TOF No. 100 Sep 2013

No. 100 September 2013

The Organic Farmer has turned out to be an amazing success story. That you are holdingthe 100th edition in your hands is truly remarkable. It shows that a huge void was filled when the maga-zine was launched in 2005, with access to vital informa-tion being a big problem for small-scale farmers, not just in Kenya, but all over Africa.Accordingly, the rapid growth of the magazine was demand driven. Today TOF reaches up to 240,000 readers and the Internet site biovision-infonet.org is visited by over 900 people a day. Weekly radio shows, the SMS service and access to informa-tion through smart phones complement TOF and vastly increased its reach.The information on sustain-able agricultural production is key to assisting millions of smallholders, who are, as is widely recognised, crucial for ensuring food security for the population, creating jobs and maintain-ing a healthy environment. All of which form the basis for any healthy economy.However, the need for extension services and ongoing support for small-holders is traditionally neglected by many policy makers who pay lip service to the enormous perfor-mance of the people who feed the country.For these reasons, Biovi-sion Foundation, together with icipe, has supported TOF from the beginning, and will continue to do so in the years to come.Andreas SchriberCEO, Biovision – Foundation for Ecological Development

Fight the worms 2

Donkey care 4

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Dear Readers

TOF P.O. Box 30772, Nairobi 00100, Tel. +254 20 863 21 86, SMS: 0715 916 136, Email: [email protected]

Celebrating 100 issues of TOFWith this issue, The Organic Farmer, one of the princi-pal agricultural magazines in Africa, celebrates its number 100 publication since inception. TOF issue number 100! This translates to 800 print pages with information for farmers and about farmers which we have published during the more than eight years the magazine has been in circulation. The journey has been on a long and exciting one; from the first issue of 10,000 copies, which we pub-lished way back in April 2005, to the current issue number 100 with a print run of 32,000 copies. Over the years, TOF has made thousands of friends within the small-scale farming commu-nity in Kenya, East Africa and beyond, the community of sci-entists in the country, exten-sion officers from the Ministry

of Agriculture and even in col-leges and schools. To date TOF, as farmers popularly refer to it, is very well known all over the country (see insert).

Huge feedback The hundreds of articles and pictures, through which TOF used to pass key messages on organic farming, were by far not a one-way information transfer channel. Farmers did their part by sharing tips and ideas for articles as well as reacting and or responding to letters, phone calls, e-mails and SMS. We are thankful for the huge feedback

from farmers. For us working with the farmers is inspiring and motivating. The production of magazine, however, requires teamwork. Lucy Macharia, the administrator, and James Wathuge, the designer, con-tributed tremendously to the success of the magazine. We wrap up this short intro-duction with a word of thanks to the publisher, icipe, and Biovi-sion Foundation for Ecological Development in Switzerland, for tirelessly shouldered the cost of production and distribution of The Organic Farmer magazine all these years. Editors

Grow bulb onions the right wayTOF - Bulb onions are one of the fast moving market gardening vegetables crops in the market today. The onions can earn farmers very good returns if they are grown and managed. Unfor-tunately many Kenyan farmers tend to concentrate on common vegetable crops such as tomatoes, cabbages and sukumawiki, which often flood the market. Another problem is the curing of the onions. Many farmers are always in

a rush to harvest and take the onions to the market but forget that they require proper drying and curing to stop rotting during storage. This rush is to blame for the low quality of local bulb onions. As a result most of the onions grown in Kenya are of

low quality compared to those imported from Tanzania. This is one reason why the local onions cannot compete in the market with imported ones. (Page 3)

The icipe Govern-ing Council has appointed an Ethiopian scientist, Dr Segenet Kelemu, as the new Director-General of icipe. Page 8

New icipe Director-General

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No. 100 September, 2013

Parasite control improves animal health

Publisher African Insect Science for Food and Health (icipe), P.O. Box 30772, 00100 Nairobi, KENYA, +254 20 863 20 00; [email protected]; www.icipe.org

Editors Caroline Nyakundi, Peter Kamau Administrator Lucy W. Macharia, 020 863 21 86

Address The Organic Farmer, c/o icipe, P.O. Box 30772, 00100 Nairobi, KENYA; +254 738 390 715; 020 863 21 [email protected]; www.theorganicfarmer.org

The Organic Farmer is an independent magazine for the East African farming community. It promotes organic farming and sup-ports discussions on all aspects of sustainable development. It is published monthly by icipe. The reports in the The Organic Farmer do not necessarily reflect the views of icipe.

License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

Sponsor Biovision, a Swiss-based foundation for the promo-tion of sustainable development, based in Zürich, Switzerland. www.biovision.ch

Advisory Board icipe: Sunday Ekesi, Nguya Maniania; farmer from Wangige: Charles Kimani; KARI: Joseph Mureithi; ILRI: Henry Kiara

Layout In-A-Vision Systems (k), James Wathuge

Deworming livestock at the beginning and end of every rainy season improves their health and productivity.

Peter Kamau Deworm-ing is a big challenge to many farmers. Images of cattle, sheep and goats in a very bad shape, are a common sight on most farms in the countryside. One reason for this is that farmers do not associate the poor health of their animals with worm infestation. Indeed, farmers will often consult a veterinarian thinking a disease has affected their animals. The main types of worms in livestock include roundworms (nematodes) and flat worms (platyhelminthes), like flukes and tapeworms.

Symptoms of worm infestation Young calves are especially prone to worms, because of their weak immune system. The common symptoms include frequent diarrhoea and weak appearance. Adult cows, affected by worms and inter-nal parasites, reduce milk pro-duction and are susceptible to anemia, and can even die in severe conditions. As the rainy season sets in, worm infestation in domestic animals tends to increase, interfering with their normal growth and milk pro-duction. To prevent worm infestation, farmers have to deworm their animals at regular intervals and maintain proper animal man-agement through feeding and even hygiene.

It is difficult to completely eradicate parasites in animals, but they can be managed in a way that does not affect the animals’ health so much. The secret to good parasite manage-ment is to avoid high infestation and to strengthen the vitality and resistance of your animals.

Understand the worms to fight them The animals mostly pick worms when grazing during the wet season, since these parasites find the right conditions that enable them to multiply. Farmers should therefore know the life cycles of each internal parasite in order to control them more effectively. One fact that farmers should know is that it is only the adult worm that lives in the internal organs of the animal, grazing cattle pick the worm larvae with the grass; the larvae then grow into adult worms inside the animal. Coccidia, intestinal worms and tapeworms mainly reside in the intestines, lungworms live in the lungs, liverflukes are found in the liver while brain worms in sheep and goats live in the brain. Once the worms produce eggs, the eggs are passed out with animal dung. When there is sufficient moisture, the eggs develop into tiny infecti-tious larvae that survive in pas-tures until they are taken up by the animals while grazing.

Grazing management controls wormsGood grazing management can go a long way in worm control. Farmers can take the following measures to reduce worm infes-tation:• Divide the pasture into four or five paddocks and allow animals into each paddock at a time through rotation. Graze each paddock for about a week and let it recover for one month.• Graze the young calves first in each paddock before allowing the adult cows into the paddock; this reduces worm infestation in calves.

• Do not overstock or overgraze the paddocks.• Fence off swampy areas to prevent animals from drinking water in such areas to reduce liverfluke infestation.

