ICT in Agriculture

Growing population

One of the main challenges that the agricultural sector often faces is the need to increase productions so as to provide adequate food to an overgrowing population considering the high rate at which natural resources are decreasing. The agricultural sector is now faced with more water shortages, loss of soil fertility, climate change and loss of fertile agricultural lands to urbanization. Nonetheless, the demand for high quality products continues to increase and has created a means for individuals living in rural areas to enhance their livelihoods.  However in order to take advantage of the new opportunities, farmers must comply with solid quality standards and regulations when producing and handling all kind of agricultural produce. For this reason, there is need for additional technological advances that will promote compliance.

The Role of ICT in Rural Agricultural industry

The role of ICT in rural agriculture and food security has continued to receive increase recognition following its endorsement at the World Summit on the Information society (WSIS) 2003-2005. The extent of ICT use in agriculture ranges from the use of computer applications, the internet, geographical information systems, cell phones as well as mainstream media such as radio, TV and newspapers. Although the concept of ICT in agriculture is relatively new in rural Africa, there is growing evidence of its contribution to agricultural development and poverty alleviation.

Enhancing agricultural Production through ICT

One of the main contributions that ICT has made to rural agriculture is the increase in efficiency and sustainability of small scale farms. Small scale farming often faces lots of challenges including poor soils, drought, soil erosion and pests. By receiving information regarding pest and disease control especially through early warning systems, new and improved crop varieties and new regulations regarding pest control, small scale farmers can considerably increase their production. 

Improving agricultural Market Access through ICT

Access to up-to-date market information regarding commodity prices, prices of farm inputs and consumer trends can have a considerable impact on the livelihoods of small scale farmers by increasing their bargaining power. Such information makes it possible for farmers to make informed decisions regarding future crops and commodities. Farmers are able to make decisions on the best time and place to sell and buy goods.  In many countries, the demand for such information has led to the creation of simple websites that attempt to match supply and demand of agricultural produce thereby creating more complex agricultural trade systems.

Price information is usually collected from the marketplace and stored in a central database where farmers can access it either online or through information centers. So as to reach a wider audience, the information may be broadcast via rural radio, TV and cell phones. However, a lot of work goes into maintain such systems and such work must continue if these systems are to be sustainable.

Capacity Building and Empowerment through ICT

ICT can be used to empower communities and farmers organizations so that they are able to hold their ground when negotiating for better input and output prices, land claims, resource rights and infrastructure development. In addition, ICT creates opportunities for rural farmers to interact with other stakeholder within the agricultural industry thereby reducing social isolation.

Sawdust to 'Shrooms
Written by Jasen

Shiitake block production starts with the hauling of about 800 lb. of slightly aged (about 6 months) oak sawdust into our building from large covered piles outside. The sawdust is then hand shoveled onto a shaker table to sift out all foreign objects and large pieces of wood. I can honestly say I have lifted, by shovel, 50 tons of sawdust a year for 6 years and counting.

Our state-of-the-art shaker table.

These pieces of wood have been removed from the sawdust. They will later be used as mulch in the garden as a base for Wine Cap Stropharia and in various other places around the farm.

Once the substrate is sifted to the desired size it is loaded into garbage barrels and weighed to 300 lb., which is a full blender load. It is then lifted into a blending paddle autoclave to rehydrate and sterilize the sawdust. After one hour of cooking the sawdust is ready to be cooled, inoculated and bagged into 5 lb. blocks. Each blender load produces around 60 blocks. At two loads a day, that's about 31,000 blocks a year...all by hand. 

Once the blocks are inoculated, weighed and sealed they are rolled, on carts, into the incubating room where they will age for about four months. During the incubation period, the blocks go through a decomposition process. They go from brown sawdust to white as the  mycelium takes over, breaking down the wood. The mycelium ages and the blocks return to a dark brown color. At this stage any fluctuation in their environment stimulates them to fruit. Either a large temperature change or physical movement brings on this force, so climate control is very important.

Pictured here are the stages of sawdust into a fruiting block. Clockwise: starting with the loose sawdust, a one day old block in bag, one week old, 2 months old, 4 months old, and finally a fruiting block.

