While we may be just starting the gardening season in the Pacific Northwest, and other parts of the United States, it’s “canning” season in Senegal!
The gardens often produce more food than the families can eat and sell and garden participants are creative in how they maximize their harvests.
Ndouima Sall has a plot in the Mboyo Garden.
“Since the garden has been in Mboyo, we are so happy, and we have a good production, especially of turnips.”
When gardens produce more than can be consumed, the women quickly set to preserving the excess so it will be available later.
“We have to process it in order to keep it. So we take the turnips, wash them, and transform them, putting them into bottles so they can stay for six months. And during the six months they wont perish.”
Racky Niane also has a plot in the Mboyo Garden. She explains the how preserving the turnips not only extends their shelf-life, but also adds additional forms of income for the women and their families.
“After we transform it we can sell it. A big bottle, which hold a kilogram (2 1/4 pounds), sells for 500cfa (about $1 USD). There is a smaller one, a half kilo, it sells for 250cfa. And finally a 250g bottle, sells for 125cfa.
We can use everything, we are not losing, even if we have an overproduction. We know how to keep it so we can use it in the future. ”
Racky Niane, of the Mboyo Garden
The women of the Mboyo Garden are very happy for the help you have brought to their community. With your support more communities will benefit from increased food and financial security.
