On My Radar is Regenerative Agriculture

My dad has been doing it for years… Unconsciously.

The farm is on the valley of Mt. Elgon in Kitale. A small agricultural town with an elevation of 1900m. The food basket of Kenya. Breathtaking. Visit. It’s not accidental that this land was once called the White Highlands.

Paddocking is implemented throughout the 50 acre farm. In one season, the maize is planted on one paddock and on another it’s left to rest. This paddock will rest until next year’s season, in order for it to be planted on. But in the meantime, it becomes grazing land for the cattle.

The cows too are rotated plot to plot. From time to time, where the cattle sleep, buckets of the dried droppings are shoveled and mixed with soil. Occasionally, Mamas garden of lush banana trees is fed with some of this compost. No wonder the bananas, and the various ‘kienyeji’ vegetables underneath thrive and taste sweet every time I’m home. And then my sister and I tell ourselves, it must be moms cooking!

On one paddock there are indigenous trees. These include; Mapera (guavas), Lifuora (Sugar apple), Mwarubaini and other trees that even I don’t recognize grow here. When one walks amongst these trees, one wonders at the wild uphazardly sown dahlias (obviously by pollinators) — which look clearly misplaced.

There is an eerie calmness that brings a sense of nostalgia. Here, one can only imagine what a botanist would say of the environment.

This conservation of near-extinct trees is a long forgotten craft. I applaud my dad. His love for trees manifests in his innate appreciation and preservation of these indigenous trees. One we, and the ones after us shall learn from, forever.

It is only 50 acres of land. But it is well planned.

The Homestead.

The cattle ‘boma’.

The storage/granary.

The vegetable garden.

Mamas shamba.

The cattle grazing plots.

The forest plot.

The indigenous trees plot.

Dads plots.

My plot.

Noellas plot.

The ‘twins’ plot.

Others plots.

The watering hole.

The workers quarters.

The chicken coop. (Free range).

The ‘nothing going on’ or ‘we shall figure it out’ plot. (My dad calls it the plot for ‘panya kukimbia ndani’. All it has are beehives and if you look hard enough, you may find giant mushrooms.)

An organized matrix of interconnected plots are laid out. With nothing more than barbed wire and ‘droppers’ each plot is well marked. My dad told me once that he was a master planner for the military at Ulinzi. I believe him.

Everything is planned to exactment. It’s usage clear and with ample spaces around it for a vehicle, tractor, a man on horseback or farmhands to walk round it. No matter the size of the plot, there is a path to access and a makeshift barbed wire gate to enter it.

If this isn’t regenerative agriculture. I’m not sure what is.

*The recent discussions around regenerative agriculture have compelled me to write this simple to read blog post for others to understand that these simple methods of land use are inherently the ways our forefathers used our lands.

The proper way.

I hope that by reading this, readers (by the thousands) will be inspired to read the works of permaculture , regenerative agriculture and their holistic management systems. And in so doing, to start making use of this old but tested model that protects and preserves our ecology from the havoc that modern agricultural technologies have done.

Let’s end the brainwash and embrace holistic ways of farming. And just maybe, manage the looming effects of the climate crisis. (Unfortunately we can’t really stop it).

Next year I plant the Three Sister on my plot. I stop agrovet store fertilizer and begin my organic, chemical free experimentation. Let’s see how it goes.

**I dedicate this to Margit Cleveland, who first introduced me to the concept of permaculture after reading an article by her team on the impact of climate change. Its nudged me to start an eco-revolution.

Asante.