Preparation & Planting

Meanwhile the volunteers have been planting cassavas and yams, whose seeds were gathered by a volunteer, Ras Githaka, from Mt. Kenya region. The cassava stems are hacked into pieces approximately 1 foot each. The stems are then laterally laid into the ground in order to have all the nodes develop roots which gradually will bulge into the edible cassava roots.

Yams, one of the indigenous crops facing great threat of fading away, are propagated through burying their ‘bones’ into the ground. These ‘bones’ are obtained from the part of the yam between the stem and the tuber. In order to ensure food sustainability throughout the year, planting of yams and cassavas which are relatively drought-resistant crops, shall be a continuous process as the goal is to plant 365 stems.

The cowpeas planted earlier are about an inch tall. These, together with the cassavas and yams are under irrigation, for as reported earlier the water level in the farm is quite high. In the meantime, the volunteers have also been digging holes for sowing maize.

To do this, the farmers are using a long string with a wooden stick tied onto each end of it. One person pins the stick on a point in the ground and another person does the same on the other end thus making a straight line. Along this line are the holes dug about 1½ ft. apart and the rows are spaced out at about 2 ft. between them. Beans are to sown in between the maize rows.