Kasambara Community Garden

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Kenya

Rift Valley

This garden is located in Kasambara village, Gilgil sub-county, Nakuru county. It was established by a group of 20 sweet potato growers who are now working on including more local crops that do well in the area and are less cultivated. They have a 1/4 acre piece of land that was donated by one of the group members, where they cultivate a wide variety of crops like black nightshade, amaranth, spider weed, cow peas, pigeon peas, cassava, millet, sorghum, kale and sweet potatoes. They also have some fruits like sugarcane, mountain paw paws and different types of berries. They are also growing animal feeds with the help of the Ministry of Agriculture, where they are multiplying the seeds to make sure they have enough for their animals. The group members prepare the manure and they have to ensure that it remains covered till it is ready to be used. They also make compost and use mulching as a way of fertilizing the soil. Plant extracts made from plants like Mexican marigold, aloe vera, black jack and ashes are used in the fight against pests. Intercropping and crop rotation are other techniques used in the fight against diseases, breaking pests’ cycles and enriching the soil. Growing desmodium between crops is yet another way to repel pests. The garden is only rain fed, which poses a big challenge during dry season, although simple drip irrigation is done mainly to fruits. The group eats the garden’s produce together, some are stored as seeds and the surplus is sold for income generation.

Area
Kasambara Village, Gilgil sub-county, Nakuru county

Coordinator
Samson Kiiru Ngugi

Slow Food in Kenya

Kenya, the richest and most dynamic East African country, whose capital Nairobi is home to a series of major international institutions (the UN, FAO, World Bank and others), has for years embodied great contradictions and is constantly grappling with difficult challenges. These include the internal movement of people due to climate change—the extended droughts experienced over the last 30 years are becoming increasingly frequent and intense—and political instability, as well as constant pressure from multinationals on the government, pushing Kenya to focus on production for export. This is resulting in the pollution and depletion of resources, arable land speculation and the privatization and financialization of public services. In 2016 the National Assembly Committee of Agriculture confirmed a ban on GMO cultivation, but experiments continue. The main investments in the national agriculture sector, which engages around 75% of the population, are focused on specific categories (maize and grains, intensive livestock farming) and revolve around increased productivity rather than differentiated production, better environmental sustainability or the improved distribution of community goods. Slow Food has been active in Kenya since 2004 and now has a strong network working to defend local biodiversity, promote sustainable food production and responsible consumption and create links between indigenous groups, herders and farmers and producers and cooks. The association is formally registered and recognized by the government and partners with local and international organizations, public authorities, institutions and the media. Young people are involved in the Gardens in Africa project and the fight against food waste, promoting sustainable agriculture, raising awareness about threats to food sovereignty, encouraging peaceful coexistence between communities through knowledge exchanges and fostering pride in Kenyan culinary traditions. The important task of mapping foods at risk of extinction has been going on over the last few years, leading to a book on Ark products in Kenya and the launch of several Presidia, thanks to the involvement of an extensive network and collaboration with the University of Gastronomic Students. Through the Slow Food scholarship program, so far more than 10 students from the country have been able to study at the university in Italy. The Chefs’ Alliance was launched in 2016 and the Slow Travel responsible tourism initiative has started to raise awareness among consumers and visitors on local foods and initiatives and sustainable development. Blog: slowfoodkenya.wordpress.com

Garden Informations

Type:	Community Garden
Surface in m2:	1000
People involved:	20
Slow Food Convivium:	Nyanza Convivium
Coordinator:	Samson Kiiru Ngugi
Sibling with:	Andrea and Muni Guerra, Italy

Photos