Community farming

1. What kind of people are the farmers in the poem?
2. What is the farmers' daily bread?
3. What is the poem about?
4. What lessons have you learnt from the poem?
5. Why are farmers important?

My name is Moki. I live in Matala Village. We depend on agriculture for our living, so every family in my village has a small farm. We also have a big community village farm. Every person in the village works on the farm. To begin with, two to three weeks before the early rains, we prepare the farm by ploughing. We plough the soil to a depth of at least 20 centimetres using a tractor. We normally hire the tractor from Mr Ndisa, a big farmer from a nearby village. Ploughing helps to turn over the upper layer of the soil. It also brings fresh nutrients up to the surface and buries weeds and crop remains. As the plough ploughs the soil, it creates long trenches of fertile soil called furrows. Then, at the onset of the rains, we harrow the farm. Harrowing involves breaking up large lumps of soil. This makes planting easier and ensures that the seeds germinate. For example, maize planting starts a few days after the onset of the rains when the soil is still moist. We leave a space of 75 centimetres between rows and 25 centimetres between plants. The right spacing ensures good crop growth, makes it easier to weed, and reduces the spread of pests and diseases. After a few days, when the seeds sprout, we add fertilizer on the soil. The type of fertilizer chosen depends on the type of the soil. We make sure that we buy the right amount of fertilizer for our farm and plant the right seed variety. Before purchasing seeds, we examine the package to check the expiry date and ensure that it has not been tampered with. Afterwards, when the maize plants are about 30.48 centimetres high, we add a second round of fertilizer and spray pesticides. Pesticides are important because they protect crops from pests, diseases and weeds, as well as raise productivity. Without pesticides, more than half of our crops would be lost to pests and diseases. Finally, when the maize is ready, we harvest it. We always have a big celebration after the harvest. In this celebration, a lot of food and drinks are prepared. People eat, dance and drink. Generally, our community farming has helped us to work as one family and has brought a sense of belonging. In addition, it has increased our food production.

1. The story takes place in a village called ……... a. Mtaa b. Matala c. Tamala d. Moki
2. The village has …….. where community farming is practised. a. many people b. hospital c. a big farm d. trees
3. The villagers prepare their farm using ……….. a. a tractor b. a hoe c. hands d. people
4. Harrowing is the process of ……….. a. choosing the right seed b. hiring the tractor c. breaking up large lumps of soil d. fertilizing the soil
5. Which of the following statements about ploughing is not true? a. It helps to turn over the upper layer of the soil. b. It helps to bury weeds and the remains of previous crops. c. It helps to follow the procedure. d. It helps to bring up fresh nutrients to the surface.

1. Moki lives in Konga Village. ……..
2. Ploughing creates long trenches of fertile soil called furrows. ………
3. Checking for the expiry date in choosing seeds is not important.……….
4. Planting is done when the soil is moist. ……….
5. Even without pesticides, plants grow healthy………