DewormingFarmers should buy the right dewormers to control worms in their animals. To reduce the incidence of worm resistance to dewormers, it is important to use different deworming drugs in each cycle of deworming. The right dosage is important (follow the label!); under dosing leads to resistance and parasite survival. Always ask for assis-tance and the services of a quali-fied veterinarian to advice you on the most effective dewormers in the market.

Natural dewormers reduce worm infestationFarmers can also reduce worm infestation in their livestock by use of natural dewormers. Herbal dewormers are not as fast acting as synthetics ones, but they can be useful in reduc-ing worms in livestock if given

regularly and over a long period of time. The most common include:• Pyrethrum extract “pymac” (mix with animal feed at all times), • Minced garlic (250g in 4 litres of water given at 2 litres per day, always after milking!) • neem (neem cake, seeds oil or bark mixed with feed) • Artemisia spp. (wormwood, use extracts) • Pumpkin seeds (or seed extracts), • Wild ginger (mince 50g of aerial roots and give to cattle sheep and goats). • Albinzia anthelmintica -mwowa or kyalundathi in Kikamba (soak 500g of chopped bark in 3 litres of water overnight, sieve and drench).

A bundle of tapeworms.

Animals pick worms at the egg (larvae) stage while grazing. The parasites later grow into adult worms inside the animals.

An animal liver damaged by worms.

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done without using raised beds by applying manure at 40tons/ha. Tiny furrows, 2.5cm deep and 30cm wide, are made across the field. Apply rock phosphate fertilizer and work it into the soil. Plant the seeds into the furrows and water regularly as the seed grows. Thin the seed-lings to leave 8cm between one plant and the next at 4 to 6 weeks. Plant the thinned onions elsewhere at a spacing of 30cm x 8cm (between and within the rows).Watering: Onions should be watered adequately for proper growth of roots and leaves and ensure bulb enlargement. Weeding: Light weeding is rec-ommended. Do not heap the soil around the plant to prevent stem rot. Weeding should be avoided towards the end of the season. Ten days before harvest-ing, one-third of the bulb should be exposed to facilitate bulb and neck to dry and harden. Remove soil gently away from the bulbs. Stop watering one week before harvest to allow the onions to dry.

Harvesting and storage Bulb onions should be har-vested at 5 or 6 months depend-ing variety planted. Harvesting


There is good market for bulb onionsA lot of fresh bulb onions in Kenya are imported from Tanzania because there is a limited supply in the country.

Agnes Ndegwa* Bulb onions are the third most important veg-etable crop in Kenya after suku-mawiki, cabbages and tomatoes. Onions grow in a wide range of climatic conditions. However, they do better in warmer parts of the country (mainly in Loito-kitok, Kibwezi, Taveta, Meru-Mitunguu, Nyeri-Kieni, Kisii and Bungoma). This means that farmers in quite many parts of the country can grow them for sale. A lot of bulb onions are also imported from Tanzania because Kenyan farmers cannot cope with the demand. There is therefore a good market opportunity for farmers who would like to venture into bulb onion production. Below are some of requirements for a successful bulb onion produc-tion.Climate: Bulb onions can be grown in most parts of the country, but they grow best below an altitude of 1900m. The right temperature for bulb onion production is between 15 - 30°C with rainfall ranging between 500-700mm. The onions require a dry period at maturity and harvesting. Soils: Bulb onions grow well in fertile, well-drained, friable (soft) loam soil with a high level of organic matter and good water holding capacity. The soil pH should be between 6.0 and 7.0.

Bulb onion management Bulb onions can be grown from seed sown in a nursery and then transplanted or through direct planting in the shamba. Nursery establishment: Onions are first planted in a nursery. A good site for the nursery should be identified, preferably on a flat ground that is protected from wind and near a permanent water source. In wet areas with heavy soils, it is advisable to raise the seedbed. Make a 1m wide bed. The length of the bed can be as long the area intended for planting.Sunken beds: In areas with limited rainfall, a sunken bed can be prepared. Well-composited manure should be applied on

the seedbed at a rate of 2kg per square metre, the manure should be worked into the seedbed soil. Make the seedbed free of weeds and harmful soil organisms by covering it with a plastic sheet for three weeks (this is called solarisation). Remove the plastic sheet after this process and tread the soil to make it firm. Planting seeds: Rake the soil to a fine texture and then water it a day before planting the seeds. Make tiny furrows about 15cm apart. Plant the seeds at 1-2cm depth and cover lightly with the soil and then compact the soil firmly. On the seedbed you can then place light straw, which can be removed after seedling emergence. Keep the nursery weed free of weed otherwise the onions cannot grow well. Transplant the seedlings after 6-8 weeks when the seedlings are about 15 cm tall. The seed-lings can be stored for up to 3 weeks before transplanting. Do not wet the seedling before transplanting them.Transplanting: Seedlings should be transplanted at a spacing of 30cm x 8cm x 3cm below the soil surface. Apply manure fortified with rock phos-phate or any other organic fertil-izer in the planting furrows and mix thoroughly with the soil before planting. Plant the seed-lings and water them immedi-ately to remove air pockets that cause the seedlings to dry and die. Apply any organic fertilizer for topdressing with tithonia and comfrey extracts and add more compost. Fertilizer with too much nitrogen (for instance

urea) should be avoided as it can lead to late maturity, devel-opment of double bulbs and poor standability.Direct seeding: If you want to plant bulb onions directly in the shamba, ensure you do this on raised beds. Raised beds ensure better drainage and prevent soil compaction. They also make it easier to separate the soil from the bulbs during harvest. Each bed consists of two rows of onions. About 5kg of seed are enough for one hectare. The plants are thinned to the rec-ommended density when they attain a height of 15cm. The thinned plants can be planted on another bed specially prepared for this purpose. The raised beds should be at least 1m wide. Add well composited manure and rock phosphate fertilizer applied to enrich the soil. Direct planting can also be

*Agnes Ndegwa is an agron-omist at KARI, Thika.

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One third of the bulb should be exposed for bulb and neck to dry.

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Why it is important to treat your donkey well

Well kept donkeys: The harness is made of soft materials that do not hurt the animal or rub its body sore.

Myth 1: If a donkey gets sick it will die, no matter what you do to it. Fact: If a donkey is sick, like any other animal it requires medical attention from a quali-fied Animal Health practitioner - either a vet or animal health technician. In addition, it needs to be fed well and given plenty of water to replace lost fluid. In a short while, it will be healthy again.Myth 2: If a donkey is carried on a vehicle it will laugh itself to death.Fact: Although donkeys are used as transport animals, there is no relationship between a donkey being carried on a vehicle and death. The most important thing is to make it as comfortable as possible during transportation to prevail any stress. Myth 3: A donkey will die if it does not work hard every day.Fact: Although donkeys are hard working, they should not

Animal cruelty is forbidden by lawAll animals including donkeys in Kenya are protected by the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. Therefore, cruelly beating, kicking, mal-treating, over-riding, over-driving, over-loading, torturing, infuriating or terrifying any animal is for-

be overworked. For maximum output, donkeys need enough rest, adequate feeding and watering. When not at work, it is important to remove the harness from the donkey.Myth 4: If you get in contact with a donkey's dung you will get tetanus.Fact: Tetanus is caused by bac-teria, which can be found in any animal’s dung and in the soil. Because of their tendency to roll on the ground, donkeys often contract tetanus if they have open wounds, which get in contact with the dung or the soil. Wounds of animals and people should therefore be treated, covered and kept clean. People and donkeys should be vaccinated against tetanus.Myth 5: A donkey should be buried with a 100 Shilling note in its mouth as a reward for its hard work when it was alive.Fact: The best way to reward your donkey is to use the money when

it is still alive. A great reward for the donkey is to ensure that it is treated and handled well. Myth 6: A donkey can only feed at night because during the day it is supposed to be working.Fact: Working donkeys use large amounts of energy in the course of their working day. They there-fore need good food. Like any other animal, they also require enough time to sleep and rest at night. They can be fed at any time of the day, especially in between working periods or when they have finished working.Myth 7: If you don't work a donkey hard it will become hostile and unfriendly.Fact: A well cared for donkey is friendly and a nice companion at work. On the contrary, beating, poor harnessing and overwork-ing makes the donkey unfriendly and hostile.Myth 8: Every new donkey has to get wounds before it gets used to its work.

