Posts by Nyasha Denhere

A farmer who is delighted when people enjoy healthy plant based diets. I find peace in blogging about food and nutrition. Very passionate about improving the world system and ending hunger and poverty

microgeens growing

Posted on by Nyasha Denhere

Growing coriander/cilantro Microgreens.

cilantro does well in the open space in winter hence we have it in abundance during this season. The problems comes in summer when it becomes scarce. This mainly happens in Zimbabwe where very few people owns greenhouses. Indoor farming is known by only a few

Today we would like to let you know that you can have your constant supply of coriander by utilising a limited space.

But how?

Ok, welcome to the world of microgreens farming.

what do you need?

  • An enclosed spaceif it outdoors , the place must receive natural light
  • If it is indoors you need grow lights
  • Coriander seeds which are organic
  • Fertile soil
  • Growing containers
  • Mist sprayer.

A greenhouse is ideal for Microgreens.

steps.

you need three containers of equal size, one which is perforated and two others which are not.

fill your perforated container with soil, make sure you soil is leveled.

sprinkle some coriander seeds evenly on the soil, making sure you create a thick blanket but no seed should sit on another seed.

spread a thin layer of soil on top of the seeds , make sure there are no bumps , you must have a flat surface. Just place another container on top. Allow your container to sit in the unperforated container to avoid spills of water everywhere. Make sure you have a flat surface, lift the top container then mist spray with adequate water. Close it with the last container then place this in a dark room but everyday check for moisture content and moulding.

allow this to germinate, after germination, place in a black out dome for three days. This allows our Microgreens to grow tall.

after they have reached a desired length , transfer them to a spot which receives light which does not scorch them.

take good care as you wait patiently for them to mature.

harvest day.

make sure your Microgreens are clean, use your sharp knives to cut or you can use a scissors.

Voilà, Microgreens are now ready to be eaten, wash them and send them to the dining table.

bonosalus c1
ready to eat
bonosalus c2

Growing oyster 🍄 from its roots.

Posted on by Nyasha Denhere

How boring and draining is it to order spawn from as far as Harare or South Africa. You think of the cost of transporting the grain spawn and the hustles of receiving such a heavy shipment. Today, I would like to make you forget about all these challenges by introducing to something new and fun especially if you are a hobbyist or you are just growing mushrooms in small quantities for your family consumption.

Did you know that you have the power to propagate your own mushroom from fresh mushroom stems? I know you are just saying, “come on”.

“Yes ,I have just said from from the roots “.

ok!

“We do not want to waste our time, let’s get started!”

things needed.

  • Fresh Oyster roots
  • Unwritten or unpainted cardboard boxes.
  • A pressure cooker
  • A clean transparent plastic zipper bag.

Procédure.

  • shred your cardboard boxes so that they fit well in your pressure cooker. The quantity you will shred depends on the mushroom roots available.
  • Pour some water that covers your shredded material in your pressure cooker.
  • Put your pressure cooker on, allow this to cook for more than 30minutes. We are doing this because we want to kill all the unwanted organism that may compete with our spawn. This called pasteurisation.
  • When well done transfer from the pressure cooker to a mesh wire to allow water to drip naturally, watch this, up until no water droplets comes out when you squizze the cardboard boxes, then your grow media is damp and moist not soggy.
  • Now take your zipper bag which is clean , start loading a layer of pasteurized cardboard boxes. Then put some mushroom roots. on top of the roots spread more cardboard boxes.
  • Repeat this process up until all your materials are finished.
  • Zip your bag
  • Poke, some small holes around your bag for proper air circulation.
  • You can now cover this with something dark or put in a cupboard to prevent direct sunshine from reaching our bag.
  • Leave this for about 6- 10 days.
  • Keep on checking if there is no contamination. A contaminated bag can be dark brown, black, grey but do not mistake this to the grow media you have used . If it is contaminated, please throw away.
  • A safe bag will become white with mycelium which will be spreading in the bag
  • When the whole bag has been fully colonised, transfer it to a place that receives indirect light and mist spray twice or thrice a day.
  • After 3days you will start to notice some pin heads forming, then you can try to poke bigger holes so that fruiting can take place well.
  • Continue misting and giving enough air to avoid drying out and small fruiting bodies. Within five days from the start of fruiting you will start enjoying your mushroom fruits.

Nothing can limit you, you can also be a mushroom farmer and you can feed your family with heathy nutritious meals everyday. Next time, I will teach you how to propagate large volumes of grain spawn from mushroom roots

So my parting words are:

Enjoy every meal by taking your food from your garden.

chao

smellberry / fingerleaf fruit/Tsubvu.

