Author Archives: Amy Sherwood
Meet Nuru Kenya Agriculture District Manager: Tom Nyongesa Juma
As Nuru supporters know, the Nuru Kenya Agriculture Program (NK Ag) is growing quickly. In 2013, NK Ag is serving about 5,500 farmers throughout Kuria West, a nearly 100% increase from our 2012 farmers. As NK Ag grows its impact, it has also expanded its staff to include new leadership. The NK Ag District Manager, …Continue Reading
Utilizing Quality Inputs and Proper Technique as Planting Commences in Kuria West
Planting is in full swing for the 2013 long rains season in Kuria West, Kenya. Farmers have spent the last few months preparing land, acquiring their farm inputs (seed and fertilizer) from Nuru Kenya and awaiting the rain. The rains have come a bit late to Kuria West this year, but now that they are …Continue Reading
Nuru Kenya Agriculture Training Series in Full Swing for 2013
Hot, sunny days are slowly transitioning into cloudy cool ones as the long rains season is about to start in Kuria West. Farmers are busy finishing up their short rains harvesting activities and preparing their land for the new season. At Nuru Kenya Agriculture, the staff have just finished distributing loans of fertilizer and certified …Continue Reading
A Day in the Life of Nuru Agriculture Input Issue
Kenya has a bi-modal rain pattern, meaning it has two rainy seasons. The “short rains” season occurs from October to December, while the “long rains” begin in late February and last up to June. As the long rains season approaches, the Nuru Kenya Agriculture program has started one of the most logistically intense operations of …Continue Reading
An Overview of Nuru’s Agriculture Program Impact and Growth in 2012
Days are busy at the Regional Training Center for Nuru Kenya Agriculture Program staff. With the planting season looming, the staff are preparing to issue agricultural input loans and then subsequently distribute fertilizer and seed to farmers all over Kuria West. In 2013, the program will be working in seven new sublocations. Additionally, the farmer …Continue Reading
Nuru Agriculture Reflects on Successes and Challenges of the Long Rain Season
Across Kuria West, farmers are attending our base education events, joining Nuru and gearing up for the 2013 long rains planting season. At the Regional Training Center (the head quarters for Nuru in Kuria), the staff of Nuru Agriculture is busy processing information about new farmers, ordering and organizing inputs for distribution, and strategizing about …Continue Reading
Nuru Kenya Agriculture Begins Base Education in Seven New Sublocations
Although the Nuru Kenya Agriculture Program is busy wrapping up with the 2012 maize harvest & collecting loan payments from current Nuru farmers, the past few weeks have also been filled with anticipation of the year to come. This September, Nuru Kenya Agriculture is beginning to sign-up farmers in seven new sublocations (the geographical unit …Continue Reading
Nuru Agriculture: Maize Harvest Season Success
The shambas (farms) of Kuria West seem deceptively quiet as the agriculture team and I conduct our fieldwork this week. The fields that just a few weeks ago were full of row upon row of tall, green maize are now barren or occupied by cattle. Along with the maize, the once ubiquitous farmers also seem …Continue Reading
Nuru Agriculture Transition FT8 Amy Sherwood
My Intro to Kuria: Utilizing Local Knowledge to Create Poverty Alleviation Solutions When I first accepted the Agriculture Fellow position with Nuru, I was a bit nervous to take over the reigns of such a large and impactful program. I grew more and more confident during transition as I began acquiring knowledge from the outgoing …Continue Reading