The Goalkeepers initiative brings together a diverse and influential community of leaders and innovators committed to achieving the UN’s SDGs. We got nominated to attend Goalkeepers 2019 by someone who thinks we are doing amazing work to push for a better world. To this day, to be honest, we are not quite sure who did nominate our organisation to this event. (If you are reading this, Thank You! )

If there is one thing that came out clearly, is the fact that we have a long way in empowering our women and girls in order to address gender equality.

If you think about life as a journey, every single disadvantage makes the journey harder. Our path forward has been relatively clear of obstacles. For a girl born in the Sahel, one of the poorest regions in the world, getting to a healthy, productive life requires overcoming hurdle after hurdle after hurdle.

https://www.gatesfoundation.org/goalkeepers/report/2019-report/#ExaminingInequality

We talked about our own experiences here in Kenya, providing affordable greenhouses to farmers and connecting them to markets through our Greenhouse+ service that seeks to address SDG 1: No Poverty and SDG 2: End Hunger. By connecting farmers to stable and reliable markets, we have been able to create consistent income for them paid out through MPESA or Banks every 30 days and now reduced this to 7 Days in 2020. The results have been clear to us, our farmers use this income to invest in education for their children as well as be able to afford universal healthcare at their local clinics. In other cases, especially for our middle-income farmers that build large greenhouses, they create employment to the local village workers who work as farm labourers every single day and on harvesting days, women are hired to harvest, clean, grade and pack for our team to collect and deliver to urban markets. This way, we provide clean and traceable produce to markets in Nairobi all year round. If we can move farmers to be less dependent on rainfall, farm quality inputs, access knowledge and information easily and access markets, then there will be no poverty in rural homes and hunger shall end.

This year, we are excited to take Greenhouse+ to a new high powered by data. By combining irrigation data and yield data, we believe we can create valuable information to farmers and lending institutions to use to credit score and finance farmers. Stay subscribed for our next blog on the new farm automation system we are developing here in Nairobi.

Common vegetables and fruits exported from African countries to the European Union (EU) include;

Demand for dried fruits has been on the rise, the UK being the biggest importer. Common dried fruits include mangoes, apples, pistachio and grapes.

What has led to the increase in export crops over the last few years?

1.  Attractive prices in the export market; which is almost double what the local markets offer.
2. Consumers’ desire for diversity and awareness of health benefits from these crops in developed
   nations.
3. Adverse effects of the Greenhouse Effect in developed nations making the African continent a
   viable candidate for growing exotic horticultural produce.

[A table from the EPC showing export statistics since 2011 to 2015. Source from http://epckenya.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=43&Itemid=62]

Did you know; In the 1990s, Kenya was the main supplier of fresh and chilled vegetables in the European Union?

One can either export crops through a company, what is known as Contract Farming or one can do it on their own. Good thing, The Export Promotion Company (EPC) has got us covered. For the lone rangers, the EPC has been kind enough to outline directions on how to become an exporter of horticultural
produce on this link;
Click Here

Starting on your own might be difficult especially the part where one has to source for clients in foreign countries, which leaves the option of contract farming. There are a number of companies here in Kenya dealing with contract farming; Illuminum Greenhouses being one of them.☺

Some of the benefits of Contract farming include;

• Assurance of markets to farmers. Lack of markets is one of the major reasons why investors shy
  away from the agricultural sector.
• Farmers’ price risk is often reduced as commodity prices are specified in advance.
• Contract farming opens up new markets which would otherwise be unavailable to small-scale
  farmers.
• Elimination of middlemen who have been known to exploit farmers.

Tips:
1. In contract farming, always insist on contracts. If need be, have a lawyer go through them to
ensure the authenticity of the transactions.
2. For the lone rangers, thorough research is required of the bodies involved in the Export business
and the regulations in place. A good place to start would be KEPHIS and audit firms such as DNV-GL that award Global GAP Certificates upon successful farm audits.

Happy Exporting!

Integrated farming takes many animal-plant relationships under its wing but today we’re going to look at poultry. Poultry requires a small investment when compared to other animals. With Ksh. 1000 ($10) you can get two or three young hens (teen chicks?). With proper care, one can earn a few coins from selling eggs, or from selling meat from poultry.