Posted on by Nyasha Denhere

I do not understand why this fruit has been called smelly berry, I feel there has been unfairness in naming it. The fruit has a pleasant smell and it’s very sweet.

As I am writing, I am actually enjoying the fruit. It’s abundant this season. I make sure I buy a packet every day. The fruit is sold by vendors who collect them from villages. This fruit will make me think of my village, ooh my village and my childhood.

I grew up a fearless child who loved walking alone. I could go in the forest to gather smellyberries for my family.

Now I am grown up I do not have the time to go round looking for fruits ,I have to buy, imagine! The pain of buying something that you know it occurs naturally and the sellers are gathering them for free.

Guess what I did this year! I went to my village , I gathered a bucket full of black ripe tsubvus/hubva as they are called in my mother language. Here comes the problem, how to preserve.

I have found so many ways that I am using Tsubvu in my kitchen. So here are some of the ways.

  • Make smellyberry smoothies
  • Make smellyberry porridge
  • make smellyberry yoghurt

so if you want to try this you can write to us and learn how to extract smellyberry pulp from it’s stone seed.

If you can easily access Tsubvu I tell you do not just eat the fruit with out adding value, be explorative, innovative and ambitious do not be rigid imagine new recipes, currently as I am writing I am imagining a black queen cake made from smellyberries.

Even though smellyberries are packed with phytonutrients, eating them raw will temporarily blacken your teeth, fear not it’snot permanent. A quick brush of your teeth will make them white again, that is why I recommend value addition.

Do not eat too much lest you will suffer from constipation. I wouldn’t like you to blame our African wild fruits. Only a few is okay for the day. Eating too much will make you have problems also when trying to empty the bowel so quantity matters.

cheers!

brown oyster 🍄 mushroom

Posted on by Nyasha Denhere

hey my friends! It has been long. The month of April was packed with a lot of adventurous activities.

yes, I mean what I am saying, We have just started growing our brown oyster and it’s so amazing that the results came perfect. We had our first flash in the last quarter of April. Can you imagine the joy that befalleth us when we harvested our first mushrooms.

Oyster mushrooms are very delicious, and packed with health benefits. They are the perfect choice for vegetarians. So if you are a vegetarian and you in Manicaland, we are here for you. We have the freshest mushroom. It is very easy to start your mushroom farm. All you need is your substrate, spawn, grow room, a perfect environment, yes it’s simple.

Next week I will be introducing you to a new journey of mushroom farming and I am quite sure you will like it.

So fo now stay put. I am here to just share my happiness with you my friends.

Guys! I am harvesting and harvesting and, this is my month of giving, l am just giving out because I have plenty fresh mushroom at home.

For now just chill waiting for an exciting journey of mushroom growing, I promise, I will be your companion in this journey. Protein alternatives are the way to live chao.

IMPORTANCE OF INDIGENOUS FOOD SYSTEMS.

Posted on by Nyasha Denhere

Climate change has taught societies that they can not do away with indigenous food systems because they are resilient to shocks. Let me explain why indigenous food systems are important :

  • Traditional food contribute to health and wellbeing. Many many years ago, there were no hospitals but people lived long and health. This means that their local food systems played an important role in enhancing their immunity. So it is wiser to consider exploiting indigenous food sources
  • Indigenous food systems maintains and enhances biodiversity. Indigenous food grows naturally allowing other species to grow freely without disturbing the ecosystem. For example, African bees produce honey in the forests, the production of honey does not disturb the growth of trees but human beings benefit from both trees and the honey produced
  • Communities are also benefiting from sustainably gathering wild fruits, weeds, and mushrooms. Many villagers are making a living from gathering edible mushroom and selling them in streets.
  • Sustainable ways of producing, preparing, preserving and consuming. Most of the indigenous food is very easy to store and preserve. For example many people in Africa preserve their food by sun drying which does not pose any problem to the planet earth.
  • Food is not over processed and free from unnecessary additives. Indigenous food is free from diseases caused by chemicals used during preservation.
  • Proximity : Food is produced within communities allowing members to eat what they want at any time. This reduces transportation costs and pollution caused by shipping food from other countries.
  • Resilience: traditional food systems can withstand shocks , for example each and every region has special grain suitable for for a certain environment. In drought stricken areas, people grow finger millet and sorghum which are drought resistant

So you see, our indigenous food systems have relevance to our livelihoods. We can save our planet by embracing indigenous food systems

We still have a chance to save the planet earth

Posted on by Nyasha Denhere

Hey my friends! I hope you are doing well and you are enjoying every profit from your businesses. As you are producing, there is someone ready to consume, but my question today is, “Have you ever thought of what is making you produce or consume?”

