SFG 2024 Livestock Plan
This year, SFG would like to start raising livestock in Minnesota— an exciting new venture for the organization. Livestock farming is very important to our community's culture and identity, and could potentially generate profits while teaching valuable skills.
The plan is to start small this year with a flock of sheep/goats and chickens. They would need daily care like feeding, watering, milking, and egg collecting. We will organize participants into 7 groups, one for each day of the week, to tend to the animals. Having 14 participants total would be even better, with 2 people per group. We will buy young weaned lambs from local auctions and transport them to the Big River Farm location in Marine on St Croix. Mohamed Fagiri, a community butcher, has generously volunteered to help purchase and transport the animals in his specialty livestock truck. We have an agreement with SFG to house the animals at Big River Farm, where no on-site slaughtering is allowed.
Eventually we will sell them to interested community members or process them ourselves at a slaughterhouse, which charges $25 per animal according to Mohamed Fagiri, who slaughters about a dozen sheep every week and is very experienced. We also identified Sharing Our Roots farm in Northfield as an alternative location, since they already have the infrastructure, grazing land, and interest in livestock.
Charles Moroko, a Twin Cities Kenyan farmer, is also interested in starting a 50-head goat operation there this year, and would commute to tend them multiple times per week. We discussed initial verbal agreements with Charles and Sharing Our Roots at the Soil Heal training on February 2nd, 2024.
The Numbers:
1 acre rent is about $150 to $300 / year
⅔ acre Alfalfa supports 10 sheep
10 sheep produce 1 lamb every month allowing the sale of 1 sheep at $150 each month
A sheep is sold at 10 month old once it produced at 6 mo & weaned at 9 mo
Weekly rotational grazing saves cultivation labor & fertilizers & regrows the Alfalfa every 70 days
¼ acre vegetable, sheep milk, eggs & chicken, feeds the farmer & bring in another $150/month
Okra & Molokhia can be dried & sold when market prices are higher (if needed)
A $1,000 solar pumping system easily irrigates 1 acre
The One-Acre Self Sustaining Farm in Sudan
This year SFG is well positioned and funded to venture into starting a small model farm in Sudan advancing concepts such as organic, drip irrigation, solar pumping, rotational grazing. The main crop is likely to be Alfalfa (or the more common local alternative Absabeen), a crop with low risk and low labor requirements & known for its high profitability. Utilizing alfalfa in the production and sale of sheep meat could potentially increase profits even further. As a result, two thirds of the farm will be dedicated to growing alfalfa as feed for the sheep. The remaining land is to be used for cultivating and selling vegetables, which serves the dual purpose of providing food for the farmer's family and diversifying income in case of any issues with the sheep or alfalfa, such as disease or theft. Additionally, the farmer sustains their family's income and diet by using sheep milk and raising chickens.
To sustain a flock of 10 sheep, approximately two thirds of an acre of alfalfa is sufficient. These sheep produce 15 offspring per year, with a newborn lamb arriving every 3-4 weeks. Each lamb is sold after 6 months for $150, resulting in an annual income of $2,250 from the sheep alone. The remaining income, estimated at $1,350, is generated from the sale of vegetables, milk, eggs, and chickens. In total, the farmer earns $3,600 annually, or $300 per month ($200 from sheep and $100 from vegetables).
The choice of okra and molokhia as the main vegetables is strategic, as they can be dried and sold during the off season when prices are higher. On the other hand, tomatoes and arugula can be harvested every couple of days and sold at the local market or to neighbors.
The alfalfa field is divided into 10 equal sections, with the sheep grazing in each section for one week before being moved to the next. The previously grazed section is then re-seeded and allowed to grow for 70 days. This rotation eliminates the need for labor in harvesting and fertilizing, as the sheep's presence and grazing naturally fertilize the field.
The estimated rent for the entire acre of land is approximately $150 per year. Traditionally, flood irrigation for one acre requires a 6hp lister diesel engine pump, consuming around 15 gallons of diesel fuel per week. However, drip irrigation, which uses only 10% of the water, can be easily implemented with an SF2H Solar Future pump powered by a 240W solar panel. The cost of this pump, including the solar panels and accessories, is $1,000. This solar-powered pump can operate at a vertical height of up to 45m and can be connected to a drip system, sprinklers, or even used for flood irrigation. Alternatively, a custom solar setup can be assembled using locally available brands and components.
Cost Breakdown:
$100 for a populated vertical/roof garden
$100 for a populated chicken / rabbit enclosure
$500 home solar module powers the lights, fan, air cooler, TV for life
$1,000 solar rickshaw provides free transportation & income for life
Low Income Desert House
Transformation in Sudan
Imagine a prototype home situated in a low-income community within a remote town or village in Sudan or any other region of sub-Saharan Africa. Adjacent to the house, there is a locally constructed Rickshaw powered by solar energy. The edge of the street is adorned with a row of leafy fruit-bearing trees. The garden, fence, and roof of the property are adorned with vertical gardens that produce edible plants. Watering is accomplished through a do-it-yourself drip irrigation system. The rooftop solar panels, which were installed by the residents themselves, are easily visible from the road and provide full power to this self-sufficient home.
Additionally, there is a small, hygienic chicken enclosure, a rabbit shelter, and a solar oven that was designed and built locally for cooking purposes. Within the house, there are solar-powered air coolers that have been both passively and actively designed by the local community. Furthermore, free educational classes are available, and the necessary components are sold at cost without any intention of making a profit, all with the aim of promoting this exemplary model.
