Moshi, TZ – Experimenting with organic growing techniques on new crops – 20 Mar 2016

The JMM family was one of the first families to join Tupendane in March 2013. The family owned one acre of farm land and was keen to learn organic growing practices that would allow them to grow more than just the corn and beans they usually grew.

After successfully maintaining their vegetable garden for over a year, the family partnered with a neighbor to experiment with growing other crops using the same technique. They cleared out a quarter acre patch of woods behind their house and made raised garden beds. In half of the beds they planted vegetables. In the other beds they built trellises and planted climbing beans and passion fruit. They agreed to use the vegetables for home use and the beans and passion fruit for business.

The beans and passion fruit have been very successful and the families can earn up to 20,000 TZS (US $9.52) during harvest season. The vegetables have grown well during the rainy season but suffer during the dry season.

This taste of success is enough to get the families excited and they are now saving money to purchase a water pump so their farm can be productive all year round.