The Nomad Trust recently partnered with a local CBO (community based organization) called the Tongwe Trust to run a small but productive vegetable garden at the airstrip in Mahale. The vegetables are sold to Greystoke camp at Arusha Market prices, and the profits go back to the Tongwe Trust. We have noticed that for the first time in 10 years this garden is making a profit suggesting that vegetable gardens oriented toward a specific market are more likely to be successful.
Nomad Trust recently provided a new water pump and a back pack sprayer with some fertilizer for Pai, the gardener to use to irrigate the garden and maintain soil nutrient levels. This is not viably a long term solution, and we are currently looking for funding to do a training course in soil improvement through the use of organic fertilizers and pest management through sound cultivation techniques which would reduce dependence on some of these inputs from the Nomad Trust.
