After last year’s agricultural workshops, our Community Officer, Peter Kazembe, travelled out into the community to assess the impact of the programme and find out how participants are doing on their own plots. These are just a few stories from over 30 families who will have food for the next year. After these amazing results, we anticipate that many more families will be signing up for the programme in 2016.
“This programme has been welcomed by so many from the community. Participants have learned a lot, especially about the importance of mulching (applying a thick ‘blanket’ of fallen leaves and grass which helps reduce water loss from soil, suppresses weeds and protects against extreme temperature).
This season has been the driest in many years, but those who have been following instructions from the workshops have successfully harvested and are escaping the severe hunger that many of their neighbours face. Those who did very well on the demo plots have seen an overwhelming admiration from their fellow neighbours, who have promised to join them next season.
Many participants have fallen in love with this programme, as they are now discovering the greatest secret behind it. They have learned that conservation farming is achievable no matter what type of rain patterns may come. It is quite obvious that in the next ploughing season the number of people engaging in conservation farming will increase. Truly speaking, this programme came as an eye opener to many people in this community.”
Mr Gungungu with his well-mulched plot
Despite poor rains and the dry spell, Mr. Gungungu is a hard worker. He proved his this by mulching close to three hectares (his entire plot!) and making lots of planting stations. His crops are not suffering moist stress but are growing just as well as they would in normal rainfall. He worked tirelessly all summer and his neighbors are stunned by his incredible plot.
Mr Daison and his soaring crops
Mr Daison has been working tirelessly with Mr. Gungungu as a team, and they are doing wonders! The height of his crops alone speaks volumes in this dry spell. He managed to prepare his whole field, almost three hectares! He is one of our most successful participants.
Mr and Mrs Mahwendepi promise some fireworks next season
This couple worked very hard all summer making their planting stations, successfully planting close to three hectares of maize. Though they did not manage to mulch the whole area, they have a good looking plot and with better rainfall will certainly manage to get an even better harvest.
Mr Aaron anticipates a bumper harvest
He is a young man who has passion for farming and as seen in the picture he is standing right on top of thick mulch. He did a great job during summer collecting grasses for his plot as evidenced in the photograph and there is no doubt about it. His plot is quite health and come what may he is going to have a bumper harvest.