The blocks are then removed from their bags and placed on racks in the fruiting room, where the temperature is slightly cooler and the humidity is around 90%. In one week's time, the blocks form pins, and within 10 days the crop is usually picked. Once the blocks cease to fruit they go into large compost piles to break down further and, eventually, are reused in the garden.

These Shiitakes have waited over four months to grace us with their presence. They stand proud in front of the sawdust pile where it all began.

Multi-storey Vegetable Gardens for Food security in Kenya

Multi-storey gardening is an innovative and exciting technology for year round vegetable gardening in Kenya. Multi-storey gardens technology is suitable for urban gardening in Kenya where land for farming has greatly reduced due to urbanization. Gardening is an important human activity in Africa and many parts of the world. Multi-storey gardens refer to bag gardens reputable for utilizing minimal land and water. Multi-storey gardening requires little technical and financial support. These bag gardens are also suitable for dry, non fertile areas where soils are not suitable for conventional gardening, areas with water scarcity.

This micro-gardening concept being a low input activity is ideal for child headed households, elderly headed households and families of people living with HIV/AIDS, where labor and other resources are scarce. Multi-storey gardens technology has been used successfully in Kenya to grow green leafy vegetables, tomatoes, cabbages, carrots, tubers and indigenous vegetables, in the refugee camps with the help of donor agencies. Multi-storey gardens lead to development of self reliance in vegetables for nutrition and food security in the vulnerable households. This gardening technology has also been used in schools all over the world for providing vegetables to school feeding programs and teaching science and nutrition.

Setting up Multi storey Gardens  
Materials required for multi-storey gardening include empty cereal bag or animal feed bag, one empty oil can or 6”PVC pipe with holes, 2buckets small stones, 6 buckets soil, 6 buckets manure, seeds, adequate water to irrigate the bag garden and gardening tools. Follow the procedure below to set up the garden.  

1. Mix the soil and well decomposed manure thoroughly.
2. Cut out the bottom of the oil can and make holes on the sides.
3. Fold back the bag and fill the bottom 15cm with small stones.
4. Place the can on top of the small stones in the centre of the bag.
5. Fill the oil can with small stones
6. Fill the area between the oil can and the bag with the soil-manure mixture up to the can level.
7. Pull up the can to the level of the soil compost mixture with a tilting motion.

Repeat steps 5, 6 and 7 until the bag is full and a central core of stones is formed leaving the tin at the top of the bag garden. Pour water into the tin through the central core till the soil is soaked.

Watch a Video on the Preparation of Multi-storey Gardens

 

Sow the vegetable seeds in the nursery at the top of the bag, and water regularly for about 3-4 weeks. Partial shading should be done where the climate is harshly hot. When seedlings are ready for transplanting, make holes on the sides of the bag with a sharpened stick, at a spacing of 30cm from row to row and 23cm from plant to plant in a staggered fashion. Each bag is watered twice daily with 5 litres of water each time for the first 2weeks, then 2-3 times a week. The Water for irrigation is poured into the tin at the top centre of the bag, going down the central core, to the end of the bag irrigating all the plants. Green leafy vegetables grown in a multi storey garden mature within 30 days. 

Harvesting in multi-storey gardens is done 2-3 times a week. Five bag gardens will produce enough vegetables for family consumption and income generation.NB: Similar to the Multi-Storey Gardens, is the Vertical Grow Pipe innovative gardening technology which was introduced during 2010 World Food Day Celebrations at the University of the West Indies. Multi-storey gardening practice is a breakthrough to ensure year round supply of fresh vegetables for dietary diversity and income generation.For more information read http://realimpact.or.ke/pkg_kits.aspx

Youth and Climate Change for livelihood sustainability

A large percentage of the world’s population today comprises of young people with about 2.2 billion people being less than 18 years old. In this era of global climate change, 85% of these 2.2 billion young people are a resource that can be used to change the society towards reduction of climate change for sustainability. Furthermore, the young people can play a key role in dealing with all the difficulties that are facing humanity.