Now imagine combining poultry with something else, say fish rearing or horticulture. These relationships give rise to a self-sufficient system that minimises costs. Let’s take a closer look at the some of the integrated systems being widely practised.

1. Integrated chicken-fish farming.

This is a method commonly practised in Asia. It incorporates chicken breeding for meat or eggs with fish rearing. Chicken can be raised over or adjacent to the ponds and the poultry droppings are used as food for the fish. Chicken excreta produces nitrates that are very good at plankton formation. Planktons is used as food for fish. It’s very important however to ensure that the poultry is vaccinated.

• Benefits of this method include:
• Maximum use of space.
• The poultry excreta is used as fertiliser and feed for the fish, therefore, saves up on these two costs.
• A hygienic poultry house.
• Water from the pond is very rich in nitrates.Therefore, it can be used for horticultural purposes which will reduce the cost of fertilisers.

Good news is that the method is slowly being practised by farmers in Kenya. With the recent opening in the fish market don’t you think it’s high time you made use of that opportunity?

And by the way, you can also do this with rice and ducks. Hang on to our next blog for insight into it.

Image from: http://www.nafis.go.ke/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/untitled.jpg

Happy Planting!

Aquaponics presents an integrated farming system whereby; waste from fish is used as fertiliser for plants and plants purify the water by removing the nutrients increasing oxygen concentration. Waste from fish contains nutrients which are essential for plant growth.

Aquaponic system. Image from http://organicdailypost.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/aquaponics-media-based.jpg

The set-up of the fish and plants represents a closed system such that;

• Water containing waste from the fish is pumped to the plants.
• Plants absorb nutrients from the water, in the process cleaning the water which is then pumped back to the fish.

What kind of fish can be used?

Any fish can be used. The only catch is that you’ll have to adhere to the requirements for the different types of fish. Types of fish used in some of the aquaponics systems here in Kenya are catfish, tilapia and trout. Catfish and tilapia do well in warm climates (temperature of between 25 to 28 degrees) whereas trout do well in cold climates (temperatures between 12 to 18 degrees). People in cold areas can make use of a greenhouse which will solve the temperature problem. It is important to ensure that both fish and plants have access to enough oxygen to prevent stress. Ensure that the water is clean to eliminate diseases in the fish which might be transferred to the plants or lead to the death of fish which might slow growth of plants due to inadequate nutrients.

What kind of plants can be grown using this system?

Strawberries are one of the common plants grown in Kenya using the aquaponics system. Other plants such as tomatoes, lettuce, herbs such as basil and mint can be grown using this system. However, it’s important to note that requirements differ from crop to crop.

Benefits:

• Maximizes space.
• Conserves water through recycling.
• It’s purely organic. Farmers are advised not to use chemical based pesticides since they will kill the fish since the water from the plants is recycled back to the fish.
• Increases income for farmers.
• Saves up on costs of fertiliser since it is a self-sufficient system.

Good news is that it’s being practised here in Kenya! Here’s a success story from a Kenyan farmer dealing in Aquaponicshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3o5rm5z1v68.

Happy Planting!!

Aside from light, air, warmth and carbon dioxide, plants need water and nutrients for growth. Hydroponic systems deliver just that. It is an old practice that dates back to the Aztecs and Babylonians. The Aztecs referred to them as “floating” gardens. The term “hydroponics” was coined in the 1930’s by Dr. William F. Gericke of the University of California.

Hydroponics is a method of growing plants in a soil-less medium or an aquatic based environment. The medium can be a solution filled with nutrients or an inert growing medium such as sand or perlite. A hydroponic system is a structure such as a tray, A-frame or a tower that holds an inert medium or water and provides a place to grow plants. There are very many types of hydroponic systems but all of them have to ensure that the plants have access to oxygen, water and nutrients.

With hydroponics, farmers don’t have to stress over weeding, soil borne diseases, fertilizers and pesticides. This is because hydroponics creates a sterile environment for the crops. Pumping nutrients directly into the roots results in bigger and better results over short period of time. Hydroponics can be done both indoors and outdoors therefore you don’t have to worry about space. Hydroponic systems are good for the environment because they use less water than soil based farming. Hydroponic systems recycle water, hence, you don’t have to worry about environmental degradation caused by high concentration of nutrients (calcium, phosphorous and potassium) in the run off experienced in traditional farming.

