A Bountiful Harvest Day
Today, I decided to visit my little farmland. The land was cultivated last year, and those I farm with had already harvested their crops. However, I was a bit skeptical about my cassava yield because the soil was stony, the cassava stems grew so big and wide, and, unlike my usual practice, I didn’t make mounds before planting. Instead, I planted directly on the ground, and this was my first time cultivating cassava without mounds. I had heard different opinions about the importance of mounds for better yield, so I wasn’t sure what to expect.
On this day, I set out for the farm with just two small bags since I wasn’t expecting much. But, brothers and sisters, I was shocked! The cassava yielded abundantly, and each tuber was so big, almost like yam. At one point, I had to call someone to help me pull out a particularly large one from the soil. I had only harvested half of the farmland, yet I was overjoyed that I had planted in the first place.
This experience immediately motivated me to replant on the same land after the full harvest. So, I decided to cut the cassava stems and store them safely for the next planting season. I have now learned that sometimes, trying a different farming method can bring surprising results.
To my surprise, the two small bags I carried to the farm were not enough. I had to send for an extra big bag, and by the time I was done, I went home with three large bags of cassava. Indeed, it was a bountiful harvest! I then called my bike man to help transport them home.
Now, I plan to sell some and use the rest to make garri or fufu. In the coming weeks, I will start preparing the land for another planting season, hoping for an even greater harvest next time.
Farming is truly rewarding. Have you harvested this year? How was your experience?