One thing that sets the young people apart from the rest of the population is their enthusiasm, imagination, talent and energy. The young people are more likely to get involved in local actions, play the role of effective communicators within their communities and participate in international actions against climate change and un-sustainability. For this reason FAO and other international organizations have been working together to come up with activities and mechanisms that enhance awareness, and access to relevant knowledge and information among the youth. The main aim of these efforts is to encourage participation of young people in actions relating to environmental sustainability and social development issues such as global warming.

The Red Cross and Red Crescent has for a long time been on the forefront in involving the young people in dealing with the humanitarian consequences of global warming for sustainability.  For instance in 2009, the Red Cross organized the Youth on the Move convention in Solferino which had climate change as one of the main themes. During the convention, a large number of youth and teenagers received training from climate change experts encouraging livelihoods sustainability. Since the conclusion of this convention, there has been evidence of increased youth involvement in activities relating to climate change and sustainability.

In strategy 2020, the Red Cross reaffirms that it is committed to address climate change impacts on human livelihoods especially the young people who make up the larger proportion of the population and the hope of tomorrow. Strategic aim of strategy 2020 is geared towards ensuring that the public adopts an environmentally sustainable lifestyle. This will lead to reduction of green house gases emissions. Similarly, in Strategy 2020, the IFRC reaffirms its commitment to ensuring that youth continue to volunteer and develop strong Red Cross and Red Crescent societies.  This will build a strong culture of voluntary service among the youth encouraging sustainability and youth participation in community and national affairs.

Basic Food security for poverty reduction & sustainable development in kenya

Food security exists when there are adequate, accessible, affordable, nutritious and safe provisions, for all people at all times, to maintain a healthy and active life. Food security for sustainable development has three pillars which are availability, access and use according to knowledge of basic nutrition. Several political promises to ensure food security for sustainable development have been made by various national leaders. On the contrary the number of starving incidence recur frequently due to lack of concrete action. The number of hungry people globally also increased from 824 million in 1990, [the ‘MDG’ baseline year] to 925 million in 2010.The world population is expected increase to 9 billion by 2050. This calls for urgent prioritization of provisions issues . The right to provisions is a fundamental right of everyone, 'to be free from hunger' according to provisions of article 11 of the International Convent on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights, the branch of international law inspired by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Climbing beans

Therefore the National government has an obligation to establish non-discriminatory and non-political policy on food security for sustainable development. People exposed to hunger worldwide are likely to  reach one billion by the end of 2011.Global cereal demand is expected to rise by 1 billion tons over the next four decades which is a fore warning that the time of low provisions prices is over. Consequently there is need to improve world agricultural productivity by 70% come 2050.This should be done with sound environmental management practices in mind for sustainable development and improvement of provisions. One of the best methods to ensure national food security in Kenya is innovation. This calls for support for implementation of new ideas, new information, and new technologies for sustainable development. Despite marvelous benefits of investment in agriculture in the last 25 years, wealthy countries have reduced the budget for international agriculture at an alarming rate whereas in fact the budget needs to be increased.

The current climate change has increased pressure on provisions and greatly challenges sustainable development. Global warming is progressively reducing agricultural production, undermining food security in Kenya and many developing countries. Policies that could help farmers adapt to changing climate include irrigated agriculture, agricultural research, flood control and controlling human resettlement. The Government should investment in small scale farmers and herders and empower the most vulnerable people to take charge of their food security. This is cheaper than giving provisions and enhances sustainable development.

A Lesson on Wine Cap Mushrooms
Brought to you by Team FFP


This is the time of year for wine cap (Stropharia rugosa-annulata) mushrooms to start popping out. Well suited for outdoor cultivation, these burgundy capped wonders grow on both hardwood substrates (chips or dust) and/or straw. They grow particularly well when grown between corn or asparagus rows, or even among shaded landscape plantings. Planting can be done this fall or early spring for a late summer fruiting. Interested? Check out wine cap on our website. Also, watch our video on wine cap identification below.

In the Market for Mushrooms

Written by Phoebe

For most people my age, Saturday means a blissful morning of sweet sleeping in. For me, however, it means the farmers' market. Preparing for, and participating in the Green Bay Farmers' Market is quite the process, and if you’re interested, you can read all about it in the next few paragraphs!