Fact: Wounds make the donkey uncomfortable and difficult to work with. It should therefore be trained to take on new tasks instead of being forced with beating and caning.Myth 9: If cows are kept in the same enclosure with donkeys the cows will become infertile. Fact: Livestock are social and blend naturally when they live together. Infertility is caused by factors such as malnutrition, not by donkeys.Myth 10: If a donkey gets blind, grind a glass bottle and put the glass powder in the eye. It will clean the cloudy cornea to heal.Fact: Eye problems may be caused by dust, pollution or flies. At the earliest sign of discharge, redness or cloudiness, take the animal to a veterinary officer for treatment. Delay may worsen the condition and the donkey may become blind. Broken glass will puncture the eye leading to a painful blindness.

Common but false myths concerning the treatment of donkeys

Donkeys are hard working and can improve lives. It's however hard to understand why farmers mistreat their donkeys.

Laura Künzig It was truly unusual to watch a parade being led by donkeys and the Admin-istration Police Band. It showed how much the people of Limuru respect their animals. “We respect our donkeys because they win our daily bread”, says Steven Thiga from Limuru. He is one of the many donkey owners who came to celebrate the National Donkey Day on May 17, 2013. His donkeys transport potatoes to the market, bring grass for the cows and pull the cart with peoples’ load who pay for the service. Thiga treats his donkeys well and he knows how to work with them.• To show them in which direc-tion he wants them to go, he uses a stick or a whip for indication, but he does not hit them. He waves the stick from behind but never on their head which would make them head-shy and difficult to work with. • Donkeys like dry places to sleep at, otherwise they will get prob-lems with their legs. • They need to be well fed; pro-viding enough water every day is crucial for the health of the

donkeys. Donkeys need breaks and time for resting so that they are not being overworked. • In Limuru, the veterinaries from KENDAT explained in

bidden. Anyone who mistreats animals through starving, underfeeding, denying water, abandoning, keeping them in a bad environment, denying vet-erinary treatment, poisoning or injuring animals “shall be guilty of an offence of cruelty [and]

among other issues, how to use a rope and how to approach the donkeys. Since they cannot see clearly in the front and in the back, the best way to approach

them is coming from the side. The donkey owner should be patient; this builds trust as the donkey gets used to the owner. Donkeys should never be beaten.

liable to a fine, a term of impris-onment, or both.” (Prevention Of Cruelty To Animals Act, Revised Edition 2012, Chaper 360, pp. 5f. (Pre-vention Of Cruelty To Animals Act, Revised Edition 2012, Chapter 360, pp. 5f.

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Grow passion fruits well and earn more

Passion fruits are sensitive plants. They need adequate sun and air, which helps in ripening prevent the outbreak of diseases.

A well-done trellis system in a passion fruit plantation. There is enough space between the rows for application of compost to the plants since passion fruits do much better in fertile soils. Take care of the posts and the wire, since you will need them during the rotation cycle. Passion fruits should not be grown for more than 2-3 years on the same plot.

Despite its attractive prices, farmers have abandoned passion fruit farming in many partsof the country.

Joan Mukiri Passion fruits are always in demand, regardless of the season they are grown. One of the reasons for this is their scarcity. Very few farmers are able to produce passion fruits for fear of fungal diseases and pests. Before venturing into passion fruit production, farmers need to arm themselves with adequate information on general manage-ment of the orchard, including disease and pest control mea-sures. There are two major varieties of passion fruits that are popular with consumers in the market:• Passiflora edulis var flavicarpa (yellow passion): This variety grows in the cooler highland areas, produces yellow fruits and is grown mainly for the supply of fresh fruits.• Passiflora edulis var (purple variety): The variety does well in coastal strip. It is purple in colour and is mainly used for processing fruit juice and for fresh market. Farmers who have tried passion fruit production in many parts of the country have been unsuccessful due to attack of the crop by Fusarium wilt fungal disease and aphids. This is because farmers have con-tinuously ignored advice from agricultural experts on the use of certified planting material and pest control. To reduce the incidence of diseases and

pests in the purple variety espe-cially, grafting with the yellow variety is recommended – with the yellow variety as rootstock (lower section of the graft). The following are the requirements of passion fruit production.

Climatic requirements Passion fruit requires fertile, well-drained soils that are not acidic (pH 5.5 to 7). It also needs a moist climate with at least 1000 mm of rainfall per year. The purple variety requires about 1600mm of rainfall and prefers moderate temperatures between 18°C and 25°C. The yellow type can do well in areas with temperatures of between 25 °C and 30°C.

Land preparationPassion fruit plants, with their deep root system, require proper land cultivation. Deep

ploughing and harrowing is necessary due to hard pans in the soil. Planting holes of 45 cm x 45cm at the spacing of 2 m x 3m for hand cultivation and 3m x 3m for mechanized cultivation is recommended at least 3 weeks before transplant-ing. When digging the planting holes, the topsoil should be kept on one side of the hole while the subsoil is kept on the other. Mix one debe (10 kg) of farmyard manure with topsoil and refill the hole with the mixture.

Planting The soil around the seedling should be made firm but not too firm. The positioning of the seedlings has to be similar to that in the nursery. After plant-ing, the grafting point should not have any contact with the soil to avoid fungal infection. The seedling should be irrigated

Soon after planting, the young plants are tied to training sticks till they reach the wire at the top. Only two vines should be allowed to grow, remove weaker vines. When the vines reach the wire, the two are wound care-fully around it in opposite direc-tions. Secondary shoots appear-ing along the wire of the trellis-ing system must be left and the other pruned.

Prunning and fertilizerOld unproductive shoots and deadwood must be removed. Secondary shoots also need pruning when they are about to reach the ground level. The lateral shoots which bear the fruits should be left to hang down freely from the wire and

Maintenance of passion fruit plantations

the entangling tendrils need to be cut off to allow free air and light penetration. Removal also helps reduce disease and pest incidence. All equipment used for pruning should be disinfected to prevent the spread of viral diseases.

In organic farming use of organic fertilizer is recommended. Regular application of compost and Fermented Plant Extracts (FPE) increases yields and helps to control diseases and pests. To avoid the build-up of soil-borne diseases and pests, passion fruits

to ensure quick rooting and shooting of the plant.

Trellis systemA trellis system is a line made to support climbing plants. In passion fruit planting, the system should be erected imme-diately after planting. Posts are placed at spacings of 6 m in line with the passion fruit, thus alter-nating one post with plants (this means that a post is placed after every two plants). Posts should be dug about 40 cm deep; before placing them into the soil, they should be treated with a suitable chemical to prevent termite attack. The end-posts should be anchored firmly in the ground. Running along the top of the post is a wire. Use an 8-gauge wire for this purpose (farmers are advised to use coated wire).

should not be grown for more than two years on the same piece of land. In the next issue of TOF, we will provide more information on the most common diseases that affect passion fruit production and provide measures farmers can take to control them.

