General – Feed Africa Farm

Urban Farming

Feed Africa Farm — Fri, 25 Oct 2024 04:18:35 +0000

Urban Agriculture refers to cultivation, processing and distribution of agricultural products within the urban areas. Urban agriculture has become a common practice globally. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), by 2007, urban agriculture contributed more than 10% of global food production. Whatever the case may be, several studies and research have shown that urban agriculture is becoming more popular with some cities in African and even Asia, known to provide more than 50% of the food for its population.

Why urban agriculture?

Increased food Security

When the urban population starts producing its own fresh food, there is reduced dependance on rural food production. This goes a long way in fostering food security in the country.

Sustainable farming

Urban agriculture can leverage easily on the available technologies to make farming more sustainable. Farmers use more efficient irrigation methods to increase production yield. Urban agriculture can also be carried out in small spaces thus making farming more sustainable and scalable. Use of locally available materials enable farmers to set up vertical gardens for instance, which go a long way in making farming possible in areas that would otherwise be considered unideal for agriculture.

Availability of fresh food

Carrying out farming in urban areas makes it possible for the urban residents to get fresh food daily. Transportation of food from the rural areas is one the main challenges that farmers encounter in the attempt to supply the cities with fresh farm produce. When the food is produced within the city and its environs, the urban population is assured of continuous supply of fresh farm produce.

Food Affordability

Farming in the city increases food supply. Increased supply translates to reduced prices of commodities. Food will be cheaper if it is produced within the location of the consumer compared to the same product being produced hundreds of miles away.

Employment opportunities

Agriculture was for a long time seen as an activity reserved for the rural areas. Urban agriculture has changed this narrative. Many people are now employed in the various farms located in the cities. With urban agriculture getting more traction, the sector continues to employ thousands of people, directly and indirectly.

Farms of the future

Slowly but surely, urban agriculture continues to impact food security globally. As arable land becomes scarcer, there are several studies on technologies that enhance productivity of urban farms. Secondly, with urbanization continuing to soar, an increasing urban population provides the required demand for fresh food. Many young people are now investing their money and time in urban farming.

Challenges of Urban farming

Whereas urban farming continues to thrive, there are many challenges that face this type of farming.

Land constraints

Most of the space in the urban areas have been used to build industrial and residential structures. The real estate sector has seen most of the land that would otherwise have been suitable for farming converted to other different use. Furthermore, the price of land is extremely high thus making farming a non-viable economic activity for such land.

Government regulations

Urban areas are zoned for different activities. Change of use of land will require the approvals by the government authorities. Most people find these approval processes tedious, time-consuming and expensive.

High cost of farming

Besides the initial high cost of acquiring the land, urban farming in most cases requires advanced technology if you are to achieve the desired productivity. This increases the cost of farming thus discouraging many people from venturing into this kind of farming.

Water availability

Urban farming depends heavily on irrigation. Most of the towns do not enjoy reliable rainfall all year round. Water remains a big challenge, not only for urban farming, but for the general use by the urban population. The high cost of water a times makes urban farming economically non-viable.

Neighborhood Conflicts

One of the biggest challenges that urban farmers face is opposition and conflict with the neighbors. Considering that most of the urban areas are occupied by residential settlements, most of the farmers find themselves in conflict with these residents. Noise, water, and air pollution from the farms are common causes of conflicts with the residents.

Waste management

Limitation of space in urban areas often makes farm waste management a big challenge. Farmers that major in livestock for instance find it a challenge to dispose of waste from their farms. Some farmers have adopted technology to curb this challenge. This comes at a cost, nonetheless.

Conclusion

Urban farming is being embraced globally as one of the major strategies to enhance food security. By growing its own food, the urban population reduces constraint and over dependence on the rural population for food supply. Challenges notwithstanding, urban agriculture will continue to soar, and more so as we see arable land become less day by day. Important to note, research and advancement of technology in agriculture will be the backbone of urban farming.

