Field Trip to See Farming God's Way, By Cory

Thursday the 12th at 6:50 I departed with the Bible College students and teachers to Overland Mission to see their Farming God's Way gardens and hear  their experience. 

The 62 passenger bus was nearly full. I have been suprised how enthusiastic the students have been before and during the field trip. 

I enjoyed the singing of the students, (they take turns serving as the college choir for student chapel twice a week) and  I'm sure the high school bus driver also enjoyed these passengers more than his usual passengers.

We stopped in Pemba to pick up lunch that we reserved for take out to eat later at the mission.  

The bus drove slowly and safely which was fine but with the stops at the restaurant, for tire air and missing the mission driveway due to the road being recently paved, we arrived an hour late, close to 10am.

Corn and peanut fields

Several of the Overland staff taught a summary of what is normally a two day course. They offered to come to Jembo to do a second day which was enthusiastically accepted, the principal saying early next term will be good (next week is finals for this 2nd trimester).

The 3 foundational requirements of Farming God's Way:

1. Biblical principles 

2. Technology 

3. Management

The three are integrated for high yield agriculture. 

So principles from the Bible and nature are used with technology and the resources God has provided and the work is done at the right time to high standards.

Chicken or poultry "tractors" are mobile cages.

When I first started reading about Farming God's way I was suprised to learn it started not far from here in western Zimbabwe.

I have always liked using mulch but here in Africa the termites are aggressive and eat up mulch quickly. 

 Apparently it isn't a big problem since usually the crop plants mostly cover the ground by the time most of the mulch is gone.

In the afternoon before we left we toured the farm and gardens. 

The mission is only about 6 years old. 

When the land was purchased from the chief, the local people laughed because the land was overgrazed and degraded. 

Where there was some grass it was only a few inches high. 

People are moving out of the area to more fertile areas because after about 4 years the land is no longer fertile.

Soaking bean beetles to make
 spray to kill bean beetles

The first year the 3.5 acre corn field gave only 2 110 pound bags of corn. 

2nd year 7

3rd year 28 

4th year 52 

5th year the worst drought "ever", 20

6th year 101

Each year on the same field (or at least the same size field, I think the corn and peanut would be rotated, according to the Farming God's Way teaching) and they hope to have higher yield this year. 

It is an open pollinated local corn variety and only using manure and ashes. 

101 bags per 1.5 hectare works out to about 53 bushels per acre, which is about 1/4 USA yields but it is without plowing and just local inputs and thier own saved seed, so the only expense is labor.

Almost all the corn fields in their area failed in the drought year but they had a modest harvest.

I assume this is because they prepare the fields in the month or two before expected rain so when rains come the seeds can be quickly planted. 

Grass is cut from surrounding fallow fields as mulch which helps conserve moisture. 

The mulch also reduces weed germination.

Their soil was nearly black instead of the usual grey or brown of soils in this part of Zambia.

There is a farming God's way website that has the details and also tells how it was started by a tobacco farmer when he realized he was harming peoples health.  https://farming-gods-way.org/

A common Zambian meal.
Corn is usually white and
prepared like a thick version of grits.
The corn is used to scoop up the chicken
gravy and greens