Saturday we went to the Agricultural Show in Kitale. Think of county fairs or the state fair. Kenya holds three agricultural shows every year: Nairobi, Mombasa and Kitale. The primary purpose of these shows is to showcase agricultural methods, innovations, and products. The majority of Kenyans are subsistence farmers trying to raise enough maize and beans to feed their family for a year. It is the highlight of the year for many Kenyans.
Because rain was threatening, we were there a little over an hour. It probably isn't much larger than the LV County Fair. There were four barns of cattle. We
went through one of the major seed companies test plots to showcase their seeds and other agricultural products. There is a real move to encourage farmers to plant those crops that were once indigenous to Kenya and used for food before the coming of the white men. They are rich in vitamins and minerals, the seeds are much cheaper and no chemicals or fertilizers are required. We even bought a bag of toasted amaranth. It should make a good addition to the granola that I make for our breakfast.
One of the fascinating things we saw was an irrigation system for small plots.
I don’t know if you can tell from the picture, but it uses a large bicycle pump to power the irrigation system. By pumping like you would to fill a tire, it causes the water to flow through the hose to the sprinklers. The cost was about $30.
A bigger, more elaborate system used something similar to a stair master exercise machine. There were two pedals on a stand. You pump the pedals up and down and the water flows. It cost about $80. Amazing simple technology to meet a need.
You can’t get away without buying something. I bought a new basket with a lid for $2 and a couple of necklaces.
This is a coffee bush.
Here is tea.
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