Farmers Salome Wambui and Peter Maina on their field nearby Gilgil in the Rift Valley, Kenya
The 2000m² idea keeps growing all around the world. These days, we’re welcoming our newest member in the community: Salome Wambui and Peter Maina are just about to set up a 2000m² on their farm nearby Gilgil in Rift Valley, Kenya. The two small-scale farmers are very experienced and grow the crops on their field mainly for their own use. Still, Salome Wambui and Peter Maina are able to generate a moderate income by the surplus produce.
Our first look at the 2000m² field in Kenya
The farm is the family’s homestead, animal grazing and fodder growing area. They grow traditional and special variety vegetables such as amaranth, black nightshade, pumpkin, comfrey, spider weed, spinach, cabbages, kales, tomatoes, coriander and kales. The farm land also has some sweet potatoes, Irish potatoes, maize, bananas, avocado tree, beans and peas. The climate in Rift Valley usually changes from cool to warm with a rain season. The soil on the new 2000m² field is a mixture of red volcanic ground and loam black cotton soils.
The Seed Savers Network works on agro-biodiversityand food sovereignty
The local Seed Savers Network offers training for small-scale farmers in the area and provides the infrastructure to report directly from the new 2000m² field. Seed Savers Network is a non-profit, national grassroots farmers’ organization that promotes agro-biodiversity conservation for food sovereignty. The network has over 40,000 members in Rift Valley, central and eastern region. Their key achievement includes creating a data base of over 25000 members who are conserving indigenous plant genetic resources. The data base is an important tool for linking buyers to sellers for trade of non seed propagation materials such as cuttings, corms, suckers, tubers and runners. The Seed Savers Network was set up 7 years ago and ever since has seen steady improvement on small holder farmer’s seed access and revival of different species of local crops varieties including 30 varieties of field beans.
Their approach includes the capacity building of farming communities on seed saving through outreach activities and setting demonstrations. Apart from that, the Seed Savers Network are holding seed fairs and exhibitions by the farming communities for display of agro diversity and promoting local varieties. Seed Savers Network are engaging the general public through electronic, print and social media to get public support in agro biodiversity conservation. Their aim is to advocate activities to achieve favorable legal and policy environment for seed saving by representing the interests of seed saving communities on the forums where such issues are discussed including stakeholders meeting, public participation called by parliamentary committees and sensitizing policy makers.
Salome Wambui and Peter Maina will show us what 2000m² of arably land look like in Gilgil, Kenya
Salome Wambui and Peter Maina will set up the 2000m² field within the next couple of weeks. With the support by the Seed Savers Network, you’ll be able to take a look at the field here in our blog.