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"Tips from TOF have improved my livelihood"No. 100 September, 2013

Jotham Egadwa

A good model of a Mandala garden. (Photos: Alfred Amusibwa)

Jotham Egadwa' fishpond provides his family with healthy protein.

Jotham has learnt fish farming, dairy goat keeping and value addi-tion which have helped him increase his income.

Alfred Amusibwa For many years, Jotham Egadwa and the members of Jiinue Self Help Group have been receiv-ing copies of TOF magazine as well as training provided by i-TOF project. Jotham’s farm in Wodanga is a model organic farming farm. The industrious farmer is a good example of a farmer who has acquired knowl-edge and skills that have changed his life. "A wealth of farming practices, techniques, new ideas and proper crop management have featured in TOF magazines that have been produced over the years," says Jotham. "Many of them have enabled me improve my livelihood; through improved soil fertility, and especially my income generating farming ven-tures". Jotham is eager to reveal how he discovered new ideas, and eventually transformed them into profitable agribusiness enterprises, courtesy of TOF:

Fish Farming To start off, Jotham discusses his fish farming project for it earns him a handsome income. This topic has been adequately

tackled in a number of TOF issues. With some additional trainings, he easily ventured into this business. "Fish is nutri-tious and to my family. I also sell them to generate an income," he explains. Jotham remem-bers how he read, reflected on and put into practice the tips he got from TOF about fish breeding, management, harvest-ing, storage and marketing. He urges all farmers interested in fish farming to refer to these articles as “they will enable them to practise fish farming successfully," he advises.

Dairy Goat farming Jotham likes milk and espe-cially goat milk. When he read some articles on goat farming, he decided to buy some dairy goats. "I managed to buy four dairy goats, since I realized that dairy goat keeping is a good business". Today, he has all the skills one requires for proper goat management. He milks two dairy goats and he really appreci-ates the benefits thereof because goats’ milk is sweet, nutritious and fetches good money, com-pared to that of cows. From his goats, he carefully collects the droppings and uses them for making compost. Recently, he sold three offsprings that fetched him good income. From this sale, he invested in other farm activities.

Soil fertilitySince TOF has written so many articles on how to improve soil fertility, Jotham has used these ideas to prepare compost, liquid fertilizers and plant teas. "My crops have improved, I realize better vegetable yields, for instance sukumawiki, and even my bananas are doing better than before due to organic farm management," he adds.

Bee keeping Another topic from which Jotham has benefited immensely is beekeeping. He got the idea and, backed by training from the i-TOF field officer, bought some beehives. "Now I sell the honey at farmers’ events,” he says. Going round his farm, one can understand why he praises TOF and its slogan "Farming is a business". He adds: "Learn-ing new methods and topics such the need for diversification is important for us small-scale farmers". Like other innovative small-scale farmers, Jotham has dis-covered that his products can

fetch a better price if he pro-cessed them. "I think value addi-tion is the way-out for us small-scale farmers," he counsels. Together, with other members of his group, they have began to process soya beans. They produce soya milk, soya flour, soya chapatis and other prod-ucts. They sell them during farm functions like field days, World Food Day and exhibi-tions where they fetch good money.

A long wish list to The Organic FarmerJotham is thankful that TOF was an eye opener and assisted him with valuable ideas and tips, this way increasing his income. He proposes quite a long list of topics he would like to see fea-tured in future editions: Credit and financial issues, certifica-tion of organic products, soil testing, human health and infec-tious diseases. He would like to get more health information on medicinal trees, their traditional values and their uses such as in disease control. For animal health, TOF should focus on signs and symptoms of diseases and how to control them. He urges the TOF crew to keep up the good work and con-tinue supporting farmers with knowledge, "because it feels so good to be empowered."

should be done under dry con-ditions. If under irrigation, it is important to stop watering 7 to 10 days before harvest. Onions are ready for harvest when the tops begin to dry up and fall. Pull out the bulbs by hand and allow them to dry. Clip the roots and cut off the tops, leaving at least 1 to 2 inch stem on the bulb. The onions should be kept in cool, dry con-dition and separated for pres-ervation and to prevent bruis-ing. Sorting should be done to remove damaged and diseased

bulbs. Bulb onions need curing for 2 to 3 weeks before storage. One acre of bulb onions can produce 7 to 10 tonnes.Grading: Onions intended for

fresh market are graded accord-ing to size (large, medium and small) and packaged in net bags. Onions intended for dehydra-tion should be sorted to remove the damaged and badly shaped ones.Storage: Bulb onions should be stored in mesh bags (net bags) or spread out on a mesh or screen to allow adequate ventilation. Storage should be in well-venti-lated sheds. Well- cured onions can be stored for up to 200 days.In one of our future editions, we will write about diseases and pests that affect bulb onions and look at how farmers can control them.

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Banana diseases pose a big threat to production

When chickens stop laying eggs

This banana plant is badly damaged by the Banana Xan-thomas wilt: The leaves are dry, the fruits become hard.

A banana plant affected by Banana Bunchy Top Virus: The leaves grow as a bunch (photo above). Below, a banana affected by aphids which spread the virus.

We have a big problem with banana plants like Musa nana, Musa sapientum and Musa par-adisiacal. These plants are going to disappear because of one regional diseases. I would like if possible to get help from you.Gracien Sivanza, Democratic Republic of Congo

There are two diseases that cur-rently have a very bad impact on banana plants in the East African region. One of them is the Banana Xanthomas Wilt (BXW); the other is called the Banana Bunchy Top Virus (BBTV). Although we cannot

be able to tell what particu-lar disease may have attacked your bananas, the two are the most serious diseases as shown below.

Banana Xanthomas Wilt (BXW)BXW causes the leaves of the plant to dry. The fruit ripens prematurely and is uneven and becomes hard. Furthermore, a yellowish fluid develops in the trunk of the tree. The wilt is spread by insects and infected hoes. The disease does not cause harm to animals and humans. So far, no cure has been found for the disease, but there are some methods to prevent the spreading of the wilt. All infected plants should be dug up, chopped into pieces, burned and buried.

Field sanitationIt also helps to remove the male bud immediately the last fruits have set. It is better to use a forked stick and break the male bud off rather than cutting it with a knife, because the knife will be infected and carry the disease to other plants. The male bud usually attracts insects that will spread the disease. Debud-ding does not make a plant immune to the wilt but it will diminish the possibility of infec-tion.

Also other animals like cows can infect healthy plants when moving around. They should therefore be tied to prevent them from reaching the plants. Tools should be disinfected before they are used on another plant. This can be done by severely exposing them to fire. These methods are labour inten-sive, but they have proven useful in eradication of the disease in the fields of small-scale farmers and they prevent the disease from spreading. Even a heavily infected field can be replanted with bananas after a period of eight months. Meanwhile, non-cereals like cassava, potatoes or beans may be planted there, but should be monitored regularly. Chemicals cannot control the wilt, and resistant varieties have not been found so far.

