Part-time farmers consider a new way of looking at soil, grass and livestock
By Wiebke Volkmann
WINDHOEK
From March 15 to 18, 2007 a group of farmers met in the hills outside Windhoek. They were a colourful bunch: apart from some established full-time commercial farmers from Omaruru, Hochfeld and Nina, there were also well-known lawyers, an accountant, a farm manager, a farm worker, a young apprentice to a game farm operation and lecturers from the Polytechnic of Namibia.
What they had in common was a curiosity to learn and consider fresh ways of looking at nature, as well as working with livestock to improve the grazing in the various regions where they are farming.
They learned to assess how much grazing they have and how many animals they can safely take through the dry season. They learned how they can manage the movement of their livestock so they can prepare the soil for next year’s rain season.
Armed with calculators and clipboards, they mobilized their maths skills to calculate area, time and volume in order to make better decisions for their land, livestock and bank accounts. They compared the options of herding animals, building different kinds of fences, using different materials and technologies.
None of them expected a quick, easy recipe to their problems and challenges any more. By now they know they will always have more than one option to choose from. They accept that the best solutions come from creative brainstorming, planning and decision-making, which is informed by careful consideration of economic, social, legal, environmental and political factors.
While realizing the many limitations that come with being a part-time farmer, they are excited to focus on what they can improve by using the resources and limited time available to them.
In the words of one of the participants: “I wanted to learn the calculations for herding, electric fence and normal fence, which I’ve got. I needed to be in a position to know how much grass I have, and I’ve got it. I needed applied knowledge, which I got. So to me it was very beneficial, the course set-up and the group set-up.”
The participants got to know these principles through an Ongoing Learning and Support Programme for part-time and full-time farmers, and most have completed the series of four formal learning sessions. Before this session, they attended seminars on record-keeping (for financial monitoring and livestock production), on financial planning and on the Holistic Decision-Making Framework. They realized that in order to improve their farming operations they have to look at their whole life: relationships between family members and neighbours, their desired personal quality of life, timing, finances and physical resources and the other responsibilities they have in their community.
Learning to build sustainable successes and still to have fun, is the purpose of the learning and support programme.
Anyone interested can attend another introductory seminar offered from the evening of April 20 to 22, 2007 in Windhoek.