Peaches

These are seeds from local peach trees. The fruit is very small and so we need to improve the variety and produce big fruit.
We will plant these seeds now and hope to have about 1,000 improved variety seedlings in 2013, to add to our ever growing list.
Again the process will be by budding on-to this local rootstock. We have developed the skills to carry out the task and we are very proud of our people who not only do the production, but are constantly training others to do the same.
In the early New Year we have a group of interns and placements coming from the Natural Resources College (NRC) in Lilongwe to learn the practical skills from our working farm. This is more than I ever dreamed of, that our people, without formal education, can have a leading role in teaching these graduates!!. Well done to us all.

Weekly report from Robert our farm manager:

Hi John
Here is our past week report on ouractivities :
Now we received rain 3 days ago we have finished sowing Zambian maize in basins intercropping with pumpkins and beans in upper field and next week we will plant gricidia, Musangu and sasbania in the same field.
Transplanting lemons from Doroba, potting and watering in Green houses.
On Tuesday this past week I cycled to Doroba to collect some lemons from nurseries. Also they found an chance to ask me questions about to care of nursery seedling during rainy season. I was answered all question, they were very happy with my answers. I advised them that make sure to apply natural pesticide from Tephrosia, Dahlia and Sisal leaves every 3 days to get rid of aphids and orange dogs in lemon rootstock.
Now they have started making ridges for maize and other arable crops.
Tomorrow I will send the monthly report on sales, monthly farm account and expenditures.
Robert