Benson Kinyua is a small-scale farmer from Rongai Nakuru county who relies on homemade, cheap, and environmentally friendly agricultural techniques.

Kinyua, who started farming in 2004, says adopting organic farming reversed the declining soil fertility on his farm, doubling his yield. He learned about organic farming after undergoing training at the Kenya Institute of Organic Farming (KIOF).

According to him, organic farming has not only boosted his yield but has also helped him cut production costs, increasing his earnings.

“Initially, while practicing conventional farming, I spent so much of the family finances on manufactured fertilizers and pesticides. But now, I don’t need to buy anything. I fertilize my soils with compost manure made from what I primarily considered waste such as animal droppings, vegetable remains, dry leaves, ash, and bones.” He said.

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Once applied, organic manure enriches the soil with key nutrients (potassium, nitrogen, and phosphorous) necessary for plant growth. It also produces humus which binds soil particles enabling the crops to withstand soil and wind erosion.

Kinyua also controls weeds and pests organically by mixing pepper with Mexican marigold weeds and other crop residues.

“The Mexican marigold weeds – mixed with pepper and other crop residues – are effective against whiteflies and spider mites that attack vegetables. Practices like rotating legumes with cereals and using pyrethrin sprays from pyrethrum are also valuable,” he says.

He controls diseases by practicing mulching. Kinyua also notes that compost manure increases micro-organisms that naturally suppress diseases.

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After harvesting, Kinyua stores his produce in metal silos, which he says can store up to 25 sacks of maize for many years without using any chemical or pesticide preservatives.

Besides maize, beans, cassava, bananas, kale, and tomatoes, the farmer also rears animals such as cows, goats, rabbits, ducks, and chickens. He uses waste products from his animals to fertilize his farm.

“We now have outlets such as green groceries, restaurants, and supermarkets specifically selling organic products. And they are in high demand for their health and nutritional value,” he said.

According to the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO), the use of non-chemical pesticides and fertilizers not only helps maintain soil fertility but also shields consumers from excessive chemical residues in food products.