The majority of farmers participating in the soil health research are members of existing Farmer Research Networks that are supported by organizations that receive funding from the McKnight Foundation’s Collaborative Crop Research Program (https://www.ccrp.org/). These include the FRN NGO group, RECODA FRN, and Multipurpose legumes FRN.
All of these FRNs identified poor soil productivity as a priority research area. A small group of farmers from each FRN came together for the soil health workshop held in Kitale in June 2019. Farmers and extension agents from the various projects and organizations were interested in taking forward several interventions they saw in practice at the workshop venue and decided to work together as a group to conduct research.
More than half of the participating farmers live in western Kenya’s Lake zone. Other areas with high concentration of farmers (~180 farmers) are based in Singida District in Central Tanzania.
Facilitating Organizations
- AEP: Agriculture and Environment Program of the Diocese of Homa Bay (supporting 40 farmers in Homa Bay County, member organization of FRN NGO). Contact person: Beatrice Otieno https://www.facebook.com/cdohb/
- AgrISS: Agriculture Information and Support Services (40 farmers in Migori, overall coordination of FRN NGO, which consists of a consortium of 4 organizations –AVENE, AEP, CREPP, REFSO–that together have 200 farmers participating in the trial). Contact person: Dan Nyambok https://agriss.or.ke/
- AMI: African Maths Initiative (support in data, IT, and communications). Contact persons: Mike Mumbo and Patrick Njoroge
- Anchor Hub (Manor House Agricultural Centre, Kitale, supporting research and development process in the trial. Also have replicated trial plots at the Centre’s farm). Contact person: Beth Medvecky
- AVENE (40 farmers in Vihiga, Kenya, member organization of FRN NGO). Contact person: Josephat Ambuga
- CREPP: Community Rehabilitation and Environmental Protection Programme (40 farmers in Kisumu County, member organization of FRN NGO). Contact person: Collins Othieno https://www.crepprograme.org/
- KALRO Kibos (supporting 100 farmers drawn from 3 community-based organizations: Rural Farmers Research Network, Migori; Tembea Youth, Siaya; and SINGI, Busia) Contact person: John Ojiem https://www.facebook.com/KALRO-KIBOS-377728339083548/
- RECODA: Research, Community, and Organizational Development Associates (180 farmers from their FRN in Singida District Tanzania). Contact person: Josephine N’ganga https://www.recoda-tanzania.org/about-recoda/
- REFSO: Rural Energy and Food Security Organization (supporting 40 farmers in Busia County, member organization of FRN NGO). Contact person: Michael Odongo http://refso.org/
- Rural Farmers Research Network (60 farmers drawn from CBO, a farmer organization based in Migori County, supported by KALRO Kibos). Contact person: Kevin Wanjare
- SINGI: Sustainable Income Generating Investment Group (this group has approximately 20 participating farmers. They are supported by KALRO Kibos). Contact person: William Buluma https://www.farmingforbiodiversity.org/portfolio/sustainable-income-generating-investment-group-singi-kenya/
- Soils Cross-Cutting Project (two soil scientists from Colorado State University who have developed the soil health toolkit and support the soil research aspect). Contact person: Steve Vanek https://smallholder-sha.org/
- TEMBEA Youth (Has approximately 20 participating farmers. They are supported by KALRO Kibos). Contact person: Victor Omondi https://www.facebook.com/TembeaYouth/