The Bio-Farm Clinic
THE INTEGRATED ORGANIC FARM TRAINING AND DEMONSTRATION CENTER
Though peasant farmers work more than ten hours per day in scorching sunshine or continuous rainfall for less and less output, they soon find themselves and their families held down by starvation just a few months after harvest.
There has been a rapid drop in soil fertility due to increasing pressure on relatively scarce arable land. The continuous and more intensive farming practices that have no significant soil nutrient replacement strategies pose a great threat to the well-being of present and future rural and urban populations in Cameroonian communities.
"chemical fertilizers...hardly an option..."
Purchasing chemical fertilizers, however, is hardly an option for poor farmers and can be potentially environmentally harmful.
SHUMAS, as a short-term measure, embarked on training many target
groups to practise organic farming using an integrated farming
approach. 
This is improving the
situation, while easing labour and protecting the environment, but
unfortunately the problem is far too generalized and needs a more
extensive approach.
Subsequently,in 2007, with funding from Manos Unidas,a Spanish NGO, SHUMAS, set up an 'Integrated Organic Farm Training and Demonstration Centre' (IOF) near Kumbo, on 50 hectares of land donated by Kumbo Council.
Here farmers can now be trained in fertility conserving and regenerating farming systems. The integrated organic farming approach is apparently the best alternative, as farming output is locally obtainable and affordable by everyone.This center, though principally targeting rural populations and farmers in general, should also serve many researchers, students and volunteers, etc around the globe.
Completed in 2008, admissions and short courses began and the first batch of 36 students completed their nine month organic farming course in 2009.
The Centre includes an administration block with residential accommodation and a clinic plus self contained visitor accommodation. Animal, drying and nursery shed are all in place and were stocked at the end of 2008. A biogas digester *
is complete and 3 wind turbines are up and running. It is hoped the IOF
Centre will become self sufficient in energy although we will still
need 4 or 5 turbines to achieve this.All cooking on the farm is done using biogas from animal waste and we plan to introduce a small hydroelectric power scheme using small affordable technology.
Courses cover: animal, plant and biogas production and utilisation, bio-fertilizers and pesticides, agroforestry, farming systems and farm management, output management and marketing......
In 2010, we begin the first extensive short course programmes offering affordable tuition in pig husbandry, biogas production, composting and all aspects of growing organic crops. Water catchment and pasture improvement will also be covered. A recently installed small apiary will, we hope, provide a further training opportunity together with our first crop of honey!
As well as catering for local students the biofarm is already attracting large numbers of local and international visitors, many of whom work as volunteers for up to 6 months.
SHUMAS welcomes both local and international volunteers with practical knowledge in any of these domains or other considered beneficial to the effective training of these peasant farmers. If interested, please click to our contact page.
Further details in our leaflets and courses available or planned on the bio-farm, can be downloaded here as .pdf documents:
"Three wind turbines are now operational,
producing both 12 volt DC and 220 volt AC power. They now provide
power for lighting, computers and other appliances in 2
buildings.