Farm Life at Daraja

By Chelsea Kincheloe and Paul Chelule

As I sit down to write this most recent blog, the sweet sounds of rain greet my ears.

Finally.

Kenya usually experiences what is called bimodal rain falls, meaning there are two rainy seasons: the short season usually lasts from November to December, and the long season from March to June. But this year, the rains were late. Not a few weeks late, but almost two months late. The little rain that did come in November/December has disappeared from the vegetation, leaving the surrounding arid landscape shriveled and dry.

Paul, the new Farm Manager, and I are joining forces to discuss the challenges facing the campus farm. Although we are seeing some rain today, Paul jokes that the rain starts in Naibor, a neighboring village, and heads everywhere but Daraja. We laugh because it’s true. Everyday, I look at the landscape surrounding Daraja and see rain falling everywhere but here. I joke back that we’re cursed.

Kenya is prone to crippling droughts that can last from a few months to years. Despite Daraja’s best efforts to conserve water, droughts will continue to be the biggest obstacle facing our campus farm.

Paul is almost three months into the job, and I’m continuously impressed with his knowledge about farming. He is bright, curious, easy-going and loves singing gospel music as he milks the cows.

The best thing about Paul is that he wears dress clothes while farming. Everyday, he wears a faded orange hat, a polo-shirt covered by a blue vest, dress pants, and dress shoes.  When I asked him about this, he explained that a schoolteacher of his had told him that no matter what, an employee should always look smart.

Paul’s motto in life: “Success is my determination”

This most recent drought is one of the more severe Kenya has seen in years. One of the biggest issues we face is keeping our 19 cows alive. Unfortunately, we lost a cow last month to poor diet. Even with the purchase of hay and other nutritional supplements, our cows were barely getting by. Only a couple of the stronger cows are able to go out to forage during the day. The weaker ones remain at Daraja, where they are prone to breaking through the garden fence to get to the vegetables.    

One of our solutions to help Daraja’s cows is to implement a long-term fodder system known as silage. Silage is a mixture of corn stalks harvested right before they mature and mixed with molasses. It’s a simple process, but has to be done in a timely manner and stored properly. Paul and the farm staff aim to plant two acres of corn to harvest solely for silage. This form of food meets the nutritional requirements for Daraja’s cows and can last five years or longer. We are also crafting a hydroponics fodder system for our cows, which will provide fresh nutrient grass to our cows within a span of two weeks.

We are also facing the issue of inbred cows. Our bull (pictured below), has sired most of Daraja’s cow’s offspring. To remedy our problem, we will start using artificial insemination to help diversify our stock.

Drip-line is a best practice for water conservation. Daraja has been using drip-line over the years, but our system faces several challenges. The lines eventually break, usually after a couple of seasons of use, and can be expensive to replace. Several lines have been repaired using rubber bandages, but are prone to leaking. Our other challenge is millipedes. They use the drips to find where the soil is wet and consume the young, tender plants.  Paul suggests using a sprinkler system in addition to the drip-line in order to wet the entire field, which will make it difficult for millipedes to find young plant shoots. The rains (when they come!) also help deter the millipedes. We are also using mulching and berms to help retain water around plants.

We’re struggling with livestock issues resulting from inadequate fencing. Four weekends ago, a sheep snuck into the nursery and ate almost all of the seedlings. We are currently repairing the fence and using acacia thorns on certain sides of the farm in the interim, but we need sturdier fencing and are looking at long-term solutions.

Everyone at Daraja is so excited about the new plans for the campus farm. Paul is a very welcome addition to the team, and I have decided to extend my internship at Daraja in order to support this project.

Hopefully, the next time a drought hits Daraja, we’ll be well prepared to ride it out!

P.S. A week later, as I finish editing this blog, the rains have come in full force. The rapid change from drought to a rainy season is astonishing. Everyone is sighing in relief. Despite the rain, we are still doing our best to be mindful about water usage!