The most obvious reason to have a hydroponic system is that they aren’t affected by changing seasons, therefore, you can farm all year round.However, the initial set up cost of a hydroponic system is high. In order to operate it, you need technical knowledge and constant supervision is required to ensure they are growing in the exact conditions they need.

Hydroponic systems are susceptible to power outage which results to plants drying out. In case of this scenario, you have to manually water your garden. However, there have been new technologies with solar which ensures the process isn’t interrupted by a power failure. Water-based microorganisms can also be easily introduced into the system. Hydroponic plants have much smaller root systems, hence, they can’t always support themselves very well. Heavy fruiting plants may need quite elaborate forms of support. I’d like to think that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages because they are things that can be easily manageable. If you think the price is too high, start small, and then build from there.

Urban farming is slowly catching up and hydroponic systems present a way in which you can earn money and eat fresh food from that small space in your house or on your piece of land.

Who knows, we might start selling these units soon.

Happy Planting!

Figure 1

Interpretation:
If a farm’s results indicate 0-3, the farmer will get remedies on the soil tests on the best measures to take.
What happens if you’re the soil tests indicate numbers 4 and 5? Don’t worry Illuminum Greenhouses’ got your back. We have adopted a method known as potting which involves mixing the un-infected soil with manure and fertilizer needed for your plants and then you can plant as usual. Figure 1 above shows how we successfully planted tomatoes using the potting method.

Benefits of potting include:
 Less water, and;
 Less fertilizer

Soil testing services have remained affordable and we have ensured that we partner with the best testing facilities in the sector to allow us acquire accurate results that we can use to offer proper agronomic services. 85% of our farmers that did a soil test before planting recoup their investment within the first season and as such clearly demonstrates the importance of these tests. If you need one, just contact us and we will send in our agronomist to collect the soil samples on your farm. Hustle free!

“We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we are curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths”– Walt Disney

Farming success stories have become the new-age form of seduction for most investors. Farmers have been to known to triple their initial investment in a matter of months! Therefore, armed with THE multibillion agricultural idea, the required finances and land, how does one convert the idea into actual money? Here are a few simple rules and mistakes beginning farmers should avoid:

Do’s

• Do become knowledgeable on the subject. The farmer should attend workshops and seminars, read various articles related to the crop you want to venture in. Farmers will be able to interact with experts and learn on new technologies.
• Do start small. The most advisable thing to do as a first time farmer for the first growing season is to start small and expand gradually. However big a land you have, it would be advisable to dedicate a small portion of land during the first season. This will make management easy.

Don’ts

• Don’t assume! Many farmers usually brush of details they deem to be unimportant such as soil testing to find out whether the soil’s nutrients, contamination level, composition and acidity level. Overlooking some of these issues might lead to huge losses.
• Don’t obtain information from the wrong sources. Do not only rely only on advice from other farmers. Use agronomists from known agricultural companies or the Ministry of Agriculture.
• Don’t ignore. For example, a farmer might decide to spray his crops once a month instead of twice as is required. This might lead to crop infections which could have otherwise been avoided.

Farming has been made easier by greenhouses. Greenhouses are typically equipped with plastic walls which helps in moisture retention and regulation of temperatures. Farmers can, therefore, capitalize on out-of-season crops such as tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, basil, and other vegetables that usually command high prices in some markets. Plants are prone to damage from insects. A greenhouse keeps plants in isolation, locked safely away from the outside world where insects, rodents and other animals could damage crops.

Greenhouses come in all sizes depending on the size of your land or your preference. The most obvious reason to have a greenhouse is that one can grow vegetables and flowers all year round. Greenhouses also protects crops from weather elements such as blizzards and high winds. At Illuminum Greenhouses we offer high quality, modern greenhouses at affordable prices. We also have professionals who will provide expert advice to farmers. Our goal is to provide quality products and services that will ease the farmer’s journey. For more information, please visit our website at www.illuminumgreenhouses.com

Agri-Investors being shown Herbs for Export

Participants of the training included guest speakers from Farmlift, Farmsoft, KCB Bank and our professionally trained team who got to equip our farmers with the necessary knowledge on what is really needed through out the entire agriculture value chain. While we focused on agricultural equipment needed to farm, Farmlift shared on proper farm management with record keeping and KCB provided information on access to agriloans to allow our investors access capital.

