All farm notes

Livestock

Dairy farming
I started dairy farming (or rather owning a cow), when I was still an employee at an IT firm. This was through my…
Keeping indigenous chicken
I tried my hand at chicken farming because of my love for eggs and love for its meat. It also helped that we had…
Dorper sheep farming
I got into dorper sheep also through the encouragement of my grandmother. She used to love to eat meat and mores o…
Bee keeping
My great uncle and I were talking when the subject of bee keeping came up. He told me that there was a company that was…
Vermiculture (worm farming)
Vermiculture (worm farming) is the keeping of worms for production mainly of vermicompost and their waste liquid called…

Growing Pakchong (super Napier grass)
Pakchong 1, a high-yielding hybrid Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum × Pennisetum americanum) developed in Thailand…
Growing boma Rhodes hay
Hay is a type of grass that is grown to feed livestock. It is usually a type of grass that grows tall and is usually…
Lucerne (alfalfa) farming
Lucerne is also known as alfalfa. It is a perennial crop that belongs to the legumes. It is good when grown as a fodder…
Desmodium farming
Desmodium is a vine like legume which can attain 2-4 feet in height. Its leaves look like a clover meaning they are…
Sweet lupin farming
I grew a total of two seasons of sweet lupin. This was a protein source for my cows. I found out about sweet lupin…
Sorghum farming
I began thinking of sorghum as a viable fodder crop for my animals when I attended an agricultural show in the area.…
Sunflower farming
I grew this crop as part of my fodder crop and also for crop rotation. My little research showed that a crop like…
Growing sweet potato vines for livestock feed
Sweet potato vines might just be what you need in your livestock feeding program. While most farmers focus on the…
Maize farming
Maize has been grown on our farm since way back. It is not only a staple in our diet but more recently it is fodder for…

Growing cabbage
Cabbages are one of the more popular vegetables consumed in Kenya. They are relatively easy to grow and manage and…
Growing carrots
Carrots are a tuber crop that are most commonly orange and have green leaves. There are other varieties that range in…
Broccoli farming
I began broccoli farming as of my crop rotation program including tomatoes, leeks, peas and beans.
Tomato farming
I love food with tomatoes. This is true for plain tomato soup. It is even more true for a meat stew which has its…
Butternut squash farming
Butternut squash is a type of pumpkin that has a pear shape and is a light brown or cream in colour, when mature. I…
Coriander farming
I tried coriander farming after talking to local farmers. I was told the herb was usually in high demand and price for…
Watermelon farming
I tried my hand at watermelon farming after my great uncle nudged me to try. He told me that he had a lot of seed and…
Growing beans
Beans are one of the staple foods in Kenya. The only one that is more or equally grown food crop is maize. I think this…
Potato farming
Who doesn't love potatoes? Mashed, boiled, fried baked, name it! Having a love for the tuber, I decided to try my hand…

Avocado farming
Avocado is a versatile fruit that can be eaten as a savoury, sweet or even plain. Either way they always taste good.…
Macadamia farming
My farming journey into macadamia nut growing began with my mother. She thought it would be a good idea for us to…

Greenhouse farming
At the time I was beginning my farming journey, I only had one heifer and as I needed money more immediately for upkeep…
Water sources for the farm
Water is vital for life and this applies to farming too. Water is needed by both plants and animals.
A case for conservation agriculture
In my country Kenya, most agriculture is still done the conventional way. This is where land preparation begins by…