Starting From Bush
The land in Gongoni Ward had never been cultivated. Coastal bush — scrub grass, low shrubs, and soil that had never seen farming.
We hired a tractor to plough the land. The bush was turned over and the soil broken up, preparing it for planting.
Why This Matters
Starting on previously uncultivated land has one clear advantage — we know exactly what’s in the soil. No previous inputs, no residue history. That baseline matters when the long-term plan involves building soil fertility from scratch through organic methods.
The Result
After ploughing, the field was ready for planting. The tractor left deep furrows across the land — turned earth mixed with the remains of the bush vegetation.
What Came Next
With the land prepared, the next step was planting. We chose maize and green grams — proven crops for this region that could go into the ground with the coming rains.