The overall objective of the agribusiness training is to support agri-investors and agriculturalists achieve sustainable production through equipping them with detailed information on agriculture as well as giving them a visual on how the produce evolves from the soil to the plate.

Agri-Investors being shown Global GAP Compliance

We did this by visiting one of our clients Millicent Ruteere, CEO Celine Farms, who deals with exports in herbs where we discussed Global GAP certification and the process taken to certify your produce for export. The response from this training was phenomenal, we had all the slots filled up and already are taking in interested agri-investors for the upcoming training. We would like to announce that we have finally decided to make the training’s a monthly occurrence to ensure we reach as much investors wanting to invest in the sector. Though the training is currently being done in Nairobi, we will slowly begin rolling our similar programs across the country to allow other investors access this information. For any dates of the upcoming training, please follow our social media pages on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. We look forward to having you on our training.

It was a week long adventure consisting of a boot camp, an investor forum and an international conference that concludes with a crowned winner after a pitching session among startups to key entrepreneurs, investors and corporate.

Our vision is to see smallholder farmers in Sub Saharan Africa be able to access affordable modern farming technologies so as to improve their productivity and incomes. This is the sole reason why we went to represent Kenya at the Seedstars World Summit 2016 because we were able to share our vision with Seedstars who believed in us and were able to award us with the amazing opportunity.

We got to attend mentorship sessions where knowledge was shared among the mentees and entrepreneurs and ways of gearing up the start ups while dealing with emerging issues as they grew. Impressively we interacted with investors across Europe with a huge interest to invest in Africa and these are the discussions we will be taking forward to ensure we access and close as much capital as we may need before our round deadline in August 2016.

We would also like to pass our congratulatory message to Giraffe, a South African startup that emerged this year’s winner of Seedstars World. Giraffe is a mobile application that on one hand enables businesses to hire medium skilled staff faster and cheaper than any other recruitment network and that on the other hand connects job seekers to these opportunities through their cell phone. There couldn’t be any other moment than now to indeed prove that African startups are truly on the rise. All the best Giraffe.

Now it’s upon us, as Illuminum Greenhouses Kenya to implement and share the knowledge as we reach out to our people and work towards our mission to impact many small holder farmers positively. Our vision has never been more clear than it is now.

This year’s theme for the African Business Conference is “Unite.  Innovate.  Disrupt:  Homegrown models for Africa’s prosperity“. Despite the media’s focus on the challenges in Africa, we are proud of the progress Africa has made over the years and we see Africa not as a land plagued with challenges but one also filled with opportunities and remarkable success stories. We also believe that significant and sustainable progress can be achieved not only from the top but also from us, the African people.

During this year’s conference, we aim to celebrate and promote awareness of our innovative solar powered farm automation system that we hope to deploy across Africa. To quote a popular African proverb ‐ “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” This suggests that we as a people can progress further, faster and better if we work together and so this year,  the conference will be focused on igniting action and channeling our collective efforts towards creating solutions that will contribute to Africa’s prosperity in the long‐term.

As in previous years,  the conference will bring together ~1,500 people,  from both the diaspora and the continent,  who are passionate about business opportunities in Africa.  The conference will feature highly inspirational content sessions, a new venture competition, and professional networking opportunities with current and future Africa business leaders.  This year,  in line with the theme,  the conference will also be introducing interactive workshop sessions,  TED‐style keynote sessions,  industry networking sessions,  personal story sessions with panelists, and more. We hope this forum shall enable more opportunities for Illuminum Greenhouses to meaningfully engage with other entrepreneurs and the conference speakers in order to foster partnerships that will lead to the deployment of more innovative solutions in Africa.

We look forward to meeting you at the Africa Business Conference 2016 to be held at the Harvard Business School.