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 risk, since now I’m not putting all my eggs in the same basket. If something goes wrong with the nursery, I have the Cabbage to fall back on. It gives me added returns, meaning it strengthens my financial position, and it’s a better use of my resources”.

Many would have thought that Chris would be going outside of his expertise by adding Cabbage cultivation to the nursery, and maybe he was when he made that decision. However, by doing so, he has achieved his objectives of increasing income and cash flow, and more importantly, reducing his risk.

Where are you with your Cabbage now? “I planted in November, last year, and it takes 75 – 90 days from transplanting to harvest, so I will be harvesting by the end of January or the beginning of February. I selected the Glorya F1 variety because it is well-suited for my location and not susceptible to pests and diseases”.

Is Cabbage the only vegetable you have planted? “Yes, up to now. But I’ll be planting an acre of Kale this week. Kale is fast, it only takes 30 days from transplanting to harvest, so it does not require a long wait for the return on investment”.

After the Kale, do you have plans for other crops? “Yes, I’m planning for Yams, but it’s just in the planning stage, so I really cannot give any details now. Maybe an acre or two, but I should be able to give you more information next time we talk”.

In our next post, we will be talking in more detail about the challenges Chris has had with pests and diseases affecting his Cabbage and the development of the Kale and Yame project.

Below you may appreciate a few photos of Chris and his nursery, and the Cabbage fields. The Cabbage is looking good!

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