Do they have access to bleach or know the wild plants used for antimicrobial activity? (Simple cleaners like lemon, kitchen stuffs like garlic, ginger, peppers…) Epazpote is consisidered a weed around here, though has not “infiltrated my garden”, but long standing use, as an antihelminthic. Maybe there is a native plant there of the sort?

Would seed that is “certified” in the program, as the farmer mentioned in the video, be something akin to the link above?

“…seed can provide control for up to 90 days”

Is this similar in action to Bt?

It is mentioned that poor quality seed is kept from previous harvests. How could i find out what they are growing, and how much? Are these 5-15 acres of corn, soy, quinoa, or the sort? Concerned about the mention of herbicide when some wild herbs are a food source. Also, if drought conditions are prevalent, is the ground hard pan?

Maybe consideration for where the water sources are, in combination with where the water will end up, guided by drip tape or the like, could be a good investment start. Would also be of service to prevent runoffs, contamination, etc, possibly providing the opportunity for a wetland reclaimaiton. If the ground is dry, then “weeds” are going to have a hard time, and the drip tape will be feeding only the crop. (Less herbicide/fertilizer necessary.)

Getting the feeling from article that proper harvest and storage may be an issue. (Rains, mold, caved roofs, contaminated silo..are what is coming to mind). Maybe centralized community hubs with clearance/humidity accounted for
and possibly a kiln, which could double/triple as a seed dryer, pottery production implement and soil sterilizer.

I have no idea what you all are up against, but a combination of integrated systems as a solution is the idea inspiring me to write to you….

And, in closing, i also like plant breeding. Our tomatoes would not have the flavor and consitancy that they do in our ancient greenhouse if it were not for the hand-pollinated seed from Holland.

Wishing you all the very best, Leslie

Oh, one more question: what back up for records (scanned with a device not owned by the farmer, but that the farmer is beholden to) would be available to the farmer in the event of lost data/system crash?

And is the insurance in relation to weather events only? Does this in any way tie to subsidies?

The biggest challenge I see is phone ownership. At least in Kuria West District in Nyanza, Kenya, we’re at ~20% mobile phone penetration.

Also, the payout system does have some problems: 1. significant variation in weather conditions (it can hail on one side of a hill and not another) 2. non-weather catastrophes (aggressive weeds, blight, pests).

In our program, we’ve gotten 80% of our farmers to use improved seed and fertilizers after 3 seasons. We loan it to the farmers for the season and then train on its use by means of a group model. If farmers see taller maize next door, they want to find out how to get it.

Also Leslie, “improved seed” doesn’t necessarily mean GMO. In our project in Nyanza province, we use hybrid seed, made with the millennia-old process of plant breeding. It works a lot better than the locally available stuff.