Sustainable Training Alan Tulip – Director Participants Organic Certification
Kahangi Estate Sustainable Agriculture Training Centre
The estate provides services for training smallholder farmers in sustainable farming techniques. Since 2004 Kahangi Estate has conducted trainings for over 800 students, from Uganda, Rwanda, Congo (DRC) and Tanzania. The trainings typically target the field staff of organic export projects operating in the region and increasingly groups looking for more sustainable systems of agriculture which are less vulnerable to climate change and fluctuations.
Kahangi Estate, a model of sustainable agriculture theory in practice, is a perfect location for students. The farm also pioneers alternative systems of land management, which are able to improve incomes, while at the same time reducing vulnerability to climate change and reliance on external inputs.
The trainings normally cover a full week and a combination of theoretical and practical training is applied. The workshops are conducted for groups of up to 12 students and typically cover:
- Soil erosion control systems and practical application
- Soil profiles and the function of the top soil
- Roles of the different micro-organisms in the soil
- Soil water management
- Different systems to reduce evaporation and evapo-transpiration rates
- Inter-cropping with trees, the role of trees in the farming system and the benefits
- Minimum cultivation techniques
- Crop stacking/intensive inter-cropping
- Changing the local micro climate, practical examples supported by data
- Cover crops, theory and practical application
- Soil covers and management of couch grass
- Organic vegetable production
- Climate Change, local and international
- Systems to minimize the impact of climate change
- Organic cattle management
- Extension Techniques
The different training modules cover theoretical knowledge supported by the many practical examples at Kahangi Estate. Scientific and pictorial data has been collected over the course of the sustainable agriculture development at the farm, showing the impacts of tree planting for shade and windbreaks, soil covers, etc., on micro climate, crop yields, soil structure and erosion. The trainings are conducted in either English or Swahili.
The trainings are led by the Director of Kahangi Estate, Mr Alan Tulip, supported by the farm management team. The organization has been involved, and is involved with the following farmer groups on sustainable agriculture/climate change adaptation:
For More Information on Sustainable Agricultural Training contact:
Alan Tulip +256 772 708207 e-mail: aptulip@infocom.co.ug