Uganda: Former teachers’ story of successful urban farming
Their farm, measuring 156 feet by 89 feet, today easily passes as one of the most successful stories of urban farming in the country.
By Michael J Ssali
Monitor
November 19, 2022
Excerpt:
They carry out what they refer to as regenerative agriculture. “We are out to prove that we cannot stop farming because the soil is depleted,” says Nakitto. “If it is depleted then we have the obligation to make it fertile and productive again because we are the ones who keep harvesting crops grown on it. People will never stop eating and therefore producing food must be a continuous process. We cannot always take away crops without giving back something to the soil. That is why we sell earthworms to fellow small holder farmers for them to facilitate soil rejuvenation wherever they grow crops. And it is partly the reason we keep livestock such as rabbits and chicken to get organic manure to fertilise the soil,” she says.
Breeding worms
She revealed that one way of rejuvenating the soil is to encourage the breeding of earthworms in their garden. As she says it is a trick they learned from Dr Emma Naluyima who is an expert in organic farming. “We breed and sell the worms to many upcoming urban farmers who regularly come to us for advice,” says Nakitto. They often hold training sessions for youths and other interested persons in urban farming.
