Friends Theological College-Kaimosi Supports a Well-Managed Self-Sustaining Farm

Ever wonder what it would be like to walk out of your backdoor with a basket in hand and pick fresh food from the farm? This isn’t just a dream but an attainable reality at the Friends Theological College-Kaimosi with a well-managed self-sustaining farm. Living off nature’s bounty with minimal trips to the grocery market is the order of the day in Kaimosi. The agricultural set-up at the institution says “No, thank you,” to external resources as much as possible, but rather embraces nature’s cycle and biodiversity. This has been achieved by careful planning and efficient use of space, raising livestock as well as growing high-yield crops.

The FTC farm nurtures a diversity of crops ranging from maize, beans, and kale to onions, arrowroot, sweet potatoes, local greens, and bananas, among many other crops. The crops grow side by side helping each other out, like the beans climb maize stalks while their roots fix nitrogen in the soil.

During harvest, the maize stalks are collected and chopped into pieces for production of cattle feed silage. While at it, apart from production of milk from the cows, their waste consistently boosts production of biogas, which is used for cooking for the staff and students at the dining hall. The key here is nothing goes to waste. Everything has value. Speak of banana peels? That is compost ready to enrich the soil. At the farm everything works together in harmony–animals, plants, and humans alike.

Farming isn’t just hard work, it’s smart work too. It requires an array of skills from the staff at the farm and full coordination of all departments in the institution. Running a self-sufficient farm means providing a chance to live in an eco-friendly manner through natural cycles such as using crop rotation techniques, using organic fertilizer, and planting trees—which in turn creates an eco-friendly future that benefits planet earth.

Smart water use also goes hand in hand with sustainable farming. Friends Theological College is geographically located at a water catchment area blessed with an abundance of rain and this rain water is harvested, conserved and directed precisely where needed.

The FTC fraternity proudly lives off nature’s beauty. Aside from theological studies, one with a keen eye for details gains knowledge that empowers them towards creating their own self-sustaining farm which is much more than just raising their own nourishment but also cultivating an improved lifestyle and environment.

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