Kilimanjaro.farm is a Kenyan smart farming research project on how to establish a sustainable organic horticulture farm with a philosophy of permaculture, companion planting, and crop rotation in a challenging Sub-Saharan African semi-arid environment. We focus on quality before quantity, growing a big variety of super tasty, healthy, organic food that is rich in vitamins, minerals, and trace elements, in order to feed a tribe all year long with an optimal dietary pattern high in minimally processed fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and moderate on fish, eggs, and poultry while limiting red meats. Furthermore, we aim to create habitats for wildlife, insects, birds, and other species.
Contact: office@kili.farm, WhatsApp +254798178767
If you
please write to office@kili.farm or on WhatsApp +254798178767
Currently, we are just getting started. In the final expansion phase, the farm will consist of:
Kilimanjaro.farm is a 4 HA (10 acres) farm resting at slightly above 1300 m (4300 ft) at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro, with 5895 meters (19341 ft) the highest mountain in Africa and the highest single free-standing mountain in the world. It lies approximately 250 km (155 mi) southeast of Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, in an agro-climatic zone in the rural parts of Loitokitok, with most of its population living as subsistence farmers.
The farm is located close to the gate of Amboseli national park, one of the best wildlife-viewing experiences in the world, because the lakes in the park attract a huge variety of species and there are big areas with open plains or savannah vegetation cover that offer undisturbed viewing opportunities. You can see herds of elephants, zebra, buffalo, blue wildebeest, giraffe, spotted hyena, hippopotamus, gazelle, impala, lesser kudu, dik-dik, hyrax, lion, leopard, cheetah, and many more, as well as a prolific birdlife featuring over 400 species.
Other national parks close by include Kilimanjaro and Arusha national park in Tanzania, as well as the Kenyan national parks Chyulu Hills, Tsavo West, and Tsavo East.
Nearby airstrips are Loitokitok (HKAM) and Amboseli (HKLT), the closest international airport is Jomo Kenyatta Airport (HKJK) in Nairobi.
Kilimanjaro.farm has a very pleasant and stable climate all year long, with a maximum daily temperature of 26°C (79°F) and minimum nightly of 17°C (62°F), +/- 2° throughout the year, with a yearly average temperature of 20°C (68°F).
The yearly rainfall is 2000mm (79 in) in total. The dry season is from June to October, having only a few days with very little rain. April is the rainiest month.
There is an average of 7 sun hours per day, the sunniest months being January till March with 9 hours of sunshine. The other months are partly cloudy, which gives the most beautiful skies for photography.
Winds are usually around 15 km/h (9 mp/h) and blow from east to west, with August to October being the windiest months, and December, April, May being the least windy ones.
is an agricultural practice that involves combining different plants together in a close proximity to make them more resilient and productive, because some plants have complementary characteristics, such as their nutrient requirements and waste products, growth habits, pest-repelling abilities, pollination, or providing habitat for beneficial insects.
is the practice of growing different varieties of crops in the same area in following years to increase the soil productivity.
is agriculture that mainly deals with gardening of fruits, vegetables, and ornamental plants (plants grown for display).
is a permanent agricultural technique that focuses on ecosystems and efficient use of resources to preserve nature for sustainable living.
is an agricultural produce that doesn’t involve the use of artificial fertilizers and chemicals.
is the ability to meet a society’s needs for a longer period of time despite the changing environmental factors.
are sources of energy that never run out and are environmentally friendly. They include solar energy, geothermal power, hydropower and wind energy.
are chemical substances used for killing and controlling pests.
use the C4 carbon fixation pathway to increase their photosynthetic efficiency that mainly occurs in high light, high temperature, drought, and salinity environments. Commonly known species include Maize, Sugarcane, Papyrus, Saxaul, Purslane.
Use a carbon fixation pathway that allows a plant to photosynthesize during the day, but only exchange gasses at night in an adaptation to arid conditions. Commonly known species include Pineapple, Agave, Spanish Moss.