Fieldtrip to Mukono Friday the 28th was all about visiting farms and getting as much information as possible so we could compare the already gathered information with the real deal. We woke up and headed for Mukono, After a 2 hour taxi drive and a short trip with the bodaboda we reached our first destination of Buyigi farm, owned by General Katumba. Now this is what you call a farm, chickens left, piggies right, banana trees in front and if you walk back you fall into a pit of manure. Of course that’s not the real layout of the farm. We met up with Charles and receiver our very own sky bleu boots. We grabbed our notebooks and started the tour around the farm. Chickens by the thousands, all lined up nicely, roaming and laying their eggs. After Denise completed her first round of interrogation we checked up on the biogas system that was recently installed. They are using the chicken and pig manure to fill the bio digester. It is not yet fully operational but by the looks of it the amount of chickens will fill it up just nicely. Next we discussed the feed they were giving their poultry and had a look at how they made it. They were mixing their own feed from other product like maize, fish, shells and other components. After getting the details of their secret ingredients of both their chicken and pig feed we headed to the new shack where they grow mushrooms and hydroponic fodder. The mushroom bed were neatly aligned and just needed daily watering to ensure the growing of the mushroom. In the same shack they had the hydroponic fodder, this fodder is special due to the fact that is has tones of nutrients and a high concentrate of vitamin C. The grow rate of the hydroponic fodder makes it a great way to give livestock a boost of fast growing nutrients. After 6 days this fodder can be given to the livestock. We passed through the banana plantation, passed the coffee beans and checked out their collection tank of manure. The waste of the pigs is directed into these ponds where the water is filtered out which then can be distributed over the land as a fertilizer. We had a look in their greenhouse where they just harvested the tomatoes and green peppers, we learned that these 2 are a great combination because they repel each other’s pests. Next we went to see the cows and the free roaming chicken and on the way we passed the groundnuts. On our way back checked out the new fish pond. They hatch catfish, feed them until they are around 2 kg and then sell them. We are investigating if this is a feasible option to implement in Kasanda. Our bacon buddies were next on the menu. They were lying and chilling and being pregnant. Their piggery goals is to sell piglets that are a few months old. After checking off all the questions related to piggies and bacon strips we made a final stop at the maize field. A final group photo and a slice of fruit marked the end of our first visit. After a nice bodaboda ride we arrived at our second destination, the Kasange Riverfords Organic Training Centre. We met up with Daniel, a really friendly guy that was really pleased to see us. They too have a bio digester that they use for their daily cooking. After a splendid view of the surrounding area we viewed the classroom where they teach, mostly women, organic way of farming. With these farming techniques the students head back to their towns and redistribute the knowledge to other farmers. The use of organic farming reduces the costs for chemical materials such as pesticides, fertilizers etc. We shortly viewed the cows and headed to the yet another bacon cage. The pigs were much more friendly then the last one and were anxious and happy to see us. We stepping into their enclosure and shortly discussed the practices of piggery. Besides teaching organic farming they teach new forms of planting, Using bag gardens easy planting is possible for people without allot of room. The keyhole pot is a ‘keyhole’ shaped pot where circulation of water and air is optimized and thus optimizing growth of vegetation. After a good meal together with the students we discussed certain subjects in detail and made our last group photo of the day. We headed back to Kampala, but that’s easier said than done. Mukuno Mbalala is approximately 30 kilometers from Kampala and renowned for its immense traffic jams. It took about 4 hours to get back to our taxistop! Not to mention that the taxi driver managed to kill the battery and kill the gearbox. We arrived in downtown Kampala with a stuttering engine and a grinding gearbox. The next day was a special day for all us Dutchies in Kampala. Our very very old Sinterklaas arrived in Kampala. We headed to the Dutch embassy to only realize it wasn’t at the embassy but at the residence of the ambassador. After figuring out the address we headed to the residence where we arrived just in time to see the Sint arrive followed by many Muzungus. We have never ever seen this many tighty whities is one stop. After a few hours we headed back passed a very extraordinary construction site. No metal scaffolding but wooden ones! Kampala seems to keep amazing us with new and crazy things. Wonder what the future will hold. Always keeping you posted, Q|Uganda out.
Posted on: Sun, 30 Nov 2014 19:46:20 +0000