By Antynet Ford

TikTok farmer Bernard Gitau has started his first agricultural intern in a widening business in providing agricultural students with practical farm experience, in two hour sessions for Sh3,000 per student.

With 3,822 followers for his farming tips on TikTok, Bernard signed up Norbert Juma for a three-month farm internship without ever advertising for him. As a fourth year Agriculture Education and Extension student from Kenyatta University, Norbert had to complete a three month work attachment to earn his degree.

“The marketing that we do on social media is what attracted him to send a direct message to us. Norbert Juma saw our farm on TikTok and he reached out. I even did not know him. After he sent a DM, we exchanged contacts and he visited the farm and shared his interest of doing his three months’ attachment here and that is how I am here with him as he gets first-hand experience on how farming goes around,” said Bernard.

However, the new internship comes as part of a widening business for Bernard in student training on his half-acre farm in Joska, Machakos, where he farms mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, and a wide variety of other crops.

“Apart from Norbert, we also train other agriculture students from various universities. Early this week (end-July) we had students from Thika Technical, Kenyatta University, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) and Chuka University,” he said.

“We charge Sh3,000 per session which takes two hours. We help them get the basic knowledge that they need to go and practice on their farms and reorganise themselves.”

“We are also targeting schools from around which offer the Competency-based Education Curriculum where Agriculture is also an integral part of their teachings. There is a parent who has already promised to be bring their kids during the weekends to learn. We want the schools around to be bringing their kids to our farm for the lessons for them to know about mushroom, eggplants, Chilies, Cherry Tomato among other crops that we farm here,” said Bernard.

For Norbert, the big attraction was Bernard’s organic farming.

“I personally looked for Ben on his social media because, first, I like farming and, second, because he does organic farming, which is good. I was attracted to this farm because they are practicing organic farming, which, according to me, might be a solution for the climate impacts that we are continuously experiencing,” said Norbert.

“I reached out to him through social media and I am glad he accepted me when I first made a request to visit the farm then do my three months’ attachment. When I visited the farm, he briefed me what he does here and I saw my area of specialisation is also included. But I also have a hands-on experience of being on a farm.”.

In his six weeks at Bernard’s farm, so far, he has gained skills in farm management, irrigation, drought agriculture, and mushroom growing, as well as learning about innovations such as shade nets to prevent excess sun rays, birds, and direct storm water damaging crops.

“I have been helping him with the training of other agriculture students and farmers, as he shared. I had never known how to farm mushroom while in class, but here I have been able to learn it and in the last one month that I have been around, I already know the whole process, from preparing the substrate, the bags until when the spawn is introduced and placed in the grow house for production,” said Norbert.

“The program is very beneficial to me, especially putting into practice what I learnt in class. Now I’m able to take care of a mushroom incubator and a grow room. When Bernard is not around, or he has gone to do the deliveries, I am the one who remains behind to do the other work at the farm. I have learnt how the mushroom grow house needs to be maintained in terms of the temperatures (cool temperatures for better production). The watering too, using the spray gun to avoid destroying the substrate and logging the bags. You know in class we never learnt about mushrooms, so this is a whole new experience,” he said.

“This area is semi-arid and I can count the number of times that it has rained since I stepped foot here. I have learnt that it is not a must to depend on rain. As you’ve seen, he is innovative with the shade net. He has drips installed and when you are here you may think it has been raining every day. He is able to make supplies of spinach and other vegetables when other people around here are unable to do the farming, but because of his innovation, and that is something that I have picked. I do not have to rely on rain for me to farm. I have been also taught how to manage a farm apart from the innovations and the teachings.”

“My next move is still undefined, because I have to graduate first, but even with that, from here, when the three months will elapse, I will be a greater person because even with the over four weeks that I have been around, I have already gained a lot of experience of farming, even as I will be waiting for my supervisor to come and assess me.”

“I will choose what is best for me, whether it is staying here or going to teach students, but, basically, I can say the experience is quite good. Agriculture is good and I am beseeching other young people to join the industry, which has greater opportunities and can even offer self-employment, if you are ready to learn and be very patient, because everything takes time,” said Norbert.