RWENTANGA FARM UPDATES:
Right now, mulching is the order of the day. During this time of the year, it’s rainy in this part of the country. Too much rain washes away the soils and plants and the unwanted plants/weeds take this opportunity to grow. So, the team leaders and the farmers, divided in three groups, are carrying out the weeding while others are mulching or putting dry grass cover on the maize plantation. This mulching helps to maintain water and fertilizer in the soil, and stop rain from washing the soil away.
Bags of urea were brought in, on the morning of the 27th November. Urea will be used as a fertilizer in the farm, for the top dressing. It helps increase crop yield.
One of the team leaders suggested the use of elephant grass for mulch. This is more convenient and easy to get, since it commonly grows in this area. For future purposes in the farm, they later decided to grow their own elephant grass to cut the expenses. It was planted on the east, west and southern borders of the farm.
In the last management meeting, the team leaders suggested dividing the farm into sections to give each group responsibility of their given section, and it’s working out.
We purchased treated poles for fencing the farm. Lately, neighbors’ live stock have been invading the farm, eating up the maize stocks and destroying the plants, so putting up a barbed wired fence will help solve that problem. The fence is being put up as I write.
We purchased treated poles for fencing the farm. Lately, neighbors’ live stock have been invading the farm, eating up the maize stocks and destroying the plants, so putting up a barbed wired fence will help solve that problem. The fence is being put up as I write.
At this time the farm needs a huller, husker and mill. This equipment will simplify work in harvesting and processing the maize when it is ready. Therefore donations for its purchase are appreciated.
We are now working on a program to disciple children in schools around the farm community. This will probably start around February next year, after the children return to their schools from their Christmas holidays.
