WormMan Newsletter No.20 – dated 18^th November  2010

The MilkZim initiative:-

Three enterprising individuals, Cleopas Murenzi, Blessing Katsonga and Nathan Mware formed the above company in 2009 to harness the efforts of 197 individual dairy farms in the Dombashawa district some 20kms north of Harare. They approached WormMan to find a way of improving the production of maize and crops in the area which would have a direct influence on the production of milk, to the benefit of all. A Field day at Shamwari Restaurant was held on the 8^th of September for the councillors and some of the dairy farmers. They took part in a session of compost making which gave them the opportunity of seeing first hand, the making of compost under ideal conditions where the materials had all been collected and drums of water on tap. In the Communal areas, most of these farmers have to cart their water a long way therefore they have to be able to make quality compost in time for the coming crop. It is always an interesting day being in the rural districts, especially to note many of the traditional forms of social structures that exist in the rural areas which one doesn’t often have the chance to see. Since then, I managed to get a group of these dairy farmers to take a trip to ‘Foundation Farming’ to learn more about Zero Tillage and crop nutrition, which they did to good advantage.

Unfortunately, WormMan is no longer operating from Shamwari Restaurant and at the moment is still in limbo although we are very much in the action making and selling compost and installing Square Foot Gardens. Whilst still at Shamwari we grew a number of crops in the SQF garden format, which included vegetables, herbs, tobacco and wheat, the later gave us an equivalent yield of 9 tons per hectare!

The years roll by and once again we are doing our experimentation under the watchful eye of Dr.Brian Campbell out at Art Farm getting ready for the 3 day seminar at the end of January. The previous two years saw us giving the inorganic fertilizers a good run for their money – let’s see if we can do it again.

If you would like compost, vermi-compost as well as Square Foot Gardens – call Eric on 0773 808106 or Joan on 0774196593. Don’t forget – we also can do compost courses wherever you are.

Eric Harrison

www.wormman.org

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