Tables lie with colourful indigenous seeds of different crop varieties as farmers and stakeholders showcase their involvement in organic farming, from the pesticides used to the final products for consumption.

Leah Wanjiku, a small-scale pumpkin farmer, had not been growing the low-calorie vegetable unbeknownst to her of its lucrative potential.

“I farm various crops and have been doing it for years. I only started doing pumpkins in 2009 after we were trained as a group on its financial and health benefits.”

She says she has planted this on a quarter-acre space on her farm and produces about 200 pumpkins every harvest.

“While pumpkins fetch very good and fair prices in the market, I decided to venture into flour making by drying then grinding them,” she adds.

The flour, she says, is preferred by people with health problems such as high blood pressure and diabetes and can be used to make chapati and porridge.

A farmer displays seeds at the agro ecological expo in Nakuru's Maasai market on June 19, 2024.

Photo credit: LELETI JASSOR/MTAA WANGU

Having carved out a niche market for herself and her group to which they sell the flour from as little as Sh. 200, Wanjiku admits that despite the crop being a low-maintenance crop, she faces the challenges of pests.
“After harvesting, my pumpkins stay up to five months without going bad. The only challenge I face is during production as it is prone to a pest known as melon fly pest that destroys the pumpkins by piercing just before they are ready, to which I use organic pesticide to counter this,” she says.

Joseph Ndwene showcased an interesting model of the traditional seed granary that farmers can make using locally available material- reeds and cow dung- to preserve seeds after harvesting before the next planting season.

Joseph Ndwene showcases a home made granary at Maasai market on June 19, 2024.

Photo credit: LELETI JASSOR/MTAA WANGU

“This traditional seed granary was used by our forefathers to store seeds and remains an invaluable tool for modern farmers aiming to preserve their indigenous seeds for future planting seasons. It’s made from locally available materials, reinforced with dung-cement, and allowed to completely dry before use. Later on, you can put your seeds in and seal the cap using dung, which will protect it from external pests,” he explains.

Elphas Masanga, the Advocacy, Networking, and Communications Officer at Slow Food Kenya, emphasizes that the exhibition showcasing agro ecological products not only assists farmers in cultivating environmentally friendly crops, but also helps identify and preserve endangered crops.

Pumpkin flour and seed granaries take the show at Nakuru's organic food expo

Author Spotlight

Leleti Jassor