Nutrition through food forests & gardens in Kenya

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INTRODUCTION

We are pleased to once again share our nutrition through foo forests and gardens project progress report to all of you, our friends. Drylands Natural Resources Centre (DNRC) continue to sustainably address the issue of food and nutrition security through this project. The approach is that we mobilize and train our over 800 households the importance of knowing were their food comes from and how to sustainably grow safe and health food by themselves.DNRC continue to train the farmers on how to establish both food forests and organic kitchen gardens.The farmers are  given diverse tree species and shrubs so as to establish food forests with 7 layers.Also after given skills on how t establish sunken beds, zai-pits, compost making among others are also given vegetable saplings to also establish kitchen gardens.After establishment, the farmers are individually followed up at farmers individual farms to backstop and guide them on the management of both the food forests and kitchen gardens.During this reporting quarter, DNRC has continued to maintain both the DNRC food forests as well as the kitchen gardens making sure there is constant supply of healthy foods for both DNRC staff, interns and visitors and others.They focus majorly on following major activities.: General management of the food forest, harvesting of both fruits and vegetables, pruning of both production trees and the nurse trees, Mulching among others.On the organic kitchens, they were involved in pests and disease management, mulching, manure application, harvesting and selling.DNRC training and outreach staff were equally involved in training and guiding farmers on their food forests and kitchen gardens establishment and management. Below are detailed activities during the reporting quarter.

DNRC FOOD FOREST

During this reporting quarter, DNRC staff in charge of the food forest was majorly involved in the management of the food forest mostly pruning (chop and drop),heavy mulching of the production trees as well as applying manure. Harvesting of vegetables ( spinach, Kales, kunde, manangu, Amaranths among others). A total of 35 kgs of organic vegetables were harvested,20kg of banana and 15kg of guavas. About 50kg of animal fodder was also harvested during this 3 month period.Farmers harvests from the food forests were not monitored. 

DNRC ORGANIC KITCHEN GARDENS

During this reporting quarter, the staff were busy increasing vegetable production at DNRC by establishing more vegetable beds,managing the already existing one and also harvesting vegetables for domestic use and sell extra for income.About 100kg of diverse vegetables were harvested from DNRC organic Kitchen gardens.Training and outreach personnel also continued to train and follow up farmers on their kitchen gardens establishment and management.

FOCUS FOR THE NEXT QUARTER

•  To continue managing both DNRC food forest and the kitchen gardens.
•  To continue harvesting and selling products from the food forest and the gardens.
•  Training and follow ups on food forest and kitchen garden establishment and management