For Dominic Wetoto, a farmer from Busongo in Mumias East, Kakamega County, knowledge has been the foundation of his farming success. A passionate reader and firm believer in lifelong learning, Dominic spent years searching for practical agricultural information that could help him improve productivity on his farm.
"I knew I had the potential to create wealth from farming. I just needed the right knowledge," he says.
His quest for information earned him the Best Reader Award at the Kakamega National Library. It was there that he discovered The Organic Farmer (TOF) Magazine, a publication that would transform his approach to farming.
"When I found TOF Magazine, it felt like it had been written specifically for farmers like me. The information was simple, practical, and easy to apply," he recalls.
Dominic became a devoted reader, regularly cycling 35 kilometres from his village to collect new editions from the Biovision Africa Trust office in Kakamega.
Over the years, he has implemented numerous technologies featured in the magazine. His farm now showcases water-harvesting trenches, integrated trees, companion cropping, and diverse enterprises that have improved both productivity and resilience.
Before adopting these practices, things were very different.
"I used to practice monocropping because that was all I knew," he explains. "Since I could not afford synthetic fertilizers, my yields remained low year after year." The situation worsened when his farm became heavily infested with striga weed, a parasitic plant that severely affects maize production. "There came a time when producing maize became almost impossible because of striga," he recalls.
Fortunately, one edition of TOF Magazine featured an article on push-pull technology, a biological farming method used to control both striga weed and fall armyworm. "The article explained how push-pull technology could solve both problems. I decided to try it."
The results exceeded his expectations. Within two planting seasons, the striga infestation had dramatically reduced, and maize production began to recover.
Today, Dominic practices crop diversification, growing maize, cassava, sweet potatoes, beans, bananas, indigenous vegetables, medicinal herbs, and fruit trees such as mangoes and avocados. He also keeps poultry and grows fodder crops for sale.
To improve soil fertility, he uses green manure and natural pest management techniques learned through TOF Magazine. He has also embraced seed saving, preserving seeds for crotalaria, jute mallow, black soybean, peas, and jack beans. “I realized that many farmers are unable to diversify their crops because they lack the resources to buy different seeds. Seed saving has been a game changer for me, allowing me to grow a wider variety of crops on my farm at little cost," he says.
Another innovation on his farm is azolla cultivation, which provides a low-cost protein supplement for his poultry and helps reduce feed expenses.
The diversity of enterprises on his farm has strengthened household food security while creating multiple sources of income. "I used to think successful farming was only for people with a lot of money," Dominic says. "But TOF Magazine taught me that with the right knowledge, any farmer can turn soil into wealth."
His story demonstrates the power of practical agricultural information and how a willingness to learn can transform the livelihoods of small-scale farmers.
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