African Climate Change Leadership Program

On 22nd August 2019, I attended "Melia Volkensi" workshop at the invitation of Prof. Olubayo, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Services, UoN and Ghent University, Belgium. Prof is one of my Africlp action research participants in Trans Nzoia County.
I gave one of the 2 keynote presentations titled "Climate change mitigation and adaptation in the Nzoia basin using vermitechnolgy.
Melia Volkensi is a tree species being propagated in arid regions using organic fertilisers.
Thanks to the Almighty & Africlp.

Find more info at the following link:
https://africlp.or.ke/workshop-at-the-college-of-agriculture-and-veterinary-services-on-melia-volkensii/

At last. I now have a pH/moisture meter for my earthworm vermibeds. Some beds returned a pH reading of 5 (quite acidic). Most though were between 6.8 snd 7.
Crushed egg shells solution returns a reading of about 7.8 (alkaline). One can therefore use this solution to decrease acidity. However it is best to address the cause rather than the symptoms.

Over the past few months I have hosted various personalities at my earthworm project. These include farmers, neighbours, pastors, teachers, journalists and fmr civil servants.
Last week I was happy to host Prof. Florence Olubayo of CAVs and her son Tony. Earlier last month I had hosted her husband Dr. Reardon Olubayo of Egerton Uni. I am humbled to have started all these important personalities representing various walks of life on this journey of sustainable agriculture.
To God be the glory.

Hi people,
Finally the article is out there:
https://www.nation.co.ke/business/seedsofgold/You-can-still-catch-these-red-worms/2301238-4983866-view-asAMP-yjpg13z/index.html

Not an early bird? You can still catch these red worms James Wafula is reaping in plenty from worms, a venture he stumbled upon while doing his PhD research

California Worm Farm
Good Vermibeds
Materials for preparation of good Vermibeds.
Any types of biodegradable wastes can be used for the preparation of vermicompost. These include:
1. Crop residues (e.g maize leaves and stalks also called stover, banana leaves and stems)
2. W**d biomass
3. Vegetable waste (from domestic sources and refuse from market centers)
4. Leaf litter
5. Hotel refuse (food scraps, used coffee grind and tea bags)
6. Waste from agro-industries
7. Biodegradable portion of urban and rural wastes
Bedding
Bedding is any material that provides the worms with a relatively stable habitat. This habitat must have the following characteristics:

• High absorbency
Worms breathe through their skins and therefore must have a moist environment in which to live. If a worm’s skin dries out, it dies. The bedding must be able to absorb and retain water fairly well if the worms are to thrive.

• Good bulking potential
If the material is too dense or packs too tightly, the flow of air is reduced or eliminated. Worms require oxygen to live. Different materials affect the overall porosity of the bedding through a variety of factors, including the range of particle size and shape, the texture, the strength and rigidity of its structure. The overall effect is referred to as the material’s bulking potential.

• Low protein and/or nitrogen content (high Carbon: Nitrogen ratio)
Although the worms also consume their bedding as it breaks down, it is very important that this be a slow process. High protein/nitrogen levels can result in rapid degradation and its associated heating, creating inhospitable, often fatal, conditions.

Vermiculture bed
Vermiculture bed or worm bed (approximately 3 cm) can be prepared by first placing the following in the bottom of a container,
• saw dust
• coconut husk or coir waste
• sugarcane baggase.
A layer of fine sand (3 cm) should be spread over the culture bed followed by a layer of garden soil (3 cm). All layers must be moistened with water. On top of this material, the following common bedding materials are then placed. The ideal bedding material has both high absorbency and high bulking potential therefore a combination of two materials is commonly used.
High absorbency materials such as shredded paper, cartons or cardboard make excellent bedding, particularly when combined with high bulking properties of typical on-farm organic resources such as corn cobs, banana stems and leaves.
In general, it should be noted by the reader that the selection of bedding materials is key to successful vermiculture or vermicomposting. Worms can be enormously productive (and reproductive) if conditions are good; however, their efficiency drops off rapidly when their basic needs (which includes moisture content and worm food) are not met. Good bedding mixtures are an absolutely essential element in meeting those needs. They provide protection from extremes in temperature, the necessary levels and consistency of moisture, and an adequate supply of oxygen. The most difficult criterion to meet adequately is usually absorption, as most straws and even hay are not good at holding moisture.
Worm Food
Under ideal conditions earthworms are able to consume in excess of their body weight each day, although the general rule-of-thumb is half of their body weight per day. Manures are the most commonly used worm feedstock, with dairy and beef manures generally considered the best natural food.