March 29, 2019
The Green Lion
Hi, I am Emmah Mburu and I am a Coordinator with TGL in Kenya. I am very active in my community and I am a proud local farmer. I am up bright and early every day. Okay, maybe before the sun actually comes up, because I have to tend to my animals and the crops I grow to provide healthy food for my family.
Many counties in Kenya have been experiencing the devastating effects of drought and this is a major issue affecting the health and well-being of more than 1 million people in our communities. Some media reports indicate that people are already starving and many may die unless we are able to do something to combat these issues.
In an effort to find creative solutions related to food security, the Green Lion Team in Kenya is taking on the task of growing vegetables using a variety of eco-friendly and space saving options. While we are utilizing traditional farming methods in small spaces such as sack gardens and green-walls, after touring a large Hydroponic farm a few kilometers outside of Nairobi, we were inspired to give this soil-less, fortified water farming a go.
For all those who may be unfamiliar with the term, Hydroponic farming is what some might consider to be a high tech method of growing plants and vegetables in a nutrient rich solution, instead of in the typical manner where the seeds would be inserted to the right depth in the earth add water and let it do itβs thing. As it is a soil-less option, hydroponics allows the developing roots to flourish within another medium, such as gravel, clay pebbles, rockwool, perlite, peat moss, or even coconut husks. Since the water contains what is needed for growth, the plant does not have to seek out water and nutrients throughout the soil to survive. This consistent supply of nutrition can mean faster growth when done properly.
Team KE is looking at how to incorporate all of the possible growing options in educational sessions for the young people in the local community, as a way to encourage them to consider how they can provide their own food for themselves and their families. The team will also be collecting the data and comparing the costs and benefits of hydroponics versus traditional methods, because even though the possibility of growing without soil and at a faster rate is interesting, the costs of maintaining the nutrient solution could prove to be prohibitive.
The KE Team has started out with a 2300 liter tank which will house the harvested rainwater used. Depending on the climatic conditions, we should see some real progress within 1.5 to 2 months. We are expecting the yields to be more than when using traditional methods because they require less daily attention, less water, require less space, crop is cleaner and easy enough for children to manage once the initial setup is done.
The vertical garden can use recycled water and the horizontal gardens can use drip irrigation. Some of the challenges so far have been that the parsley on the vertical wall all but dried up, so we have re-planted spinach, and kale is growing slowly. The African nightshades are doing well and we will keep figuring it out as we go along until we have a beautiful and bountiful garden to serve the community.
The Green Lion
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