has used the time well, enlarging his operations significantly. After preparing four acres of land, he planted Cabbage in November last year. The variety is called Glorya F1. But why did Chris do this, I wanted to know. The answer is not complicated, we discussed it in the Challenges series on various occasions. “I’m still running the nursery”, Chris told me. “But adding the vegetable fields gives me more flexibility. It reduces my [...]

Most people have started a project sometime in their lives.  And, most people know, when you start a project, things do not always go as planned.  The bigger the project the more items tend to diverge from the original plan.  This is exactly what happened when Humphrey Sekeleti, started to build up his farm in the Sinda District in the Eastern part of Zambia. In our last post, we discussed Humphrey’s original plan for a fish farm, and how he had to adjust his plans and add to his project.  The reasons he had to adjust were practically two.  1. Cash flow.  A [...]

Last week we talked about Dr. Femi’s Bell Peppers, Habanero Peppers, and a bit about the other crops he has in his greenhouses in the town of Idoani, Ondo State, Nigeria.  We mentioned Dr. Femi grows most of his crops in greenhouses, a practice that gives him more control over the growing cycle and allows him to maintain a steady supply the whole year around.   Still, having greenhouses, although it gives you better control, does not guarantee risk-free cultivation.  Diseases and pests can affect your crops even though you strictly cultivate in greenhouses.  “We have encountered the different pests that commonly affect [...]

During the past months, I have presented here a vast variety of agricultural projects from across the continent.  From places as far apart as South Africa and Sierra Leone, and Malawi and Ghana.  Many of these projects have been undertaken to help others than the one executing the projects.  We saw that Mr. Lawrence in Zambia used his garden to teach the children in his village about gardening, planting, and taking care of the plants.  We also met Hope from Sierra Leone, who was using her land to provide for an orphanage. This time we are going to take a [...]

About 18 months ago I shared a news post on BSF (Black Solder Fly), and how its maggots are being used for chicken and fish feed.  Then later, I found a farmer in the northern part of Ghana, who is farming the fly, and did two posts, with him and one of his customers. I found this alternative farming very interesting for various reasons.  First, it does not require much land or a huge investment to start this business.  Second, the BSF is an excellent substitute for commercial feed, since it’s organic and full of nutrients.  Third, chicken farmers I have [...]

It’s only been three years since Humphrey Sekeleti, from the Sinda District in the Eastern part of Zambia, started to build up his farm.  But has it all been according to plan?  I asked him this question because he is already running multiple projects on his property. “No, it has not.  Far from it”, Humphrey admits. “Originally, I had a plan to start a fish farm, nothing else.  The objective was to improve the food security in our district, create some employment for the few locals, and help the vulnerable if I could along the way.  I acquired the land through the traditional [...]

As we learned last week Dr. Femi is growing Bell Peppers, Habanero Peppers, and Tomatoes in his greenhouses in the town of Idoani, Ondo State, Nigeria.  It is interesting to see that most of your crops originate in South and Central America.  “Yes, but now they are world crops.  Peppers and Tomatoes are grown on every continent, if not in every country on the planet.  And for good reason.  These may not be stable foods everywhere, but Peppers and Tomatoes are used in the vast majority of dishes, whether it is European, American, Asian, or African dishes.  That means there is [...]

Back in September, we met Mr. Henry Silo.  He had 10 hectares of land he wanted to turn into a farm.  He did not have a tractor or heavy equipment.  His son set out to clear the land by hand and prepare the plot they would be using initially by hand.  At first, Mr. Silo was not sure how to accomplish to make this project a success.  He sat down and wrote up a plan, step by step, with deadlines, including objectives, milestones, and action plans.  It was not a complicated document, just a list of things to do with dates.  When [...]