Leonard Stanley Wine Circle

WE WERE pleased to welcome Vernon Gibberd to our meeting at the end of April, who gave a very interesting and inspiring talk about micro farming.

Vernon is of course well known in Leonard Stanley but in the winter months he returns to Africa where he spent his working life.

Vernon explained that micro farming could provide an answer to many of Africa’s chronic problems – mass unemployment, famine, water shortage, waste of resources.

It is based on each household having a plot of land measuring just 100 square metres, which is about the size of an allotment in this country.

Properly cultivated, this could produce as much as 2,000 kilograms of crops each year.

Success depends on a combination of hard work and simple skills which can easily be learnt such as digging a small reservoir known as a hafir to collect rain water, covering it to prevent evaporation, irrigating the plot using a solar powered pump, keeping the soil in good condition, and planting at the right time.

The crops will be enough to feed a family, possibly keep a cow, and produce some excess to sell for cash.

Vernon drew attention also to the environmental benefits of micro farming over large mechanised farms.

It relies on manual labour rather than machines and motor transport, and the journey from plot to pot is very short.

Consequently it is economic, efficient and green while providing the micro farming family with work and good food.

The Wine Circle found Vernon’s talk full of interest, and we wish him every success in promoting the idea of micro farming.