I know many people believe that it is their unique tactics that enable them to beat others in the market, ok fine! I do not deny it, for you to be successful in every business, you need to employ strategies that will maximise your outcomes.

But where are you getting all the factors of production, who holds them? Ok, let us not waste time.

Everything that we use during production and consumption comes from the earth. Mother earth is a provider for all, She naturally provided all natural resources, living or none living and for human beings to produce made- made goods and services, the earth provides a perfect environment. Although people have tried to manipulate some environments, the earth has proved to be the best mother. Thousands of years ago, the earth was beautiful. Mountains and forests were home to a variety of animal and birds. Rivers flowed continuously, oceans and seas were also homes to a variety of life. Life was just good. There was a natural ecosystem that ensured everything is in harmony.

Of all the living creatures, man proved to be controlling activities on earth, his control has ensured that he benefited more than other creatures. Due to his dominion, man has dominated every part of the earth. This has disturbed the natural ecosystem and has led to considerable damage of the earth. The activities of man has destroyed flora and fauna. Things are falling apart. Currently, everyone is raising alarm on the rate at which the ozone layer is being depleted. The climate is changing, countries are experiencing extreme wheather conditions. Rainfall patterns are now erratic, everything is just upside down. The most hard hit countries are developing countries, they do not have good technologies to predict weather patterns, families are vulnerable to extreme hunger and poverty.The future looks bleak, it seems as if the earth is exhausted and angry with the man’s behaviour.

What should we do now? If the earth is being destroyed at this alarming rate, it means that there is no future for the earth, if the earth is futureless, all creatures are also futureless because if the mother becomes helpless, how can the offsprings survive?

The good thing is that we still have a chance to change, we can still employ solutions that can protect our mother.

Let’s s rise and unite and build a sustainable future for everyone lest we all become extinct.

I know that you are asking me a question in your heart, and you are saying, “what can I do as an individual to save the earth. It seems impossible, but if we put our hands and heads together we can be somewhere.

let us build a culture of responsibility and accountability in our heart. Do responsible production and consumption. Consider sustainable production, practice recycling, reduce waste and reuse what you have.

Your company should be known for good production practices. Inspire others by introducing new production methods that are innovative and are saving our mother earth.

Never be greed! Greed has led the world into shame. It’s because of being greed that you cannot think of generations to come. Being greed causes people to emit harmful gases into the atmosphere.

Yes, we all need profits but think of the people around you and planet earth where you are doing your production activities. Think twice before you continue to cause damage to the earth. Think of how you will enjoy the profits if the earth is destroyed. We can only have a brighter future if we change our ways of thinking and producing.

A brighter future for the earth is also a brighter future of it’s inhabitants

Lets all unite and build a sustainable systems that allows the earth to be a safe place to dwell.

Importance of water in the food systems.

Posted on by Nyasha Denhere

Many people do not have an appreciation of the importance of water in the food systems, there is nothing that we can eat without the aid of water. Water plays a pivotal role in bringing food on the table.

Let me give you a second, be silent and just think of how the food you ate today is made, what is the process? What quantities of water was involved at any stage.

yep! I know you have visualised it yourself and you found out that water is just important. It is clear that we cannot eat if water is not present. Therefore everyday is a water day. Look at the water bodies around you. How are you conserving them . The truth is without water no profession can thrive. One day I was shocked when a young man said he did not know why God allows rain to fall. I started telling him the importance of water in agriculture and he said he was not a farmer so he was not even concerned about rain falling or not. This shows that he did not understand that if rains does not fall it will affect every citizen in an indirect way but it would affect the farmer directly. So we need to be thankful for all the water bodies that we have and since we all know that there is climate change, it’s true that many people will find it difficult to access clean water. Yesterday was world water day, but how did you celebrate it? what measures have you put in place to ensure that your community have a sustainable water source. Presently it is quite clear that we cannot rely on water from rivers and dams only because rivers are drying up due to continuous droughts.

Today I am talking about underground water.

did you know that underground water is not visible but it’s positive effects are visible to veryone. In every community, people are sinking boreholes which are tens of meters deep so that they access clean sustainable water. Underground water has proved to be an answer to our problems in this period of climate change.

So if you realise that there is need for safe water in your community, the first thing that comes in your mind is having a well or a borehole.

