Introduction

The Intensified Social Forestry Project (ISFP) backed with long experiences in Semi-arid land forestry of Kenya has learned that forestry activities need to be incorporated with agricultural practices. Poverty and food security issues are also to be addressed in the development of forestry activities. With integrated production systems combining annual and perennial crops as the entry point, ISFP tries to offer an opportunity of intensifying and diversifying the use of farms through establishing farm-forests.

Description of one session

One session of Farm Forestry FFS usually takes half day on the prescribed day. The session begins early in the morning e.g. 8.00am and ends at 12.00 noon.

Extension Guideline

The extension guidelines are a basic conceptual framework and supporting material that assist in the implementation of the ISFP extension. Each cycle is divided in to several steps that contain different actions of farmers as well as ISFP. The extension guidelines also aim at sharing details of each step of the extension activities between the frontline extension staff and the project Headquarters (HQs).

DFEO Workshop

ISFP HQs has organized several workshops for the DFEOs and DFOs. The first workshop was held in June 2004 at Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI) Kitui Regional Research Centre.

Group Activity Catalogue / Study Guide

Output of Training of Trainers Course on Farmer's Field School Methodology
Group Activity Catalogue
Study Guide

Expansion of framers' group Network

ISFP is, by its design a grassroots project working for the promotion of social forestry extension activities among individual farmers and farmer groups in Tharaka, Mbeere and Kitui districts.

Group Information

Group Information is a report that consists of the general information and the Farm Forestry Field School activities of groups in Mbeere, Tharaka and Kitui.

Facilitator Training {TOT Training}

In August 2004, the DFOs, DFEOs, and the Project management staff at HQs were trained on Farmer Field School training of trainers for two (2) weeks at KEFRI Kitui Regional Research Centre. The course was coordinated by T. K. Mutinda who is the Eastern Kenya FFS Coordinator assisted by other FFS facilitators from the Ministry of Agriculture Kitui. The course was done as a follow up to the FFS exposure tour to Kilifi.

Special Topic Reference Material

AESA in Farm Forestry

AESA is the cornerstone of FFS methodology. It is the Establishment by observation of the interaction between crop or tree and other biotic and abiotic factors coexisting in the crop or tree field. It is the main decision making tool used in FFS and involves regular observations of the crop or tree, although the frequency may vary based on field conditions, study enterprise characteristics and growth stage. For ISFP purposes AESA for agricultural crops is taken weekly for three (3) consecutive weeks while AESA for trees/ fruits is taken once per month (the fourth week).