This is the basic look of our set up at the farmers' market in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

The market is not just a Saturday morning event. In fact, the market more or less starts with the harvesting of the mushrooms up to a week before. To keep the mushrooms fresh, we pick them, place them in large plastic storage tubs, filling them only half full. We then immediately put them into a walk-in cooler until they are completely chilled, and then put the tub lid on until they are ready to be sold. This allows quick cooling and less condensation on the tub lid, keeping the mushrooms dry and fresh. The night before the market, we go through the process of grading mushrooms, separating out damaged, stained or wet mushrooms for our own use, then load the truck with the displays. We used to avoid selling the small “baby” shiitake (something all too common in the hot summer for log grown shiitake), but have found that many people prefer the smaller ones. A box of babies looks like A LOT of mushrooms, plus people like the “chef ready” benefit because if the baby mushrooms are tender enough, you can eat them stem and all; no chopping required!

The next morning the alarm will go off at 5:00 am, at the very latest (5:15 if you happen to be an older brother down for the weekend to help out). First on the agenda is, of course, starting the coffee maker. We then trudge out to the cooler to finish loading the truck up with the chilled mushrooms. A half an hour after I wake up, with coffee in hand, we set out to Green Bay. The market starts at seven, but we have to leave with enough time to get to the market and set up our booth, which usually takes 30-45 minutes.

This lively chap, Nik (son of Joe and Mary Ellen), is enjoying a lovely morning at the market.

After struggling to set up our slightly dilapidated tent that offers shade for both the mushrooms and ourselves, we set up our folding banquet table, table cloth and wooden display rack which my dad built to put all the mushrooms closer to eye level. Our “city certified” scale and orange crate holds the bags and cash box. Finally, we get around to weighing out the mushrooms. I enjoy simplicity in prices, so to make early morning life easier, we weigh out all of the tills to a quarter pound. We weigh them into plastic mushroom tills for display that can be emptied into brown paper sacks that have detailed mushroom handling and recipes printed on the outside (Field and Forest Products sells these great market bags). We sell the shiitake and oysters for three dollars a box, and the wild mushrooms, maitake, and lion’s mane for four dollars a box. I often try to bring out my creative side when placing mushrooms in the tills by putting three different colored oysters in one box. It makes the display very pleasing to the eye. We also sell a mixed “sampler” till that has a few of each kind of mushroom that we have available that day, so people can try new varieties.

Pictured here are three color variants of our oyster mushrooms: Grey Dove, Pink and Golden.

If the forecast is calling for fiendishly hot weather, we freeze ice cube sheets several days earlier. We constructed a box-shaped sleeve out of Cool Shield insulated bubble wrap, which can cover 4 tubs, and by layering the ice cube sheets between tubs and covering the whole works with Cool Shield, the mushrooms stay chilled for the whole morning.

As much as we are tempted to bring our other garden produce to the market, we stick to mushrooms. We try to bring as much of a variety of mushrooms that we can. Sometimes this is limited to only shiitake and oyster mushrooms. If the weather cooperates, we bring lion’s mane, maitake and king oyster, and if we get lucky while mushroom hunting, we will bring morels, chicken of the woods, or chanterelles.

We also try to have a few fun displays to make the market educational and bring in kids. The “Mushroom of the Week” display, especially during the wild mushrooming times of later summer and early fall, always brings people into the booth and we get to hear lots of mushroom stories. We also sell our ready-to-fruit shiitake mushroom kits; people like these because they are discounted and they don’t have to pay for shipping. We display a fruiting kit to attract attention; people just have fun looking at it whether they buy one or not! We’ve also noticed that a lot of Field and Forest Products’ spawn customers sell ready-to-fruit shiitake logs at their markets; they almost do better in total selling with those than the mushrooms themselves.

With the bizarre varieties of oyster mushrooms, ranging from gray to pink, we often draw eyes, and get the question, “Are these real?” or “Are these poisonous?” Well, yes to the first question, and definitely a no to the second. As my dad always says, “We like repeat business!”