Water Management for Sustainable Farming

Feed Africa Farm — Mon, 29 Jul 2024 19:38:44 +0000

Water is one of the most important resources in the farm. Too much water or the lack of it affects the growth rate and productivity of plants. Plant nutrients uptake is greatly affected by the amount of water in the soil. Livestock on the other hand require sufficient and clean water for optimal productivity. Our families also need water for to live.

In Kenya, farmers spend thousands of shillings on water bills. The ever-changing climatic patterns have greatly affected farming activities not only here in Kenya but across the globe. Floods and sporadic droughts have made farming extremely difficult among many farmers. Excessive floods have left trails of losses for many farmers. On the other hand, droughts have seen many farmers scale down their farming activities or abandon farming altogether. Considering the current unpredictable climatic patterns, there is need for a farmer to put measures that will ensure sustainable farming through sustainable water management practices.

SUSTAINABLE WATER MANAGEMENT

Harvesting Rainwater

Rainwater harvesting is a process of conserving water by collecting and storing rainwater from rooftops or surface runoffs. Rainwater is a free and priceless gift of nature. Harvested rainwater can be used at home as well as at the farm. There are many ways of collecting rainwater. This ranges from use of simple water barrels to the use of advanced technology that can encompass use of pumps, tanks and purifying systems.

As water becomes scarcer, there is a need to ensure minimal wastage of this important resource and more importantly come up with more stainable water management practices. Whereas people have been harvesting rainwater for decades, a lot of rainwater still goes to waste.

Typical rooftop rainwater collection system

Water barrels

This is one of the most used methods of rainwater harvesting due to its simplicity and low costs. Gutters are used to collect water which is then conveyed with pipes to water barrels. This method is best for collecting rooftop water. Water barrels can either be recycled plastic containers or conventional water tanks. Filters can be installed to trap impurities and insects. Filtering system can range from off-the-shelf solutions to homemade filtering systems. Due to the low level of contamination of the rainwater, simple filtration works in most cases. Sand gravel and charcoal filters are some the mostly used DIY filtration systems.

DIY Water barrels

Surface runoff harvesting

This method is becoming common due to the unpredictability of rain patterns. The method involves construction of dams, ponds or underground tanks that can hold and store water for a relatively longer period. This method helps in collection storm water thus helping reduce flooding and soil erosion.

Uses of rainwater

Rainwater can be used in the house as well as at the farm. Depending on the deployed method of harvesting the water, there are a several areas where we can use this water and thus greatly reducing our water bills. The usage of the harvested water will however depend on the quality and the quantity of the water. Treating and purifying water can be done depending on the intended usage. Rainwater can be used for:

- Drinking and cooking

- Water for livestock

- Irrigating crops

- Watering lawns and landscaping

- Flushing toilets

- Bathing and laundry

- Washing cars and farm tools & equipment

- Fire protection systems

- Water for ponds and swimming pools

Why Rainwater?

The benefits of the rainwater harvesting system are listed below.

- Rainwater is relatively clean

- Simplicity – easy to install and use

- Low installation and maintenance cost

- Rainwater has several uses if well harvested and stored.

- Harvesting rainwater helps reduce flooding.

- Rainwater harvesting reduces run offs hence reducing soil erosion.

- Environment friendly – ensures sustainable water usage and management.

Which method works for me?

Rainwater harvesting method that is appropriate for you will be determined by several factors.

- Budget – how much money is available will determine the size and complexity of the rainwater harvesting method.

- Topography – the general orientation and inclination of the land will make one type of water harvesting better than the other.

- Skills – installation and maintenance of the water harvesting method can be determined by the skills available. This is key especially when budget is a key constraint.

- Rainfall patterns – some areas enjoy frequent and reliable rainfall and as such people in these areas can opt for simple water barrels that can hold water during the low rainfall periods. People in dry areas, however, prefer constructing large water reservoirs that can hold large amounts of water during the prolonged dry season is the best option when it comes to rainwater harvesting.

- Legal Regulations – construction of dams for instance might require approval by the local government authorities.

