Farmer-led Research for Food Security and Nutrition in Malawi
Jombo Farmer Stories
Jombo farm
During this visit to Jombo, many community members spoke about the importance of community and collaboration that allows farmers to learn from each other. Many spoke about how everyone works together and also contributes to improved farming by sharing new learnings from trainings, new farming methods, and new ideas. One farmer explained, “if one farmer learns to make compost, they go and teach all the others how to make compost.” Farmers make sure to check on each other and on the status of their farms. They also help each other with farm work during the busy farming seasons.
Community promoter, SFHC staff and student, and Jombo farmers pictured above
Husband and Wife Farmers. Their first field is an ongoing botanical experiment containing plots of pigeon pea. They reported seeing two of the botanicals being effective so far. Their second field had groundnuts, soybeans, and pigeon pea last year and now has with maize with the soybeans and pigeon peas from last year. They noticed an improved soil quality from the intercropping.
Community Promoter Godfrey. This field contained groundnut intercropped with pigeon pea, but the germination was not good at first for the pigeon pea. He replanted, and the germination was better. He improved his soil quality by utilizing the biomass left over from previous groundnut and pigeon pea leaves.
Farmer in her field of several crops. She has orange maize intercropped with pigeon pea, finger millet, and soybean intercropped with pigeon pea. She is participating in the experimental use of insecticides as botanicals, uses the pigeon pea stalks as firewood, and is able to sell surplus soybeans for cash.
Jombo farmer in her field of all finger millet. She emphasized how she had been very excited when learn about better, new farming methods that she could use for her farming.
Jombo farmer in her large field of groundnuts and orange maize intercropped with pigeon peas.
The farmers also spoke about their relationship with SFHC. In Jombo, SFHC has supported farming education, seed supply, compost making, and the introduction of different crop varieties. One person described the recipe demonstrations that happened in the village during the winter and another individual spoke about how through SFHC they started growing finger millet. Many farmers spoke about their visits to the SFHC Centre and also their interaction with SFHC at seminars held at the village. Even when people cannot directly attend these events, the practices, and methods are shared amongst the farmers.
Jombo Farmer Stories
During this visit to Jombo, many community members spoke about the importance of community and collaboration that allows farmers to learn from each other. Many spoke about how everyone works together and also contributes to improved farming by sharing new learnings from trainings, new farming methods, and new ideas. One farmer explained, “if one farmer learns to make compost, they go and teach all the others how to make compost.” Farmers make sure to check on each other and on the status of their farms. They also help each other with farm work during the busy farming seasons.
The farmers also spoke about their relationship with SFHC. In Jombo, SFHC has supported farming education, seed supply, compost making, and the introduction of different crop varieties. One person described the recipe demonstrations that happened in the village during the winter and another individual spoke about how through SFHC they started growing finger millet. Many farmers spoke about their visits to the SFHC Centre and also their interaction with SFHC at seminars held at the village. Even when people cannot directly attend these events, the practices, and methods are shared amongst the farmers.
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