Since 2011, WILK’s Livestock as a Business (LAB) Program has supported Maasai livestock farmers as they transition from cultural livestock keeping to running livestock businesses. A constant theme addressed in LAB trainings is managing the drought cycle. “Double LAB” will address this in an innovative way.
Expanding on Our LAB Practices with the Richard Shaull Mission Grant
Last year, we received a $45,905.51 grant from Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church to support our new “Double LAB” Program. This grant will help us build a model farm so our Livestock as a Business (LAB) farmers and grass managers can grow nutritious livestock feed for their cows.
Our LAB livestock farmer group members observed that, although cattle had enough grass in the dry season to became full, they were still losing body condition, leading to lower selling prices in the market. This is because the grass was dry and of low nutritional content.
Through this model farm, the “Double LAB” program will empower Maasai farmers by demonstrating how highly nutritious fodder impacts cattle body condition. Through visits and on-site trainings, we will place decision-making, capital, and new knowledge squarely in their hands. For those farmers who are ready to try faster livestock fattening, they will see it done practically on this demonstration farm.
Double LAB in Action
So far, we’ve irrigated land and cultivated specific highly nutritious fodder like napier grass, juncao grass, and desmodium. Our hope is to shift the cultural perspective of letting cattle eat whatever is available and, instead, work to improve grass availability and quality.
This is a drought preparation technique, but it will also benefit livestock all year long and put money in farmers’ pockets.
Soon, we’ll invite 850 LAB graduates, the members of our 10 active LAB groups, YEP members who invested in livestock farming, and grass managers we trained in 2024 to learn about this new way of raising livestock..
