The Kenya- Born American Farmer Uniting Nations Through Corn Farming | A Story of Hope & Harvest

Описание: The Kenya- Born American Farmer Uniting Nations Through Corn Farming
By Bonventure Mwayuli
It is 5.00 am here in Bloomington-Normal. We have risen up early and are heading to the farm. In the horizon we can see the sun preparing to rise. During summer season like today, the sun rises early and sets late. It is because of this reason that the USA experiences longer days and shorter nights during such a season. It is also during this season that farmers plant and harvest their crops.
We drive through thousands of acres of farmland. The main crop here is corn and soy beans. The farmers here practice crop rotation in order to maintain the rich nutrients of the soil.
Today we are joining Mama Janet Zintambila, a Kenyan born American farmer for her annual corn harvesting festival.
For the past 15 years, Mama Janets CHJ umoja gardens has grown by lips and bounds
Through her farming activities, Mama Janet gives not only African immigrants, but immigrants of many nationalities a chance to celebrate corn harvesting the way they used to do in their home countries. This is such a unique experience that unites people of many different nationalities.
They speak different languages
but on the farm they speak only one language, the language of corn. Here in the USA, maize as we know it is referred to as corn.
For Mama Janet, her farm is small, nestled in between thousands of acres of farmland owned by American farmers. But she is resilient, she is persistent. She knows that in life you cannot get everything you want all at the same time. The Kenyan spirit in her tells her that it is better to be a few steps behind in a race rather than watch the race from the sidelines.
Nobody can tell the beautiful story of this farm better than 5-year-old Isabel.
According to her mother Cathy Oyier, Isabel’s existence is because of this very farm. Here in the USA, they say the way to a woman’s heart is through the airport. But Isabels father found the way to Cathy’s heart through this maize plantation. No wonder they say in Africa, the way to a man’s heart is through the stomach.
Isabel is the best thing that has ever happened to Cathy. Cathy believes that the sweetest things in life begin with humility, they start unexpectedly, in the simplest manner.
It is not only the young who are here but the young at heart are here too. This American queen is over 70 years old but to her age is just but a number.
Wait a minute, I here someone singing in the maize plantation
The good singing Professor is not alone. He is accompanied by his wife
It is not only Kenyans who are here. Many nationalities are represented.
What she is saying is that she has a shop in Chicago. They have driven all the way to come here and collect corn for their customers.
Diana Towett, all the way from Kericho, in Kenya’s Rift Valley region is here too. Being on the farm brings back memories of her youthful days.
It is not only the Rift Valley, Kenya’s Lake Region is also here too
The presence of Africans cannot be complete without Nigerians.
For those who missed this event, do not worry because Moving Pictures Kenya is here to tell the story. I couldn’t miss this unique event. I took the American Eagle, flying hundreds of miles via O’Hare International Airport to Bloomington-Normal in Illinois. The American Eagle is a subsidiary of American Airlines. Its fleet of Embraer airplanes operates mainly domestic and regional flights with the USA.
As much as harvesting corn is fan, it is also therapeutic.
Mental health is a big issue in the USA especially among the immigrant men. Through this corn festival, Mama Janet is playing her part.
She believes that the cost of doing nothing far outweighs the cost of doing something, however little.
As we finalize, we start loading the corn onto trucks destined for various destinations. This one is specifically destined for Texas.
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