By Prudence Minayo
Mutile Wambua is an innovative farmer who grows vegetables in a multi-storeyed greenhouse. By planting using this method, she maximises on profits and save on land.
In a past interview with Seeds of Gold, she stated multi-storey garden farming works for youths “who may not have access to land. Besides, using the storeyed gardens makes it easier to manage the crops including by weeding.”
According to her, the benefits of farming outweigh the negatives. However, before venturing one needs to conduct a proper survey of the market.
Here is her story as told by WoK.
Education
She has a Bachelor’s degree in Procurement from Moi University and a postgraduate diploma in Procurement from Chattered Institute of Procurement & Supply- CIPS (formerly Chattered Institute of Purchasing & Supply), United Kingdom. She is pursuing a Master’s degree in Development Studies at Catholic University of East Africa.
Farming
The Moi university graduate fell in love with farming at a young age. As a child, she loved seeing the process by which seeds turn to plants. After graduating in 2012, she started farming tomatoes and vegetables but left it after getting employed two years later.
Unsatisfied with the salary, she quit and went back to farming. Aside from starting her vegetable farming, she also helped with the family’s poultry business.
Her project was birthed in 2019 when she started farming vegetables on a quarter piece of land using drip irrigation.
Multi-storeyed farming
After learning about the benefits of multi-storeyed gardens from a friend, she started practicing it in 2022. Initially, she spent Ksh20,000 to purchase seeds and make the six storey gardens.
Birds attacked her crops forcing her to put up a greenhouse using polythene sheets and wooden poles.
Wambua grows different vegetables organically, from African night shade(managu), coriander (dania), spinach and amaranth.
The greenhouse, which measures 8m by 17m boasts of a 65 multi-storey gardens which hosts an average of 70 plants. The 64 gardens contain more than 4,500 crops, which would ordinarily be in one acre of land. A single storey covers about an eighth piece of land.
Owing to her preference to organic farming, she uses rabbit urine to make foliar fertiliser and pesticides. She also inter-crops with red pepper and onions to control pests and diseases. Her growing media consists of a mixture of compost manure and top soil.
She harvests between 100 to 200 kilograms every week, which she sold at Ksh50 per kilogram. This translates to about 3,200 kilos per month. During dry season, the price shoots to Ksh70 to Ksh80 per kilogram. From this, she makes upto Ksh160,000 per month.
“I harvest between 100 and 200 kilos of vegetables from the farm every week, selling a kilo at Sh50. In a month, I get at least 3,200 kilos,” Wambua told Seeds of Gold.
The farmpreneur also does consulting for farm management and helps manage a family business that deals in the sale of poultry, poultry equipment and animal feeds.
