Esther Kromah is a YALI Network member from Liberia who has used her education and knowledge to help farmers in her community. After completing her studies in agriculture at the Booker Washington Institute, Esther noticed the high amount of spending by local farming groups to purchase inorganic fertilizer. Esther wanted to help farmers save money by training them to create their own organic compost. Since then, she has seen a decrease in the purchase and use of chemical fertilizers and an increase in productivity.
Esther became interested in organic farming when she began using compost in her own garden. The organic compost gives crops a natural taste and enriches the soil.
Organic fertilizer helps decrease soil erosion, the wearing away of topsoil, which occurs when there is no layer of material covering the soil. Organic fertilizer comes from material that would normally go to waste, such as vegetable scraps, grass and weed cuttings, and leaves. Inorganic fertilizer is a factory-made material that was invented to cover the soil while providing nutrients to the plants. However, only half of the inorganic fertilizer is absorbed by the plants; the rest is emitted into the atmosphere as pollution.
Esther’s goal is to create sustainable agriculture for local farmers and youth groups by providing an economically and environmentally friendly organic compost. She is working toward being a future leader through entrepreneurship in the agricultural sector, and her plans include improving future productivity by growing more vegetable crops with her compost. Esther wants to help provide a stable foundation for her country’s food supply and its local farmers.
To learn how to make your own organic compost, you can follow Esther’s instructions here.