This document summarizes the development of a project to introduce mechanical tools to farmers in Western Kenya to assist in the production of the drought-resistant crop amaranth. It describes the stakeholders involved, including universities and local organizations. Prototypes were developed for a mechanical seed planter and human-powered thresher and tested on farms through a shared-use model. The testing focused on improving efficiency and quality of production. The project aims to establish local manufacturing and a business venture model to scale up the tools and amaranth production in the region.

1. University of Hartford
Marcia Hughes, Ph.D. Sociology
David Pines, Ph.D. Engineering

2.  Rockwell Rookey, Civil Engineer, LEED AP
 Dr. Thomas Boving, URI
 Dr. Katherine Owens, UHart, Politics and Government
 Maria Arroyo, UHart Politics and Government Student
 Alex Schettino, UHart ME Student (Graduated)
 KARI
 Dr. George Ayaga
 Ruth Orlale

3.  Amaranth grain was introduced to Western Kenya and
other countries as a CASH CROP by Poverty
Eradication Commission- 2005
 Highly nutritious “super food” (addresses health and
food security issues)
 Drought (and pest) resistant (addresses climate
change) – Maize is failing
 Short growing period (Increased production)

4. Threshing of amaranth is
exhausting work
Seeds are small

5.  Sows appropriate number
of seeds at correct spacing
 Little to no waste of seeds
 Much less
thinning/weeding
 Quality of yield improves

6.  A machine designed to
efficiently thresh grains with
high quality output
 No longer exhaustive, dirty,
back-breaking work typical of
traditional method
 With a replacement
screen/sieve, a single machine
can decrease time, labor, and
increase quality and quantity
for all your grains

7.  Manufacturing and sale of tools:
 Develop the infrastructure and capacity (locally)
for large-scale manufacturing of the mechanical
seed planter and the human-powered thresher.
 Customers need customers:
 Assist small to medium farming enterprises in
increasing quantity and quality of amaranth
production.

8.  June 2012: On-the-ground business model
 Facilitated consensus among stakeholders at each of
5 pilot sites (farming collaboratives-communities):
 Delineate individual roles and contributions
 Ensure equity/investment

9.  Partners:
 Kenya Agriculture and Research
Institute
 Farming Groups
 Polytechnic School
 Ministry of Agriculture

10.  Community mobilization:
 Each group has its own dynamic and history with each
other and with us - modified accordingly

11.  Transferring/sharing knowledge and ideas:
 Develop a common understanding of the background,
“the problem,” and the purpose of the project.

12.  Implementation of Shared Use of Tools:
 Activities, roles, responsibilities
 Who will keep the tools?
 Who will provide oversight, training, and
management?
 How many days will each farm utilize tools?
 How will tools be transported from farm to farm?
 Who will be in charge of maintenance?
 How much to charge individual users?
 **Our customers have customers: Increasing production
of amaranth grain locally

13.  November 2012 and January 2013 field trips
 Assess progress:
 Practical/shared use of tools
 Tools versus traditional methods (research)
 Further field testing and modifications
 Plan for upscaling of amaranth production
 Identify entrepreneurs: expand/innovate venture
model
 Marketing/partnerships (i.e., Ministry of
Agriculture, registries of collaboratives)
 Seed production and related training

14.  Modify-Test, Modify-Test, Modify-Test : Keep it simple!
 Takes communication, brainstorming, and time

15.  Involving farmers in the implementation and the
testing of the tools: the farmers see the value and need
for the tools

16.  Involving farmers in the implementation and the testing:
Farmers and artisans build strong working relationships

17.  Involving farmers in the implementation and the
testing: Business Venturers step forward

18. Lessons Learned: The tools will work, now the focus
is the business model
Nov. 2012

19. • Detailed business model for tools:
Hardware store (micro-finance group)
Carpenters (borrow from micro-finance group for start-up funds)
Micro-finance group (registered)
Train the trainer model
Marketing and promotion
Payment for maintenance and management (of thresher)
Accounting
Promotion of amaranth
Seed breeding
Identification of buyers of amaranth
Value add – milling/packaging/KEBS
Jan. 2013

20. Lessons Learned: Transfer of ideas and use of model
for other ventures
CBO Executive Committee

21.  Expand our partners and focus on supporting business
venture and other entrepreneurs
 Increase production of amaranth
 Further too development: Are we saving on time and
improving work conditions? Are we improving quality
and quantity?
 More training on production of amaranth and develop
train the trainer model
 Advisory committee