Banana Bunchy Top Virus (BBTV)BBTV is spread by aphids and stunts and it kills the banana plants. The first symptoms are dark green streaks in the lower leaves. Later new leaves will come out more narrow and gen-erally the plant will be stunted. It is difficult to recognize the disease in the beginning; there-fore regular inspection is the first preventive measure. Infected plants must be destroyed early by digging them up and burning

them. To kill the aphids, a spray of soapy water can be used and sprayed especially on the upper petioles and the unfurled leaf. Also here the disinfection of tools and general field hygiene are crucial and an efficient way of preventing the disease from spreading. When all diseased plants are removed from the field, it is possible to replant. Seedlings should be purchased from a trusted distributor to ensure the new plants are virus free.

Communication and cooperationHowever much a single farmer can take care of their plantation and keep it wilt and virus-free, it is crucial that farmers, orga-nizations and the government work together to eliminate these diseases. First of all, farmers should educate their neighbours on the diseases and the impor-tance of preventive measures. As much as organizations, in cooperation with governments, are distributing clean tools and seedlings, it is important that farmers themselves remain keen to keep those diseases manage-able. Laura Künzig

My chickens stay for a long period of time before they start laying. What could be the problem?

Many poultry farmers partic-ularly those keeping chickens for a long time become puzzled when the hens suddenly stop laying eggs. This happens at times when the birds appear quite healthy. This phenomenon is called moulting. Moulting is process of shedding or renewing feathers. During the moulting period, the reproductive system of a bird comes to a complete rest from laying eggs. The bird builds up its body reserves of nutrients. Moulting is a natural process where the chickens shed their feathers and grow new ones to protect themselves from cold or to maintain their ability to fly through growth of new feathers. Under normal conditions chick-ens may moult once, twice a year or rarely once in two years depending on breed and con-

ditions under which they are kept. The main factors that bring about m o u l t i n g are physical e x h a u s t i o n and fatigue, c o m p l e t i o n of laying cycle (birds lay eggs for certain period of time) Most poultry farmers lock up their chickens in their sheds to restrict movement especially after planting their crops at the beginning of the rainy season to prevent them from damaging the young crops. The restric-tion is not accompanied with adequate feeding of the birds. The birds’ conditions deterio-rates to a point where the nutri-ents they receive cannot support egg production because the little

feed available to the chickens is used for body maintenance and nourishment of their feath-ers. Feathers contain proteins and are more easily grown when laying stops because of an unadequate protein for both egg laying and feather produc-tion. Chickens therefore require adequate and good quality feed to replace the feathers and build up their body condition to start laying eggs again. pk

0717 551 129 / 0738 390 715


Exhibition: The Vi Agroforestry project in Trans Nzoia County is inviting farmers to an open learning event to be held on 17th to 19th September 2013 at the Vi Agroforestry farm in Kitale. The theme of the event is “Sustain-able Land Management for Pro-ductivity, Agribusiness Devel-opment and Climate Adapta-tion.” All farmers are invited. Matthew Limo, Farm Manager.Silage tubes for sale: We have silage tubes for sale to inter-ested farmers. Star Rays Centre, Nangili Corner along Eldoret-Kitale road. Training for farmer groups also available. William Makechi 0721 245 443Ducks for sale: I have 20 ducks for sale. Contact Evans Musuko 0723 342 969Sunflower for sale: I have 1 acre of sunflower ready for harvest. Interested buyers call 0716 737 635.Beeswax wanted: I need 2kg of beeswax. Call Ojuma David 0724 320 966Hydroponics nutrients wanted: I am looking for a place where I can buy the hydroponics nutri-ents (N, P, K, Mg, Ca etc). Kindly indicate the shops available and locations. Denoh ToshGrape cultivars for sale: Avail-able in Dodoma, Tanzania in abundance. Nicholas MuyaleCereals wanted: I want to start a cereals business. Anyone who can supply me with maize, beans, groundnuts, ndengu, rice, eggs? Send me your con-tacts. Rowland W. SimiyuCalling farmers from Meru: I am for farmers from Meru who have land and reliable water sources or who live near rivers. I want to give them a chance to change their lives. We give the seeds,you grow for the market. I will provide extension educa-tion and management and enable you to make up to Ksh 100,000 every month. Those interested inbox me so we can start from September 2013 onwards. Musso II.Chickens wanted: I need chick-ens from Chinese store. Ham Bill.Eggs for sale: Anyone who needs to be supplied with 20 trays of yellow yolk eggs per week in Eldoret area? Contact me. Elijah Koskey.Vanilla wanted: I need vanilla, any lead where I can get it?

Waswa Moses Baraka

Information through radio

John Cheburet Five years ago, The Organic Farmer maga-zine started TOFRadio as a way of reaching a wider audience with its message of environ-mentally-friendly farming prac-tices. Simply put, the farmer uses farming methods that take care of the environment so that the environment can continue to support farming for food and for the market. The magazine was already making information accessi-ble to farmers at a time when funding for extension was at an all time low, and crucial farming information was held up in the archives and librar-ies of research institutions. TOF was conceived and seen as a bridge between farmers on the one hand and scientists on the other, utilizing the print media to expose farmers to practi-cal, easily understandable and applicable information on new technologies developed by research institutions.

Why radio? In order to reach more farmers, especially in rural areas, TOFRadio program was born. The program is produced and broadcast in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture through the Agriculture Infor-mation Resource Centre (AIRC) and aired on Kenya Broadcast-ing Corporation (KBC) every Thursday at 8:15pm. TOFRadio has also expanded to Milele FM, where it is aired every Tuesday at 8:30pm, giving farmers more and varied content.

Radio has the widest reach in rural areas compared to any other medium. It is a vital tool for information dis-semination, knowledge sharing and creating linkages between farmers and research institutions.

At face value, it may seem that there is little connection between radio and farming. In Kenya, radio is known to be a news and entertainment medium, with more focus on the entertain-ment through music and live talk shows. However, the same medium is a tool for empower-ment as it is a trusted source of information that shapes opin-ions and attitudes, especially in rural areas where majority of icipe has a new

Director GeneralDr. Segenet Kelemu an Ethiopian scientist has been appointed the new Director General of icipe taking over from Prof. Christian Borgemeister, who has held the position for the last eight years. Dr. Kelemu, the first woman to head icipe, is the fourth Direc-tor General to head the institu-tion since it was founded by renowned Kenyan scientist Prof. Thomas Odhiambo in 1970. Dr. Kelemu’s appointment was officially announced by Prof. John Picket, chairman of icipe Governing Council, “We are extremely confident that Dr. Kelemu will ably advance the organisation’s overall mission of improving food security and the health of the people in Africa. She has immense expe-rience in agricultural research, capacity building and in man-aging research for develop-ment. Indeed, over the past two decades, her own research and that of teams under her leader-ship has contributed immensely to addressing a variety of key problems facing agriculture in Africa, Asia, Latin America and North America,” said Prof. Picket. Before her appointment, Dr. Kelemu was the Vice-President for Programmes at the Alli-ance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA). Previously, she has worked at the Interna-tional Livestock Research Insti-tute (ILRI) as a Director of the Biosciences, eastern and central Africa (BeacA), Senior Scientist and later Leader of Crop and Agroecosytem Health Man-agement at the International Centre of Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) in Cali, Colombia and as researcher at Cornell, Montana and Kansas Universities in the US.

