INTRODUCTION
Much regards from Drylands Natural Resource Center (DNRC) family. Your generous support has enabled us to recruit other 50 famers to join the already existing 450 farmers making accumulative of 500 farmers. Thank you very much and we look forward to continue this partnership. The impact of our project is quite significant now; as the food forests get to maturity, famers are experiencing micro climates as the timber trees grow taller and form canopies, soils are becoming more fertile as the falling leaves continue to decompose and as they form the spongy layers, water retention is improved. This translates to increased crop production. As the food forest emphasizes on the 7 layers of natural forest, this layers are chosen carefully in the farmer’s farms to meet their health, nutrition needs and financial needs too. The layers include tubers, cover crops, shrubs, climbers, understory and climax. So in our nursery, we raise tree samplings including fruit trees to meet these layers which mimic natural forest.
During the quarter, the following activities where achieved.
More propagation of tree saplings.
Our target for the year is 60,000 tree samplings. This being our major propagation period, the nursery staff where majorly involved in propagation of over 25 different tree species which included: timber trees, fruit tree, fodder trees, medicinal trees among others. By the end of this quarter, 50,000 seedlings were propagated which the farmers will be issued to establish and or expand their food forests.
Outreach trainings and field visits
During the quarter, the outreach staff visited farmers in their farms and tackled their issues majorly on food forest management, emphasis on cover crops as a natural way to tame weeds as well as increasing food production by mimicking the seven layers of natural forest.
Maintaining the DNRC food forest demonstration farm
During the quarter, major activity in the DNRC food forest was earthing and planting more cover crops and general maintenance of chop and drop. We also harvested 20kgs of bananas, (shrubs), 30 kgs of beans, (herbs) and 20pcs of passion fruits (climbers)
Challenges
Focus for the next quarter
Introduction
Greetings from Drylands Natural Resources Centre (DNRC) family. We hope your year kicked off very well and you’re achieving your set resolutions for the year 2016.Thank so much for your continued support through global giving. You’re continuous and generous donation is enabling us to serve 450 farmers to regenerate their environment, build their social capital and sustainably generate income by planting diverse trees in a food forest systems and woodlots. Food forests is a food production and agro forestry system-based on woodland ecosystem incorporating fruits trees, nut trees, shrubs, vines, vegetables and perennials. Its self-perpetuating ecosystem exhibiting 7 layers as seen in a natural forest. During the quarter, we continued to grow different tree species including perennials, fruit trees, timber trees, passion fruits, medicinal trees, and fodder and fuel trees etc. which are issued to the farmers during the rainy season to establish food forests.
What was done during the quarter?
During the quarter, DNRC staff concentrated on propagating different tree species to be given to the farmers during the rainy season. DNRC staff also continued to maintain the existing tree seedlings in the nursery. The target is to propagate about 60,000 seedlings this year which will be used to establish woodlots and food forests. During the quarter, 16,000 tree seedlings have been propagated in the DNRC nursery.
During the quarter, we continued to maintain the food forest at DNRC site for the farmers to visit and learn from. We mainly weeded and incorporated tubers and sweet potatoes for cover crop. We also got individual farmers visiting and being taken around the food forest as a field training and any questions answered.
During the quarter, farmers were visited in their individual farms and trained on how to tend their food forests and especially on the chop and drop method to nurse the production trees. The emphasis was also to try to maintain 7 layers in their food forests and plant plants which meet their need such as herbs, fruits, timber, fodder, firewood, medicinal, biodiversity etc.
Challenges faced during the quarter
Meeting the increasing demand for tree seedlings due to increased interest in the community. We have increased the DNRC tree nursery target from 55,000 to 60,000
Focus for next quarter
Greetings from Drylands Natural Resources Centre (DNRC) family. We are more than grateful for your kind donations through global giving. We are able to continue to regenerate Maiuni community through income generation, environmental protection and social capital build up through planting of Moringa oleifera and other trees by 450 farmers and 6 schools. We focus more on moringa oleifera due to its high nutrition value and saleable product due to its increasing demand locally and internationally. During the quarter, we were able to sale both seeds and powder locally worthy approximately $1000.This amount was distributed to the 450 farmers thus improving local economy. Also the farmers continued to use the Moringa in their diets thus improving their nutrition and diversify their diets. We also continued to propagate more moringa seedlings in our tree nursery, issue ready moringa seedlings to the farmers to plant and also to follow up to the farmers fields to train them on tending the planted moringa seedlings in their farms. The following are more detailed activities which took place during the quarter.
During the quarter, we continued to propagate moringa seedlings to be issued to the farmers during the rainy season. The target for this year is to give each of the 450 farmers at least 10 saplings.
DNRC training and outreach staff visited 20 individual farmers’ farms as a follow up and on farm training to make sure they are managing the planted moringa seedlings well. During these visits the farmers were also sensitised on the importance of moringa and need to continue caring and increasing the volumes for increasing market.
During the quarter, farmers continue to harvest their moringa trees leaves and bringing them to the office for processing. Once they bring the leaves in the office, they are weighed, recorded and dried under shade to retain their nutritive value and then pounded into power and packaged for sale.
Introduction
Holiday greetings from DNRC family. We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous new year 2016. Thank so much for your continued support through global giving. Your continuous and generous donation is enabling us to serve 450 farmers to take care of their fragile dryland environment in a model that improves social welfare, environmental regeneration and economical sustainability. One way of achieving the above goal is to introduce, train and help to establish food forests among the farmers and the schools in the communities we serve. Food forests is a food production and agro forestry system-based on woodland ecosystem incorporating fruits trees, nut trees, shrubs, vines, vegetables and perennials. Its self-perpetuating ecosystem exhibiting 7 layers as seen in a natural forest.(see attached pictures)
What was done during the quarter
a. Tree saplings for food forest
During the quarter, DNRC staff concentrated on maintenance of tree species in the tree nursery for establishment of food forest in the farmers’ farms. In November, the rainy season kicked in and the farmers were issued with tree saplings to establish food forests. Also DNRC extended and maintained the existing food forest at the site. This demo food forest is for field training, research and demonstration for DNRC farmers and visitors.
b. Food forest establishment training
During the quarter, farmer were trained on how to establish food forests and helped to establish them in their individual farms during the rainy season (Nov-Dec). The emphasis was to establish a food forest where they could meet most of the farmers needs including herbs, fruits, timber, fodder, firewood, medicinal, biodiversity etc. The emphasis was to try to have 7 layers as found in a natural food.
c. Farmers get-together
During the quarter, the 450 farmers convened for a get-together meeting to cook and share a meal as well as experiences as a way of strengthening their social capital which is key to success of this project. During this time, farmers were also informed why food forest and the way forward as far as the project is concerned.
Challenges faced during the quarter
• Water supply for the nursery was limited due to dry spell
• Limited wild fruit trees for the food forest. Plans are underway to collect wildings for its a challenge to propagate them.
Focus for next quarter
• Propagation of tree saplings
• More trainings on food forests
• Maintenance of the existing food forest demo.
Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.
If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can recieve an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.
Support this important cause by creating a personalized fundraising page.
Start a Fundraiser
Make a monthly donation & get 
