Ndabibi Environmental Conservation Centre

 

NECC (Nadabibi Environmental Conservation Centre) is a self-sustainable micro system on a five-acre piece of land where all forms of sustainable agriculture are practiced and combined. Trees, vegetables, fruits and animals are all raised on the farm.

Plenty of thought and creativity have been put into the farm, to combine the various forms of agriculture in a way that is effective and manages a large amount of produce.

There is a lot to say about the different activities that take place on the farm, so perhaps through giving a few examples of procedures the methodology by which the farm functions can be understood.

 

Example 1: A zero grazing unit has been constructed on the farm were cattle are kept and bred. One of the advantages of these units is that manure from cattle is naturally deposited in a reduced space. A compost manufacturing unit has been placed adjacent to the zero gracing unit, to produce compost as fertilizer for the soil. The vegetable garden, where vegetables and fruits are grown, is placed likewise adjacent to the compost manufacturing unit. This allows for cow manure and compost to be transported effortlessly from one place to the other.

 

Example 2: Following Wangari Maathai’s Green Belt movement and agroforestry principles, trees have been introduced among the crops. These trees belong to a variety of species and perform numerous functions. The rows of trees planted between stretches of vegetables provide shelter from the wind and fire. The trees help bring minerals from the lower to the upper levels of the soil. Birds inhabit the trees while eating insects that harm the crops, and bees help to pollinate the crops creating greater yields. Some trees produce fruits and nuts, tree branches are cut for timber, and traditional medicine is extracted from the leaves of some specific species.

 

Example 3: All the water Josphat uses on the farm is obtained from the rain. Water is collected from the roof and stored in large containers. He constructs terraces and retention ditches to retain the rainwater in the ground for a longer period of time. He places a specific local species of dried plant on the ground. When it rains these plants act as a sponge, storing water and allowing the soil to access water for a longer period of time. Plants are arranged in the vegetable garden so that species requiring large quantities of water are placed in lower parts where water accumulates, and those requiring less water are placed in higher parts where water passes but does not stay. Water is purified and used for

drinking. It is also used for showering and watering plants when there is not enough rain.

 

I believe the base of the farm formula is water management and soil improvement. The soil is so fertile and well nourished that although the same insects and plagues that affect neighboring farms are present, such as the white fly, they do not kill Josphat’s crops.

Besides feeding Josphat’s family NECC frequently provides food for a neighboring flower plantation of 700 employees. Josphat Macharia estimates that in two years time, his produce will be equivalent to that of all the neighboring farms, based solely on sustainable means.

 

NECC is a great opportunity to watch a life example of a working self-sufficient sustainable agricultural farm, and to learn what can be achieved when creativity and knowledge are put into practice for a beneficial goal.