It was that time of the year for the National Agriculture Exhibition, or Farmer's Day (Nanenane). Nane Nane is an annual celebration that recognises the contribution of farmers to the Tanzanian economy. It goes for eight days, with agricultural exhibitions running in different regions across the country. It all culminates with a national holiday on the 8th of August. For this year 2022, Sustainable Agriculture Tanzania (SAT) was in 5 regions; those were Morogoro, Dodoma, Arusha, Mbeya, and Lindi, together with our farmers.

Since the majority of people are now expressing a greater interest in the health benefits of eating organic food, it is a huge success for SAT nationwide. This demonstrates the growing popularity of organic agriculture throughout the nation. People are curious about how food is made and processed, in addition to what foods are healthy. As a result, SAT prepared a 100% organic showcase for the annual Nane Nane event, including the gardens, technology, and finished goods, to quench their demand for information and goods.

SAT has been preparing for the event since late June, with the main objective being to spread awareness about organic agriculture to both farmers and our customers. So, for this year, SAT had a lot to offer, including the following:

Backyard garden

Simply said, a backyard garden is a home garden that can give your family everyday access to fresh, green veggies. The SAT's backyard garden featured a variety of technologies, including an anthill garden, a tyre garden, a hanging garden, and a table garden. Some of the benefits of a backyard garden, according to the SAT facilitator, include reliable access to fresh fruits and vegetables, time and money savings from not having to go to the store anymore, and most importantly, keeping you and your family healthy by eating regularly healthy organic vegetables.

Organic produce means healthy produce free of harmful pesticides and chemicals that are detrimental to both health and the environment.

In-depth information on factors to take into account when preparing a backyard garden, such as size, slopes, location, root systems, and irrigation, was provided to our guests. We generally encourage a healthy lifestyle by consuming fresh produce farmed nearby.

Energy Saving stove

This stove is made with raw materials easily accessible to locals, like clay soil and burned bricks. It is very efficient and uses very little firewood to cook. Beyond cooking, this innovative technology also allows for the baking and roasting of BBQ while simultaneously delivering hot, boiling water. . Furthermore, it has an oven-like feature at the bottom to keep your food warm long after you have finished cooking it.

Standards for organic livestock production

This year, there was also a demonstration on how to raise organic livestock. Visitors learned how to combine raising livestock with organic farming by adhering to certain principles, such as feeding them organic feed and fooder, using natural breeding practices, safeguarding the health and welfare of animals, allowing animals to act naturally, and providing pasture that is accessible all year long. Prohibition of use of chemically synthesised allopathic veterinary drugs, including antibiotics, hormones, growth boosters, etc.

Organic Products

SAT Holistic Group LTD, a social business affiliated with the SAT NGO, offers a range of organic products for our visitors, including fresh fruits and vegetables, cereals, sunflower oil, spices, pasteurised milk, and plain yoghurt. The items and knowledge provided by the SAT facilitators were well received by our clients, who also learned more about how to access them.

More technologies were presented like the 'Jokofu La Asili' Zero Energy Cooling Chamber (ZECC), a cold room made from materials which are cheap and easily accessible to locals, utilising burned bricks, sand, and sacks to ensure food stays cold and fresh long after harvest. Cultivation of Azolla, used as biofertilizer in coffee plantations, feeds ingredients in broiler rations and increases nitrogen fertiliser.

SAT’s demonstration garden at the Nane Nane grounds country-wide welcomed 481 visitors in Dodoma and 1385 visitors in Morogoro. For more than ten years now, SAT has really grown, with many more demonstrations and technologies to show. The mission toward an organic future is close to our hearts.

https://youtu.be/JsjGkk4J41s