Grow Money on Fruit Trees! Help 288 Families!

The farmers you have supported in Tawa, Kenya have had a busy few months! After the grafting workshop in Fall 2015, where farmers learned to graft mango and avocado seedlings for their Forest Gardens, farmers began preparing their fields for planting. Their newly grafted fruit tree seedlings must be cared for with great attention over the first few months to ensure that they grow strong and healthy before being planted in farmer's fields. The trees they learned to graft in nurseries in 2015 will be ready for planting with the coming rains, expected in March and April this year. These grafted varieties that farmers will plant this spring will not only produce fruit of much higher quality than those commonly planted from seed, but the trees will also begin producing fruit more quickly, providing more income to farmers in a shorter amount of time.

In addition to the fruit trees, farmers will also be planting other agroforestry tree species this spring to help protect their fields, further increase their value, and improve soil fertility. These species – including Senna, Albizia, and Leucaena – are fast growing and work in a complementary system with the fruit trees. This planting system – which we call the Forest Garden – helps to stabilize the soil and increase soil fertility due to nitrogen fixation and nutrient cycling. They also provide important income and fast-growing sources of useful tree products (including fodder, poles, and fuelwood). Farmers will take further advantage of the short rainy season this spring to grow diverse vegetables in their recently-built market gardens. Collectively, the foods and market opportunities provided by fast-growing vegetables and agroforestry trees will help farmers feed their families and earn extra income while they’re waiting for their fruit trees to mature and produce an abundance of fruits.

As the spring rains taper off into the long, dry summer, farmers will continue to participate training events designed to further build the Forest Gardening knowledge and skills that they have gained so far in the project. As we approach the Fall we will again distribute seeds, tools, and planting materials to farmers in preparation for the long rainy season at the end of the year, during which they will add even more fruit, timber, and agroforestry trees to their Forest Gardens.

Links:

• New York Times- The Importance of Traditional Kenyan Veggies