New FGW farmers rejoice in the ability of their new crops to resist drought

Dear Friends,

Here is a progress report on a new Farming God’s Way (FGW) project near Mutare, Zimbabwe in which 19 poor subsistence farmers are participating. They received FGW training in October and planted their maize (corn) fields using their new knowledge and skills.

Rains came in early December, but there has been no rain on their fields for over a month. This dry spell has slowed the growth of their maize stalks, but they are still healthy and should recover if there is rain in the near future. Meanwhile, neighboring farmers who planted their maize fields traditionally fear all may be lost.

The photo above (taken a few days ago on Jan. 27) shows one of the FGW maize fields. Note the mulch cover of dried grass (God’s blanket) on the soil. It retains mositure in the soil during the dry times and it reduces weed growth.

The photo below (also taken Jan. 27) shows a neighboring maize field planted with traditional farming methods. The field was planted with the same seed and fertilizer, about the same day. Note how small the maize plants are, the absence of mulch cover (God’s blanket) and the presence of weeds. Those weeds will compete with the maize plants for water and nutrients in the soil.

Thankfully, rain arrived January 29 and 30, so all the farmers are rejoicing. But the field below will soon be full of weeds and the maize stalks will be small with poorly formed ears. Please pray for the rain to continue as needed for all of the farmers in this location.

Decidedly NOT greener on the other side: A neighboring field of maize, traditionally planted, struggling to survive drought conditions

Thank you for your prayerful support and God bless you,

Dick Samuels
Director, Farming God’s Way Fund