Peace-Farms-Kenya

Peace-Farms is introducing modern farming techniques to Kenya with initial emphasis on the community of Kanyawegi by Kisumu and Lake Victoria. Peace-Farms-Kenya encompasses the farming operations of Kanyawegi Model Farm, Kanyawegi Small Holder Farms, Kanyawegi Training School, and the Kanyawegi Savings and Credit Co-operative Society (SACCO).

The community of Kanyawegi is located on the NE shore of Lake Victoria about 15 kilometres west of the city of Kisumu in western Kenya at an altitude of 1,150 metres. Family homes are located on the slopes of the red soil ridge near Oyiengo Primary School and beside the unpaved roadway from Kisian to Kaloka. The soil is potentially highly productive with dark clay soil on the low land and red-chocolate-brown soil on the slopes by the ridge. Kanyawegi is located near the equator at an altitude of 3,770 feet/1,150 metres above sea level, and experiences days of 12 hours daylight and twelve hours darkness throughout each day of the year. Temperatures range from about 10 to 38 degrees Celsius. The climate has two wet seasons, averages 1200 mm, 120 cm, 50 inches of rain per year, and is conducive to two growing seasons with planting coinciding with the wet seasons of January-February, and of August-September.

About Farming in Kanyawegi

The people of Kanyawegi grow their food and earn their income from subsistence farming on small plots of land. The crops are grown under difficult conditions using ox- ploughing, followed by hand cultivation, planting, weeding, harvesting, transporting, and storing of the crops. Productivity is low under the conditions of using low quality seed, lack of fertilizer, weeds competing with crops, and intense physical activity. Consequently food production is low and families are impoverished, undernourished and hungry.

Small Holder Farmer in her plot infront of her Home

Small Holder Farmer learning to operate a backpack sprayer

1. Kanyawegi Small Holder Farms

a) Sabako co-op: Was established in 2012, as a group of six women small holder farmers growing maize, millet, beans and vegetables. In January, they received small loans to expand their farms to an average of 3 acres in the first crop cycle. Their crop yield of four 90kg bags per acre is a great improvement from previous years. The second cycle of maize, beans and vegetable crops were planted in September of 2012. An Additional 15 Small Holder Farmers from the SACCO society were also given small loans to cover their weeding expenses. Sixty members of the society are currently growing vegetables for harvest in December.

b) School Farms: Nyang’inja School Farm planted and harvested an excellent two acre crop of maize in the first crop cycle of 2012. The Oyiengo School Farm experienced waterlogged conditions due to heavy rain, and await the next crop cycle to harvest their first crop. The plan to continue planting maize intercropped with beans at the school farms with the school children learning about growing crops and assisting with planting, weeding and harvesting the crops. The harvest from these farms is for use in the school feeding programs. The project was partially funded by Forbes Presbyterian Church in Grande Prairie, Alberta.

What we are doing

Peace-Farms is introducing the environmentally friendly farming technology of the Peace Region of Alberta to the Kanyawegi Region of Kenya. The technology includes one-pass direct planting, management of weeds through use of herbicides, and direct straight cut combine harvesting of the grain and oil seed crops. The technology eliminates cultivation, eliminates weed competition, conserves soil moisture, creates surface mulch from crop residues, increases soil organic matter, reduces labor, and increases farmer productivity. The soils of the Peace Region of Alberta and the Kanyawegi Region of Kenya have similar characteristics and the technology is transferable to Kanyawegi Model Farm, and is applicable to down-sizing to meet the needs of the Kanyawegi Small Holder Farms and to the Nyang’inja and Oyiengo School Farms.

Small Holder Farmer's Vegetable Garden

Nyang'inja Primary School Farm, July 2012

2. Kanyawegi Model Farm

Peace-Farms-Kenya is establishing Kanyawegi Model Farm for growing of Maize, Millet, Beans and Vegetable Crops. The goals of the farm include:

Operating the farm profitably for re-investment, improvement, and being supportive of the Kanyawegi Small Holder Farmers towards increasing food production, alleviating hunger, supporting social and community development.
Transferring the proven technology of GAGI to the Kanyawegi Region of Kenya with appropriate scale adjustments.
Building a Model Kanyawegi Farm Site including: Farm Home, Workshop, Buildings for Machinery and Storage, Grain Bins, Water and Power Supply, and Access Road.
Purchasing and acquiring machinery suitable for the transferred technology.
Identifying and training staff for working efficiently on the farm consistent with the goals of the farm.
Being the initial Training Centre for training and establishing the Kanyawegi Small Holder Farmers in using the technology of GAGI with suitably downed sized equipment.
Being supportive of Kanyawegi Small Holder Farmers in all aspects of training, establishing, marketing, and community business aspects of operation and community interaction.
Working collaboratively with Kanyawegi Support for Orphans and Widows (KASOW).