Naomi Ruhara, a University of Nairobi graduate, practices dairy farming and vegetable farming.
On a three-acre farm in Thakwa village, Kiambu County, she grows terere, managu, saga, mito/miro, kanzera and mrenda in rows and subdivided into distinct sections.
Ruhara, like many graduates, wanted a white-collar job after graduation before embarking on her farming career.
“l had high hopes of getting employed. However, after three years of job searching, l gave up and resolved to do farming,” she said.
In an interview, Ruhara noted that she first tried broccoli farming, but it failed due to market concerns, sending her back to the drawing board.
While she was pondering what to do next, she learned of a training programme offered by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation on cultivating indigenous vegetables for commercial purposes, and she jumped on board.
Here, Ruhara learned a lot about indigenous veggies, from finding the best seed varieties to planting, harvesting, and marketing them.
“After training, the organisation gave me drip irrigation equipment, water pump, seeds and fertilisers. That was the beginning of my journey into indigenous vegetables,” she shared.
Samuel Kimani: Kenyan Who Gave Up On Nursing Career to Start a Restaurant Business in the US
This time, Ruhara had a ready market because the inhabitants were aware of the vegetables’ great nutritional value.
“With many people going the healthy route, the market comes to me. I have a number of clients who buy wholesale while others get retail orders,” she said.
Ruhara gets an average profit of Ksh 50,000 from indigenous veggies, but she also operates a successful dairy operation to supplement her income.
She began six years ago with two calves that she bought from her mother for Ksh 30,000 each.
Ruhara has 35 dairy cows that generate 480 litres of milk each day, with the highest producer yielding 35-40 litres per day.
Fortunately for her, she has landed a contract to deliver milk to a major, established processor.
Ruhara explains that, while milk production is high, her goal is to reach 500 litres per day to increase her income.
To cut feed costs, she solely buys dairy meal and grows fodder on rented 8-acre area.
