Here's an update which I also just posted onto our indiegogo page about what has been happening lately at Fankanta.
The organic waste keeps coming in by the cartload. We recently started a third windrow. Here is Gabu, in front of Lat Dior the horse as his father Mr. Diouf unloads the day's delivery.
You can see in this picture we're just starting the new windrow. In the foreground is a recently turned windrow and in the background on the right is part of another windrow.
Three weeks ago we had a meeting with a group of citizens concerned about the state of the environment in Keur Massar, the community where we are located.
The very next day several community members came by to learn about sustainable farming methods.
Three weeks later we usually have a few community members coming by every day to learn about how to farm without needing to buy expensive inputs.
Today, Mr. Ndyere and Mr. Ndyalo cleared a bed to plant corn. Mr. Ndyere raises chickens and Mr. Ndyalo is a market farmer who is growing mostly peppers and cabbage at this point. They are both interested in learning new farming techniques and have been coming by the Fankanta agroecology center several times a week.
Here the bed is being moistened in preparation for the corn. Two other communty members who have small farms are helping out.
Yesterday Mr. Chendou planted out this nice bed of corn:
On Saturday we were at the 2014 Africa Social Forum where Lamine was on a panel discussing the role of youth groups in education, skills training and youth development. Lamine talked about a boy/girl scout trade school and how the Fankanta Agroecology center is training youth in sustainable farming. Youth unemployment is a problem here in Senegal but with trade schools and programs designed to give people the skills they need to be market farmers, youth groups are working to address the issue.
After the Africa Social Forum we also attended a Scouts meeting to discuss the results of a program where a dilapidated building was restored and compost training courses were given.
Between running the demonstration farm, the composting program, training visitors to the demonstartion farm, and going to various meetings we have been very busy! With your support of our fundraising campaign though, we will be able to develop our young organization and demonstration farm into an even more important community resource.
A last note about market farming in Senegal. The last blog post recounted how we sold 120 kilos of radish for 4800 CFA Francs. Well just today we finished selling a mere two beds of mint for 5000 CFA Francs! This mint was only transplanted from cuttings about a month ago. If it was a more mature planting with denser foliage the two beds could have sold at 10,000 Francs. At $20 USD, that's an extremely lucrative proposition here. It goes to show that the Senegalese like their mint tea and mint is not as easy to grow in the Sahel as it is in the temperate US. Here's Lamine with the bana bana market woman cutting the mint bed.
Stay tuned - I'll hopefully have an update soon about the crops and trees we're growing at the Fankanta demonstration farm.
