Kibera Day 1 1/2
Whilst the memory of the farm was still hot off the press in my mind I drew up the plan we would execute over the course of the next few weeks.
Drip irrigation had to be used, it was low maintenance, water efficient, easy to manage and could produce a high density of crops. Funny how my first plan of ever producing crops in the slums was over 13 years ago and the plans the opposite of organic, though the aims the same. To produce a high density of crops per square foot, using hydroponic systems. Water and chemicals in one end, topped up and recycled through the plants growing in sterilised pebbles. Lots of chemicals and science.
180 degrees later……………………….
It was necessary to plan the layout of the farm to accomodate the need for bio mass for composting as well as animal feed, to this end I planned Tithonia fences for vertical bio mass and comfrey at ground level along the road side edge. The pastic garbage lining the outter rim of the farm was best left there to act as a bunker averting soil erosion. Being an eyesore we decided to dig planting holes into it, fill with soil and compost and transplant pumpkins at meter intervals along it’s entire length. This would eventually result in a green wall, with beautiful yellow blossoms, very aesthetic.
In front of this wall and able to access any lateral water seepage as the ground slopes towards the tracks, we will plant a row of banana plants at 2 meter spacing. Fruit as well as shade for teh underlying plants, and also leaf matter for covering compost piles.
At the opposite end to the office, the land slopes in the oppposite direction. exactly at the point it does this, which is 64 meters from the office, we will errect a tank 2 meter high stand, which will hold 8 cubic meters water tank. To this we will connect the drip lines which will be fed by gravity from the tank towards the office. We will also allow for a shade netted cage, 13 meters x 6 meters which will be home to the delicate seedlings, worm tank, biopesticide tanks and liquid feed tanks. We will also use this area to make our compost pits.
After developing the ‘plan’ I presented it to Claire with a budget for the system which she okayed. From there we asked Zak Simel, one of the pioneers of the Green Dreams Farm with excellent skills in teaching, to oversee the project during the week.
During the week we harvested Tithonia and Comfrey from the Green Dreams Farm and sent it to the site for planting. Zaks report from the field was all positive, the beds were underway and moral was high.
On Monday we planned to visit to advise and assess the situation on the ground with Johara, an environmental engineer.
Technorati : Drip irrigation, Kibera, biopesticide, garbage, hydroponic, organic, worm tank
