You might have read in the last edition of the newsletter or seen on Facebook, that IGF was able to purchase 300 acres of farmland in August 2019. A very big thank you to everyone that ‘purchased’ an acre of land!
Since the land was purchased we were able to do a test crop of beans and maize on 15 acres (5% of the land). The result of the test crops has generally been great and provided some very useful insights. The 5 acres of beans was not very productive and produced very little which was able to be harvested. However, the 10 acres of maize was beyond expectation for the trial, producing a harvest of approximately 10 tonnes of maize on the cob. Once the maize was dried and removed from the cob it weighed 5.4 tonnes.
This maize has now been ground into maize
flour and is being made into porridge for breakfast in IGF’s 4 nursery and primary schools. The children are loving it!
The IGF team are continuing to consult with local specialists, and the development of a master plan for the farm project is ongoing.
We are excited by the harvest of the test crop, and can see how this farming project will boost IGF’s move towards sustainability over the coming years. Thank you to everyone that has already invested in the purchase of land! Before we can move into large-scale farming, we do need to put some much needed infrastructure in place and secure some tractor implements and necessary equipment.
For details on how you can support IGF’s farming and sustainability projects, email info@irenegleesonfoundation.com
