Isabella Kiplagat is a farmer hailing from Koisungur village in Keiyo North, Elgeyo Marakwet County.
She lives in a quarter of an acre of land, which she utilizes for farming to support her family’s financial needs.
In a region where many individuals own vast expanses of land, Isabella’s modest farm may appear incongruous to an onlooker.
Kiplagat began her farming journey in 2014, opting to make use of the available land resources to aid her husband in raising their family, rather than remaining at home awaiting his financial contributions.
As a mother of three, she manages the household while her husband works in Eldoret.
“I decided to use my time at home to see what I can do to supplement what I get from my husband,” she said.
In Elgeyo Marakwet, maize cultivation serves as the primary agricultural endeavor.
However, owing to the region’s elevated altitude in the highlands, farmers are limited to a single planting season each year.
Consequently, Kiplagat noted that for individuals possessing a small plot of land, maize farming is not a feasible option.
“This is the reason I chose to engage in mixed farming, which is so far more beneficial compared to maize alone,” she said.
Kiplagat does both livestock and crop farming.
She owns two cows and a calf on her farm; each cow produces between 10 and 12 liters of milk daily which she sells and reserves some for her family’s use.
With the price of milk at Ksh 60 per liter, she is guaranteed a minimum monthly income of Ksh 36,000, in addition to having sufficient milk for household consumption.
Furthermore, Kiplagat mentioned that she no longer purchases charcoal or firewood, having invested in biogas derived from the waste of her two cows.
This investment has reduced her family’s cooking energy costs and has allowed her to contribute to environmental conservation by eliminating the need to cut down trees for fuel.
Kiplagat also noted that due to the limited size of her land, she does not plan to expand her herd. Instead, she regularly sells the cows when they reproduce to support her family’s financial obligations, particularly for school fees.
“In the same farm, I keep chicken thus ensuring that my family has enough supply of eggs and chicken meat, with the surplus going to the market,” she said.
In addition to chickens, Kiplagat also raises ducks and several geese, which she claims serve as her security.
“The geese will alert me whenever there is a stranger within the compound or any other danger that may lurk around threatening the chicken. I also sell them sometimes when I get clients,” she said.
Pig rearing is relatively uncommon in the region; however, Kiplagat has taken the initiative to engage in this practice.
She reports that she has successfully sold two pigs, earning a total of Ksh 42,000.
“I sold a mature pig at Sh28,500 and a 5-month-old piglet at Sh13,500, which gave me the motivation to continue with the rearing of pigs,” she said.
Kiplagat’s earns over Ksh 60,000 each month from her diversified farming activities.
She encourages women to achieve financial independence by investing in their agricultural ventures, emphasizing that substantial capital is not a prerequisite for initiating such endeavors.