We would like to thank God for the heavy rains and so far we are preparing for dry season work. Our biggest activities are often the irrigation of small trees (especially fruit trees), and the irrigation of exhibition plots for showcasing various farming techniques during the seminar. This year we are expecting a challenging dry season because the rains were late - they started in February - and they stopped early. Normally here in Dodoma the regular rainfall starts in November or December, and it rains 500 millimeters a year. But this year it has rained just about 350 millimeters, so water reserves in the ground are lower. A big challenge!
Along with the irrigation work we will be collecting "God's blanket" (mulch), mulching our trees and storing some of it for the rainy season, because that is the time when we plant the most trees. Other tasks are other preparations for the coming rain, such as adding and deepening ponds, cultivating vegetables, harvesting perennial crops like pigeon peas and cassava, and tending our livestock. These are our biggest summer jobs on our farms ...