Dr. Segenet Kelemu

TOF and TOFRadioIn May 2007, TOF made a trial run of a radio pro-gramme; they of course mentioned the magazine and the address where to get it. The response from farmers was immediate. TOF had to increase the circulation from 14,000 to 16,000 copies to meet the demand. The same happened in July 2008, when TOFRadio started officially. TOF had to print 2,000 copies more, bringing the total number of copies printed to 18,000. There is significant synergy between radio pro-grams and the magazine, which advertises the radio programs in every issue.

farmers reside. In farming areas, most families own a radio, the affordable transistor radio.

Educational valueBeyond this, radio has edu-cational value and has been proved to be a catalyst for rural development. As experienced by TOFRadio, farmers listen to stories of other successful farmers and apply the informa-tion they get from the programs to do the same, from formulat-ing rations for their indigenous chicken to improving the health of their soils through the proper use of farmyard manure.

InteractionsThe story of TOFRadio is unique because of the supportive role it plays to the TOF magazine. Through TOFRadio, listeners learn about TOF magazine, and through TOF magazine farmers know when to listen to their favourite farming programme. Our intention is to build on this proven complementarity of the print and the broadcast media in order to deliver a farmers’ information package that will enable them to produce more, for domestic consumption and for the market, ensuring the cre-ation of jobs and wealth - and caring for the environment. Since farmer creativity is at the heart of agribusiness, TOFRadio is looking to the next farmer innovation frontiers that will help shape farming and take it to the next level.

KBC, Thursday 8:15pmMilele FM, Tuesday 8:30pm

TOFRadioTOFRadio

No. 100 September 2013

TOF 100 Special Edition

The feedback from farmers shows that small-scale farmers are eager to learn new, sustainable methods of farming that improve their earnings.

The Organic Farmer News-papers and magazines hardly exist in a vacuum. They need continous contact with their readers. We are all confronted with changes in the society and have to adapt our content to meet the changing needs. The Organic Farmer is not an exception. Of course, TOF has never lost sight of its main goal, which is to give small-scale farmers a voice and platform to articulate their needs, to support them with useful information on organic animal husbandry and crop production. But the magazine has had to cope with upcoming devel-opment and realized with a lot of satisfaction the growing assertiveness in the small-scale farming community. TOF respects the small-scale farmers, not only because they work hard to earn a living in a very difficult production and market environ-ment, but as well for their impor-tant role in ensuring the country has adequate food. TOF is not

alone in this endeavour. Indeed, the UN Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) has declared that the small-scale farmers are the backbone for food security in Africa and started programmes to support them. A reading through the 100 issues of TOF produced so far shows a deep and positive change in the adoption of organic farming

practices within the Kenyan society and especially among the small-scale farmers (see text below). Thousands of individual farmers and farmers' groups have adopted useful tips on sustain-able agriculture in TOF maga-zine. They followed as well the slogan "Farming is a business" and started various agricultural enter-prises such as poultry keeping, dairy farming; others earn an additional income through value addition such as in making sweet potato flour, sun-drying mangoes and bananas, selling herbal rem-edies for pest control and even setting up tree nurseries for sale of seedlings to fellow farmers and organisations.

Willing to change Small-scale farmers, who were previously viewed as being too conservative, are willing to learn and eager to adopt new and sus-tainable farming methods. They have realised the financial ben-efits of new farming technolo-gies. A good example is the link between feeding dairy cattle and milk production. TOF has continuosly the need for good and sufficient quality fodder for dairy cattle. "Grazing along the roads does not fill the milk cans", wrote TOF in a number of articles in 2006, 2007 and 2008, when the milk prices went up sharply. TOF at the time received hundreds of questions from farmers who wanted to know how they could improve fodder production through quality fodder grass and good concentrates for their dairy cows. Farmers have leant that it requires the right inputs for one to get improved production from dairy cows.

Reawakening farmers TOF has written about most of the challenges small-scale farmers are faced with, such as low prices for agricultural prod-ucts, poor infrastructure, lack of electricity and of training facili-ties. Though we cannot do much we are pleased to note that, small-scale farmers are waking up and fighting for their rights. Farmers groups who read TOF magazine are now willing the handle the challenges to improve their lives. Some have come together and formed CBOs while others have set up marketing groups which

To name a new magazine “The Organic Farmer”, as we did in the year 2005, was an optimis-tic view of the future. Conven-tional farming was popular in Kenya and elsewhere in Africa. Organic farming however dis-couraged the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and even drugs used for disease control. This was a minority view that was opposed by many, includ-ing multinational companies that sell chemical inputs, the government and the scientific lobbies that supported conven-tional agriculture. This attitude, however, has changed slowly, as the lively feedback from farmers in form of calls, SMS and emails has shown. A TOF special about plant extracts as remedies for pests and diseases, which was published with the additional 10,000 copies in 2006, was sold out within a few weeks.

No one TOF issue was more demanded by farmers than the one on compost making. After the election unrest in early 2008, when the prices for chemical fertilizers went up to Ksh 4,500 per bag, more than 100 farmers called every week wanting information on how to make compost and how to improve soil fertility naturally. The fact that District Agricul-tural Officers all over Kenya use TOF for educating the farmers is another sign that the preju-dices against organic farming are disappearing, even in the government. Today, thousands of small-scale farmers in Kenya practise sustainable agriculture. They know that it needs more labour, but they save money that would have been spent buying chemi-cals. They also have the added benefit of healthy food and environment.

A shot in the arm for organic farming

TOF's productsThe Organic Farmer magazine is part of Biovision's Farmer Communication Program (FCP). In 2007, TOF launched a trial with a radio program for some weeks. The response on TOFRadio was huge. Within ten days after the first program went on air, 356 farmers' groups applied to receive TOF. In August 2008 TOFRadio started again. Today, the radio divi-sion led by John Cheburet, airs on KBC radio and Milele FM (story page 8). After numerous requests from small scale farmers for practi-cal trainings, TOF contracted field information officers (iTOFs) in 2009 to help train farmers on application of various t e c h n o l o -gies. They are Victoria Mutinda in Kangundo (Eastern), Peter Murage in Gatuto (Central) and Alfred Amusibwa in Buyangu (Western). The three iTOFs are now part of FCP’s outreach programme. TOF's youngest initiative was the launch of Mkulima Mbunifu, a magazine for Tan-zanian farmers in July 2011.

The Kiswahili language maga-zine is run by Ayubu Nnko as editor and Gabriela John as the administrator. The infonet-biovision hub is a source of knowledge for farmers, TOF, TOFRadio, the FCP outreach program and Mkulima Mbunifu. TOF

TOFRadio

work very well – in this regard, the editors add here a word of apology: So many farmers' groups have invited them to visit their groups and shamba to see what they have achieved. As for farmers, and even for editors, the day has only 24 hours.

A strong voice for small-scale farmers


"We need a strong lobby for farmers"

What made you think of start-ing a farmers magazine in Kenya?bgt: Small-scale farmers are a neglected lot, not only in Kenya but also across Africa. They have limited sources of information to improve their farming methods ...pk: ... the lack of information is a major cause of food insecurity and poverty for millions of farmers in rural areas.bgt: This is why we thought of starting a farmers magazine to address these issues and ensure farmers are empowered to produce more food and do it more sustainably to protect the environ-ment.What sort of a publication did you envisage and whom did you partner with? pk: We wanted a magazine that would be simple in language - more like a practical instruction manual providing information such as how to improve soil fertil-ity using compost, green manures and crop rotation. This has reduced the need for use of chemi-cal inputs such as fertilizers and pesticides that harm our fragile environment and ecosystems.bgt: Biovision, the Swiss Founda-tion for Ecological Development, especially its CEO Andi Schriber, were very much interested in pub-lishing and financing such a mag-azine. icipe and its then director-general Hans Herren were willing to be the publisher. This saved us from going through a lengthy registration process.

