The new farm

Just back from Malawi yesterday, 40 hours with little sleep.
Trip was brilliant, with great progress.
Harisen had been negotiating the purchase of a piece of land about 8 km from Mzuzu: It's bought and set up for seed and tree production. Seeds are very scarce and expensive, so we hope to set up a seed bank and give the seeds away at a minimal cost. (I don't do handouts). We will also do swaps.
We have employed 3 full time workers and a consultant!!, Julius, who has been tought permaculture, by Australians, and is a great find. He will advise our workers on agricultural matters and hold their hands through the learning period.
The pictures over the next weeks will all aspects of the work.
The land has 692 banana trees and todays pic shows Benidicto, the farm manager, selling some bananas to a local woman. She should get about 200 bananas for one euro (300 for a pound). If she's hungry there's no charge, and she probably is!!
I have met more hungry people this year than before. Corrupt distribution of fertiliser subsidies last year, meant many got none at all and got very low yields of maize. While the Southern and Central regions got the coupons and the fertiliser and had bumper harvests.