Patiently Planting Grevillea Trees in Kenya
The Worth of Waiting
James Shadrack of Bungoma South has been a One Acre Fund farmer for 5 years. Since joining One Acre Fund, he has planted 1,500 grevillea trees.
James’s neighbors were surprised when they heard he was planting grevillea trees.
“Many people in this area are not interested in planting trees, and when they do they plant eucalyptus, which dehydrates the soil. Grevillea trees rejuvenate the soil and don’t hurt other crops growing on my land,” says James.
James is going to wait for his trees to mature before selling them. His neighbors use firewood for cooking, which is becoming scarce. Gas and kerosene are expensive. James hopes that if he waits a few years, he will be able to sell the trees for firewood and make a hefty profit.
He explains, “If I cut the trees when they are still young I will end up earning about 200 shillings ($2.30 USD) per tree, but if I give them time to mature then I end up earning a minimum of 3,000 shillings ($35.70 USD) per tree, so it’s definitely worth the wait.”
By selling his trees when they are mature, he hopes to make enough money to pay school fees for all his children who are still in school and to start a business buying and selling cattle.
Friday Ndashe: Planting trees and growing futures in Zambia
For Friday Ndashe, who manages a tree nursery close to Kabwe in Zambia, running a tree nursery is a “joyful endeavor” with many benefits - for him and his local community.
Why tree planting on farms is a win for farmers and nature
Discover how agroforestry - the practice of planting trees among crops - offers smallholder farmers like Baraka, Dunstan and Claudine a variety of benefits.
More Than A Tree
We do tree planting differently. Our initiative to plant 1 billion trees is led by smallholder farmers and every seedling planted is an opportunity for them and their families to prosper. In 2024 we reached an exciting milestone when Kenyan farmer Esther planted the 250 millionth tree! Hear from her as she explains why a tree is so much #MoreThanATree.
Farming futures: How youth are cultivating prosperity
In Africa, young people like Taifa represent a significant demographic, with 70% of Sub-Saharan Africa under the age of 30. As this new wave of farmers like Taifa steps up to inherit the mantle from their predecessors, there is a compelling need to encourage even more young people to embrace farming.
