One Woman Creates Initiative to Feed Kenyans with Back Pack Farming

Rachel Zedeck thought a back pack could feed a Kenyan family for months. She made this thought a reality through her Back Pack Farm program. As a life-long humanitarian dedicated to helping people, Rachel extended her commitment by settling in Africa and helping the native people of Kenya.

In 2009, Rachel launched The Back Pack Farm initiative not only as a way to change the way Kenyans handle food production, an effort to put food in their mouths instead of selling it, but also as a way to help farmers learn eco-friendly and sustainable methods that help protect regional ecosystems.

Rachel is a perfect example of how one person with a vision and a mission-- a true Change Agent who's dedicated her life to a cause-- can make a significant impact on many lives and communities. She and a group of women are changing the way they live and eat.

Last week, Rachel received great news. Her second round of funding came through. She, and a group of farmers in the Mau Forest, successfully planted--using supplies from the eco-friendly back pack farming kits-- 12 Hectares using a new distributed production model.

The Mau Forest is a hot topic because of impact of the farming methods in that area on its delicate ecosystems, including Lake Victoria. The new pilot program proves the distributed production model that helps protect the environment is successful and her corporate sponsor is funding the second impact assessment. After the assessment is complete, they will be shopping around for new sponsors and donors.

The Back Pack Farm program gives individuals backpacks with all the supplies needed to start growing food. The program enhances bottom pyramid value chains targeting small landholder farmers’ production models by providing a simple canvas backpack filled with cutting edge agricultural inputs, assessment, training, and monitoring and market development. To counter the weak production rates of farmers, a partner Lachlan Kenya designed the “fusion farming” model, a combination of biological products, botanicals and reduced toxicity pesticides. The fusion system is complemented by a custom designed drip irrigation system.

It sounds complicated, but it's easy enough to make it work. Learn more about Rachel's story here.