9 readers for 1 copy TOF mainly targets farmers’ groups. Why is this?bgt: The reason for this was very simple. We decided the best way for farmers to use TOF was for them to share the copies - to encourage discussion on the information carried in each issue of TOF. The sharing of the maga-zine also had a social effect. After launching the magazine, we did a short survey and discovered that each copy was shared by 7 to 9 farmers. We found that in most cases, the magazine was also

circulated to farmers outside the groups. pk: Sending the magazine to farmers groups also helped to save on postage costs. It would have been too expensive to send TOF to individual farmers. bgt: Farmers come together to discuss articles and assist each other. If one does not understand an issue, or if they have additional questions. Many groups now file each issue of the magazine where members can make reference whenever they need particular information. pk: In 2010, when we had a farmers’ competition to mark 5 years since we launched the mag-azine. We asked farmers to write down any idea or technology they had acquired from the magazine and further put it into practice. From the 180 participants, at least 25 “engaged” their children to write to TOF about what they had gained from the magazine.

A flood of feedbackYou mentioned something to do with the “social effect”. What do you mean?pk: Before we started the maga-zine, most farmers we targeted worked individually. Within two years, more than 400 groups had been formed solely for the purpose of getting TOF. To date they still work together as groups.bgt: We embraced the slogan "Unity is strength". The idea was to encourage farmers to work together. TOF-sharing had a cohe-sive effect, which forced the small-scale farmers to discuss common problems and look for solutions in order to cope with the many chal-lenges they face in farming, such as selling their produce directly to the market as a group instead of involving middlemen.After the first issue, how was the feedback from the small-scale farmers?pk: Over-whelming. We had so many new groups that wanted to receive copies. Many farmers sent us questions and contribu-tions, thanking us as well for the information we carried in the magazine. bgt: At this time, mobile phones, SMS and e-mails were not common among farmers. So they sent us letters at an average of 60 letters every week. It was quite challenging to cope with this flood of correspondence since we were only the two of us. But we relied on Lucy Macharia, the TOF administrator, who did a great job

As The Organic Farmer celebrates 100 issues since its launch in April 2005. Philomena Nyagilo talked to the two pioneer editors of the magazine, Peter Kamau (pk) and Peter Baumgartner (bgt).

We have achieved alot by reading the TOF m a g a z i n e . The work the magazine has done speaks v o l u m e s about itself. All you need

to do is visit our group and see what we have done using

"Visit us, you will see TOF's work"the information from the maga-zine and our good teacher Peter Murage, who was sent to us by TOF to educate us on organic farming. I am not literate, I can’t read the language used however simple it is, but I am able to understand all topics through the help of my group members. I have learnt and put into practice all information in the magazine. Teresa Muthoni, Kangumo

The compost heaps, covered with dry eucalyptus leaves, are nearly as high as the students of the Karaini Secondary School in Kirinyaga District. Their agricultural club likes reading The Organic Farmer magazine, to share ideas they got from it and to prepare compost for the school garden. Our photo shows the students getting training from i-TOF field officer Peter

"Compost for the school's garden"Murage. Joseph Mugo Muriithi, a teacher who has a passion for organic farming, appre-ciates the double effect of the agricultural education: “Organic farming is not only assisting our schools. Pupils have transferred the knowledge gained from TOF and at school to their homes, and some of them have established kitchen gardens at home and of course put up compost heaps.’’


"We need a strong lobby for farmers"in serialising and organising the mountain of correspondence.The two of you are journalists and not specialists in agricul-ture. How do you manage to answer all the questions from farmers? bgt: A few months after launch-ing TOF, we visited Su Kahumbu, a pioneer in organic farming at her farm near Limuru. We had with us a few questions, which we requested her to answer on our behalf. Su answered the farmers' ques-tions very well and instantly became a celebrity. Whenever we visited farmers’ groups, the first question was: "Where is Su Kahumbu? Why didn’t you come with her?”pk: At the beginning most of the farmers questions were answered by Su Kahumbu and by the two of us. To date we have answered more than 600 questions in the 100 TOF issues. Of course, we have to consult specialists from every agricultural field as well as books, research papers and online sources to give the best answers to the questions.

Farmers lack creditApart from the distribution, which you feature on page IV of this special issue, what other challenges have your encoun-tered?bgt: There are many challenges. After writing many articles espe-cially on agribusiness, a good number of farmers believed that we could assist them with loans to enable them start various agri-cultural enterprises. Unfortu-nately, we were not able to do this; however we assisted them with important contacts and tips on how to apply for loans from banks and even writing propos-als for funding by donors. It is a pity that, despite agriculture sup-porting 80 per cent of the coun-try’s population, credit schemes are unaffordable for small-scale farmers. pk: Organically produced food is healthier and has a higher value to the consumer. There was great expectation among farmers that they would get good prices for their organic produce. But unfor-tunately, there was no market for organic produce. Initially, organic farmers were disappointed but luckily, organic markets are now being established.bgt: From this experience, we have learnt a lot. We now advice

farmers to do a market survey before starting any agricultural enterprise, be it rabbit keeping, fish farming, mushroom produc-tion or even poultry keeping.pk: Another challenge is that we have new readers every month who ask the same questions answered before. So we have to repeat the same information over and over. But I think this is a challenge for every magazine or newspaper.

Farmers are sidelinedWhat issues would you like featured in the magazine in future?pk: The policies and programmes promoted by the government and donors have no direct benefits for small-scale farmers. Millions of dollars are spent every year on programmes that are supposed to help these farmers, but the money is used for buying expensive vehi-cles and paying allowances for government officials; there is very little on the ground to write home about. We need a strong lobby for farmers to help reverse this situ-ation. We have to write more on these issues in future.bgt: Small-scale farming is still defined by low productivity, food insecurity and increasing poverty. Farmers need simple solutions such as the right envi-ronment where they can access markets, value addition, promo-tion of small-scale technologies, credit and insurance for crops and animals. Unless all stakeholders get their priorities right, they will never transform agriculture and the lives of millions of people who rely on it. We also need better prices for agricultural products. This would give the small-scale farmers a higher income and attract the youth into farming.When you look back, what can you say has been your greatest achievement? pk: TOF is now the only agri-cultural magazine that reaches farmers in every corne of the country. It provides regular regular information to farmers in Kenya and even in East Africa. On average, 10 farmers’ groups per week apply for The Organic Farmer magazine. Any issues raised gets the attention of people even at the highest level of gov-ernment. This is an achievement anyone can be proud of.