Although many well wishers are playing great roles to ensure that members of the society have sustainable water sources, the members of the society are the ones that can work against people’s effort. When you move around, you even witness treated water gushing out, the community is reluctant to report about burst pipes. Some they do not care, they use tapes and leave them running. The reality is dams and Rivers are drying up, it also means that very soon it is going to be difficult for people to easily access underground water.

When ever you think of eating or drinking, think about how food is made, this will always remind you to take good care of the water that we have. If it is possible learn how to harvest rain water so that you can have continuous supply of water even if rain goes away.

For those who once lived and stayed in rural areas understand how difficult it can be to access clean water. In the village, women and girls travel long distances in search of safe water. They even carry it on their heads, it’s a painful experience that has been witnessed and is still being witnessed by many villagers. Some find it difficult to access only a few litres of safe water to drink. Only this people are in a better position to tell the world how water is important. In some drought stricken areas, people can hardly grow vegetables making many people to have poor nutrition.

This shows that water is as important for life on this earth

Exploiting wild fruits: Annona Cherimola – the wild custard Apple (Maroro)

Posted on by Nyasha Denhere

The month of January was an exciting one for me. I spent much of my time in the village. I had the privilege of tasting a lot of wild fruits that I had long forgotten about. Among all the wild fruits that I consumed, I favoured the wild custard Apple .

Those who grew up in the village may not understand why I like them most.This is because the fruits occur naturally in Zimbabwe and there is no limit in eating them as long as supply is available .Therefore abundance may cause people to undermine the value of things they have.

Custard wild apple grows naturally on a bushy tree, when unripe, it will be green in colour. Ripened custard Apple is yellow in colour. This fruit is sweet and has a soft texture. I grew up eating a lot of it but I did not enjoy it the way I did this year.

I guess it was because of the way we prepared it that changed the whole story.

prepare your fruit like this.

  • Remove the outer skin and all the seeds
  • Add this to your fruit salad, try this I tell you, your taste buds will feel another thing
  • If you do not like this, you can also blend mangoes, wild custard Apple, banana to come up with a creamy juice , you can even put some plain yoghurt in your smoothies.

After trying this recipe, if you are in Zimbabwe you will always find yourself in the forests searching for custard Apples.

besides the natural sweet taste, you are also going to enjoy lots of health benefits the fruit is packed with vitamin C, magnesium and potassium. The fruit promotes heart and eye health.

so exploiting wild fruits allows us to enjoy life at lower costs.

baked okra

Posted on by Nyasha Denhere

This season okra is abundant in Southern Africa. I really know by this time noone is craving for it because it’s readily available. I know there is someone who is saying, “I nolonger want to hear about okra again”, but I tell you not after reading the whole text. If possible you must read faster so that you quickly reach to the recipe. If you try it, you never stop it again, you will always keep your oven busy.

So let’s start baking okra.

You need

  • Young and tender pods sliced length wise into chips
  • Some few drops of white vinegar
  • Spices e.g black pepper
  • Salt

Eveyone knows that okra is slippery so how can we turn it into a snack.

Simple dip the slices of okra into vinegar for more than 20minutes, there after wash with fresh running water.

Pat until dry.

Add 3 teaspoons of olive oil and mix together with your favourite spices.

EnSure that this well mixed in your okra.

Turn your oven on and in a non stick greased baking tray add your okra.

Then bake until golden brown and crunchy.

Serve your okra snacks, if needed you can season with salt but I like it without salt.

This is delicious I tell you, you will never forget me and you will always befriend your oven.

Try this recipe and experience the magic of plant based diets.

Amaranth microgreens and food presentation .

Posted on by Nyasha Denhere

Hey my friends! I hope you are doing well in this new season, Actually compliments of the new season. I am very optimistic that this year will bring you joy and happiness. Remember ! A lot of things contribute to a better life style and one of the contributors is good food.

At times we have good food around us but we cannot appreciate it, we believe that we will have better food if we go to other places. Today I would like to encourage you to exploit the available food in your pantry or in your garden.

As An advocate for plant based diets, I always want you to make use of the available fruit and vegetables in a unique way.

So,

Today we are talking about food presentation and nutrition using microgreens.

We are using red Amaranth microgreens . Red Amaranth is a versatile plant, it has high nutrition content and is a very good plant to decorate and add colour to your plant.

Choose red Amaranth microgreens to decorate you plate but at the same time be assured that your clients and family are also going to boost their immune system.

With red Amaranth, you will never go wrong as the microgreens are eye catching, many people will definitely taste your food and they will enjoy their day.

So go and try to add red amaranth microgreens in your plate and enjoy a double benefit.