- Intended use – what is the water meant for? Different harvesting methods can affect the quality and quantity of the harvested water. Choose the method will meet the goal of harvesting the rainwater.

Simple rainwater harvesting method

GREY WATER RECYCLING

Grey water refers to the water from kitchen, bathroom, laundry etc. This excludes water from the toilets which is referred as black water. Grey water is easier to treat and reuse. Recycling of grey water is one the ways of reducing cost of water in our farms.

Greywater Recycling Systems

Wetlands

Wetlands are constructed to provide a natural process of removing impurities and chemicals from grey water. Wetlands come in different shapes and sizes depending on the amount of water being treated and the intended use. Wetlands involves the use of plants that naturally clean water by absorbing nutrients/chemicals that could be contained in the water. Other than plants, filters can be included in the system to remove impurities. Water treated using this method can be used to irrigate lawns, clean cars etc. Extra treatment and testing for presence of harmful chemicals should be done for water that is intended for irrigating crops or for direct use by livestock.

Commercial treatment systems

There are dozens of solutions for grey water treatment. Some of these treatment systems are known to purify the grey water to the extent that this water can be reused in the farm both for human consumption and farming.

Conclusion

Sustainable water management is necessary for sustainable farming. Nature provides us with water through rain, and as such, we can reduce our water bills by harvesting this water and store it for future use. There is also needed to recycle wastewater that we generate in our homes. Grey water contributes to more than 50% of household water usage. Recycling this water is therefore a big win in sustainable water management efforts.

Sustainable Farming

Feed Africa Farm — Tue, 27 Jun 2023 20:53:01 +0000

Take your farming to the next level

What comes to mind first when you think about farming? For many people, farming looks easy. After all, it is all about putting in some hard work at the shamba and reaping the results in a few months’ time. However, there’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes to make your farming venture profitable and successful. This includes:

Marketing

Agriculture marketing is the process of making sure that your produce finds its way from your farm to your consumers. It can involve several things, including harvesting, production, packaging, and delivery of produce. It may also involve joining a farmer’s cooperative for more reach and door-to-door pitches and sampling of your products. All this is done to guarantee sales and to increase your profits.

In the digital age, however, one thing that cannot be ignored is online marketing for farming. The advantage of this over traditional marketing is that you have the potential to reach very many people in different parts of the world over a shorter time. With digital marketing, the customers are only a click away!

There are several steps to take to succeed at digital marketing for farming:

Knowing your target audience

This will help you to determine what you have to offer them and how to package it in the most appealing way. Knowing this will also allow you to narrow down on things like location, age and gender so that you know where to focus your efforts on for maximum gain.

Creating a website for your farm

A website is likely the first place of contact that most people will have with your farming business. Make sure you create one that is current, easy to navigate and has all the information needed to help people to get your products.

Social Media

It is important for any business to be on social media, even farming. There’s a huge potential of getting your products seen and shared by many people. You can also buy ads that will help you to reach a specific audience. It is quite cheap to do agriculture marketing on social media as compared to other more traditional means.

Managing farming costs

It is not easy to run a farm successfully and there are many costs involved. These challenges can sometimes make it seem like farming is not a worthwhile venture. However, if you’re looking to turn your farm into a sustainable venture, there are several ways you can manage your costs:

Cut unnecessary expenditure: For your farming enterprise to stop making losses and start being profitable, you need to figure out where the money is going. After that, you’ll be able to see all the unnecessary things that you don’t need to be spending on and cut them off.

Increase efficiency: Are your farming systems working at their best levels? Is it taking four people to do the work of one? This one is all about examining the processes and figuring out how effective they are. Only by knowing what is wrong can you be able to fix it and save money in the long run.

Outsource some of the services: The fact is, no one is good at everything. Trying to do something you’re not sure of will only lead to avoidable mistakes and more money being used to fix them. When it comes to the services your farming business needs and provides, it is best to outsource to the professionals who know what they are doing.