How many farmers does it take to feed a village?

With lead farmers trained at Malika and Mphombe, it was time to get to know the remaining club members, and to see their gardens. Many of the farmers had small plots of vegetables or maize, but the overall output of these gardens is insufficient to meet the needs of the families they are intended to feed.

The 23 farmers pictured here provide food to 140 family members and numerous others who will join their table when food becomes scarce. They will do this with just 63 acres of land, making food security a challenging proposition. But they have the opportunity to add 24 acres of irrigation, from which they may harvest twice per year. This increases their potential acreage 111 acres.

But that is a long way off. With current skills and capital, these farmers may only plant half that amount, and yields will be low. The Malika and Mphombe farming clubs have committed to learning how to maximize their production to put enough food on every table in their villages.

Third Harvest

This is not the season for growing corn and beans - at least not traditionally. While the rest of the village is thinking about the upcoming rainy season, the Mziza farming club continues planting, growing, and harvesting, just as they do year round.

 Yesterday, we saw this maize garden approaching maturity. The sale of this crop will be enough to provide inputs for one acre of maize, which in turn will supply food for the farmer's family for the whole year.

Adjacent to the maize garden, a near quarter acre of beans will yield all the beans needed to last to the end of the rainy season, when the threat of hunger has passed. These farmers are serious about a three-harvest year.

Garden in Stages

Mpombe lead farmers recently learned how to use rope pumps for irrigation. Here is their garden at three stages during the training.

First they graded the field for an even contour.

Next, the most critical step was to make canals and beds for the water to flow to the crops.

Finally, they planted beans and tomatoes, covered with mulch, and started watering.

Just last week they called us to come and evaluate a new garden, which they prepared on their own to demonstrate their skill. They nailed it. Here they have planted more tomatoes.