Before You Pick The Hoes Part 2

This is a continuation to a previous post where I answered some of the most common farming questions people ask. I will answer a few I got from the comments on that post.

From a reader called B.G.

How much is a soil test and do they give you advice on the crops to grow based on the results? I did a soil test some 2 or so years back and paid Kshs 7,000 to test the soil’s suitability for growing tomatoes. I’m sure the cost is higher now. I worked with Cooper Kenya, who also recommended what I needed to do to correct the soil which was basically infuse it with some chemicals.

Do they do water tests too? I haven’t done a water test but you could get in touch with them on here.
Do they agree to do farm visits so as to advice you better? I’m sure they have agronomists but I suppose it would be costly to use Cooper Kenya. What I’d advise is you consult the local Ministry of Agriculture office. The government has agronomists on it’s payroll who consult free of charge, just that most farmers don’t know this. Chemical companies such as Osho Chemicals and Bayer East Africa are also sending out agronomists to farmers. They give very good advice, but its wise to ask around when they recommend chemicals as they’re selling their products at the end of the day.

This is from Shiroh:

What motivated to do? I suppose the question here is what motivated me to start farming. Well, I grew up in a 2 acre farm which was Animal Farm in all respects. We kept all sorts of animals (from pigs, to poultry) and grew all sorts of crops (maize, coffee, beans etc). As a child, I viewed farm work as punishment I’d break free off once I ‘grew up’ . After 4th form I had some time on my hands and I decided to grow tomatoes and french beans for pocket money (in rural Kenya children don’t get an allowance). Well, it was such a success I even sent my sister who was in college then some cash, and in the process I fell in love with farming.

Greenhouses are not very environment friendly? I haven’t studied the effect of having a 30M by 10 greenhouse on the environment, but there’s a popular misconception that the Greenhouse Effect is related to having greenhouses. I don’t think it is.

Is it possible to do organic farming using greenhouses? Yes it is. I haven’t tried organic farming, but I spoke to Rachel of Backpack Farm and they’re training farmers on this. The reason I haven’t tried organic farming is I’m currently doing large scale farming to recoup my costs, then after that I might try something a bit more specialized.

When can i visit yours? I go to the farm once a month, send me an email and we can organise a visit.

Feel free to leave more questions.