TOF magazine has been the only magazine in Kenya that has catered for the welfare and interest of farmers. The launch of TOF boosted organic farming among farmers in Kenya. Since 2006 when we received the first edition, our group has benefited a lot. We were honoured by the gesture of TOF sending a field officer Victoria Mutinda to train us for free. However, the negative part is that now Victoria went to a different region hence we have no one to consult.Gideon Mitaa (Kangundo-Sakyantwasi)

"Kick-start to organic farming"

Since 2005 when the m a g a -zine was launched, it has been like a corner stone in my field of work as an agricultur-

alist. I work with the Ministry of Agriculture in Kangundo-Matuu. TOF magazine and infonet CD has been compre-hensive in terms of informa-tion. Personally, the magazine has been a reference tool of work while educating the

"TOF is the corner stone of my work" farmers. Much content is avail-able online, but the TOF mag-azine delivers updated infor-mation with good photos and incredibly helpful information. The articles have plenty of per-sonal experience peppered in. The tone has the feel of getting information in a conversation with another farmer. There's a focus on self-sufficiency and self-reliance. Any small-scale farmer will find this magazine practical and useful for their everyday work. I am glad to be associated with the TOF maga-zine and to make a living out of farming.William Mwangi (DAO, Kangundo-Matuu)

100 issues of TOF together

Since 2005, Lucy Macharia, the administrator, and editors Peter Kamau and Peter Baumgart-ner have worked together to produce 100 editions of TOF. TOF also relied on contributions from William Ayako, Anja Ben-gelstorff, John Cheburet, Teresa

" T h r o u g h TOF I have learnt how to make c o m p o s t f e r t i l i z e r s and plant extracts, to i m p r o v e

crops and yields. I have also developed the interest in keeping dairy animals. It can get us out of poverty. The language used is simple and understandable. It brings group members together to share and to educate each other. Whoever initiated this magazine should live longer and God bless him very much".James Otaye, farmer (WI-DERO CBO), Jera Ugunja

"From poverty to prosperity"

Székely and of course on our field staff Alfred Amusibwa, Victoria Mutinda and Peter Murage, not to forget our proof-reader Michael Mwendwa. With great respect we fondly remem-ber the late Annalee Mengech who was our technical editor.


TOF 100: A milestoneSu Kahumbu Writing for the 100th edition of TOF is a great honour that takes me back to 2005 and the first time I met Peter Baumgartner. It was a cold drizzly morning, when he ven-tured up to my farm in Tigoni. We walked through my organic shamba, through rows of lettuce and herbs, discussing the trials and tribula-tions of organic production. Stopping at the “earth-worm hotel” we marveled at how useful these little creatures were in the realm of organic production, yet how little they were understood. In fact, how often they were misunderstood.

TOF gave me a platformAn hour later we were seated in the warm kitchen sipping coffee, as we discussed about ideas and plans to produce a newspaper that would help to bring organic knowledge to farmers across the country. The newspaper was to be called The Organic Farmer (TOF). As an ardent organic farmer myself who had battled to get information on organic production, this was music to my ears. A magazine in Kenya for the organic producers? It sounded magical. With the invitation from the editors, I wrote my first story, which was featured in the second edition of the magazine that was published on the May 2 2005.

I answered farmers’ questionsThe Editors’ drive, dedication and vision gave birth to a newspaper that became an instant hit. By the 4th Edition in July 2005, they were overwhelmed with farmers sending in questions about their prob-lems and seeking advice. I was honoured with the task of sharing my solutions with the readers through what then became the help page. Peter Baumgartner inspired me and gave me the opportunity through TOF, to contribute to the suc-cesses of organic producers across the country. By doing so, he gave wings to my dormant talent of teaching and learning. This has also given birth to the creation of i-Cow, (*285#) a mobile phone educa-tion tool for farmers, availing yet another medium for access to information to increase knowledge and productivity among farmers, the safe and sustain-able way.

Phenomenal growth in readershipEight successful years and four months later brings us to today, 100 editions of TOF, 800 pages of valu-able content available to farmers across not only Kenya, but now Tanzania too, which has Mkulima Mbunifu magazine for Tanzanian farmers. A maga-zine that has grown to be not only for farmers, but by farmers too, enabling inspirational stories to spread like seed in the wind. From farmer to farmer, field to field. Our shared passion for organic agriculture and vision for the future of safe food production in Kenya continues to drive us today and we look forward to the next 100 editions of TOF. Congratulations to a great visionary editors of TOF magazine Peter Baumgartner and his counter-part Peter Kamau, and their dedicated team, Lucy Macharia, the administrator and John Cheburet the TOFRadio Manager. Many thanks to the Biovision Foundation for making this possible.

TOF — A magazine or a newspaper which does not reach the readers is not worth the paper it is written on. The editors of The Organic Farmer have been spared this fate, because they could rely on Lucy Macharia, the TOF administrator since the launch of the magazine. Many farmers do not write their address properly or shift to other places without informing our office - the envelopes are then sent back to Nairobi with the remark “Address unknown.” Others fail to pay for the post office rental boxes - the Postal Corporation of Kenya has always dutifully returned all such parcels to us with a note "box closed." Since January this year, 102 addresses have been cancelled from our mailing list because of this problem. More than 333 new farmers' groups have applied for TOF since January 2013. This means that the mailing list with thousands addresses needs to be updated daily. When TOF started in April 2005 with 10'000 copies, our database had 300 addresses of farmers' groups, which TOF obtained from

• When TOF started in 2005 with 10,000 copies, the distribution cost was Ksh 43,000, today it is Ksh 225,000.• 31,400 issues of TOF are sent out monthly, 18'180 copies through postal corporation through letters and small parcels. 13,220 copies in 91 big parcels to big distributors. • TOF has so far published 2,300 long and short articles, illustrated them with more than 2,700 pictures and sketches.

facts & figures

TOF distribution is an immense task

The battles for quality

The Kenya Organic Agriculture Network (KOAN). Today, our mailing list contains 2,355 farmers' groups. 18,180 copies are sent directly to farmers' groups, individuals, com-panies, NGO’s and agricultural institutions. Additionally, around 700 groups (Church groups, CBO’s and cooperative societies) get 13,220 copies of the magazine through big dis-tributors, for instance the Dioceses of Catho-lic Church, Baraka Agricultural College, Vi Agroforestry Organisation and several others. TOF is sent to 52 District Agricultural Officers (DAOs), and to 226 schools and institutions.

Peter Kamau It was while working as a News Correspon-dent for the Daily Nation in my remote outpost of Lodwar, Turkana district in mid 90s that I met Peter Baumgartner, who was then the Africa Correspon-dent for a Swiss newspaper, Tages Anzeiger. I was therefore delighted when Baumgartner sought me out in 2005 and informed me he wanted us to start a farmer’s magazine. By the time I arrived in Nairobi for the first planning meeting, Baumgartner had already pre-pared a dummy (example of magazine). We fine-tuned the beat plan (content). What fol-lowed three weeks later was gru-eling work that forced us to work late into the night. We did not have an office, Peter would work from his house and me from a friends house in Ruaraka. We would then meet on the verandah of Narap Refugee Centre where we would review the material we had gathered. Peter took me through every step of magazine production in what I would call a baptism of fire. After three weeks of research, writing, re–writing, editing, revising, proof-reading and finally going to press, Baumgartner called me one morning. “Peter, our maga-zine is ready,“ he said. I imme-

diately changed and went to join him at Colourprint company where we went through the new magazine with great joy. The production of a specialized magazine such as The Organic Farmer requires meticulous plan-ning, exchange of ideas, seeking out specialized scientists in research institutions and univer-sities, agricultural institutions, government departments, rele-vant books, online research and farmers. Sometimes, my differences with Peter over the content degener-ated into heated arguments in the office that left the rest of the staff wondering if I would have a job the next day. But we had such deep respect for each other that what came out of our delibera-tions was one of the best content a farmer can get. It is therefore with great sadness that I will have to work without Baumgartner as he has retired.

Our designer James Wathuge at work.

TOF No. 100 Sep 2013

Documents

Transcript of TOF No. 100 Sep 2013