Machinery-Sharing Spreads Prosperity for Zambian Farmers

 Complex machinery has trans formed modern agriculture and helped a shrinking number of farmers feed a growing number of people across the globe. But the pace and scale of technological change has not been the same everywhere. My wife Bethany and I are co-directors of Choshen Farm, a Christian nonprofit development organization in rural Fimpulu, Zambia. Our neighbors here harvest small plots of maize using very simple tools. Many of them work the ground with hoes, fertilize by hand, and beat the grain off of cobs with sticks. Visitors to our farm, used to industrial farming, have sometimes wanted to help our neighbors jump up several rungs on the tech ladder at once. Our community has made big, successful leaps in some areas–notably, Africans went from having no networks to adopting mobile banking much faster than some Western societies–but I advocate for a more measured approach when it comes to farming tech. If we move too fast, we risk leaving knowledge gaps. When it comes to farm machinery, a slower progression gives us the opportunity to focus on overcoming skepticism. Starting small, we can share what it means to own a machine, use it properly, and deal with the financial side of things. As Western farmers know, the greater productivity that machines bring is often paired with higher levels of debt, and farmers must increase their yields just to pay for the machines. It can become a never-ending cycle. At Choshen Farm, we ask our selves how simply we can farm  Continued from Page 1. while delivering the highest benefit to our neighbors without the highest cost. For us, that looks like machinery-sharing. For example, we have procured no-till planters, a de-sheller, and a soya press that are available to everyone in the community for an affordable fee. No one bears all of the cost of investing in an expensive machine, but everyone can share in the benefits. The soya press, in particular, has been transformative for our community. Before we acquired it, Fimpulu farmers were not growing soya, because there was not a good local market for the raw beans. But now that we have local processing capacity, it makes economic sense. The soya beans can be turned into cooking oil and sold to households within the community, and byproducts are used for animal feed. Our neighbors are saving money on everyday products and increasing their crop diversity at the same time. Diversification and crop rotation have led to healthier soil, higher production rates, and less need for fertilizer. Just one piece of machinery has dramatically improved agricultural practices, economic resilience, livestock health, and the health of our environment. The benefits of our investments in machinery-sharing continue to compound for families that are adopting new technologies, including families like Peter’s. Peter is a grandfather and a local farmer. Five years ago, he was mono cropping on 12 acres of property. But when we procured the soya press, Choshen Farm provided him with start-up seed, and Clara, our agriculture volunteer, helped him with the planting. We also guaranteed that we would buy his yield. We continued to check on him throughout the year and let him know when to harvest. When he brought us his crop, he had the option of receiving its cash value, processed cooking oil, or a mixture of both. Peter received some cash and some cooking oil, which meant he no longer had to ride 17 miles to town on his bicycle. The cooking oil he received was cheaper and healthier too, with no additives. Peter decided to plant soya again the next year. Clara advised him again as needed but was more hands-off. By the third year, he managed his soya production independently and brought us his crop after the harvest. With the additional income, Peter, patriarch of a large extended family, has been able to put tin roofing on his home to help keep out moisture. He can also send more children in his family to school. After seeing his success, Peter’s neighbors, once skeptical, have introduced soya to their own farms. Now, more than 200 farmers around Fimpulu are growing soya, and they’ve grown confident with the methods and machinery to do so successfully. More improvements are on the horizon.This year, we are working to open a local feed mill that will help our neighbors increase their profit margins and raise livestock more affordably. We also hope to procure other machinery, like a backhoe so that we can install fishponds. Most importantly, the community we serve is feeling empowered to make sustainable changes that improve their livelihoods and well-being. Even small-scale farmers like our neighbors are finding that they need to change the way they do things to survive in the modern economy. Step by step, Choshen Farm is working to introduce beneficial practices in Fimpulu that will support the ongoing growth of the entire community. Visit choshenfarm.org to learn more.