Then and Now: A Graduated Farmer Seven Years After Starting his Forest Garden

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When Thomas Wesonga joined the agroforestry training program seven years ago, he had no idea he would be using the knowledge for the rest of his life.

Thomas signed up for Trees for the Future’s (TREES) Forest Garden training program in 2015. The Forest Garden Approach encourages farmers to use agroforestry and sustainable farming practices to restore their land and achieve regular harvests, meals, and paydays.

Thomas and his fellow program participants were the first farmers to join the TREES program in their area.

“Our goal is to provide farmers with the knowledge and resources they need to thrive on their land,” says TREES Director of Programs Brandy Lellou. “We have local staff across sub-Saharan Africa regularly identifying farming communities who would benefit from our training program.

Over the next few years, staff taught Thomas and his fellow farmers how to embrace sustainable agroforestry practices. They learned how to restore and protect their land, establish tree nurseries, diversify their crops, replace harmful and expensive chemicals with natural remedies, and improve their yields.

Seven years after joining the project, Thomas can still point to the long-lasting benefits of his training. He recalls receiving amaranth seeds during the project.

“I still plant it in my garden every season. I sell some and we also eat it at home. From the sales, I pay school fees for my children, and we use the balance to look after the home,” Thomas says. “Even now, I have some five kilograms of amaranth seeds at home that I harvested in July. I sell them to fellow farmers and in the market,” he adds.


In 2015, Thomas had about 550 trees growing on his land and three crops to sell throughout the year. By the end of the program, he had 3,740 trees in his Forest Garden and more than a dozen marketable products.

The response from farmers in the area has been tremendous with the majority adopting the Forest Garden Approach and performing well in their first year.

Many of these farmers have embraced the new techniques and incorporated them in their gardens which is bringing about a big difference to their land. Improved yields and soil quality are some of the major benefits TREES farmers enjoy from the training.

The future looks bright for the fledgling Forest Gardens… Especially if Thomas’ success is any indication of what’s to come! At 60 years old, he’s an expert in Forest Gardening and comfortably providing for his family of 12. The trees in his Forest Garden have stood the test of time and add value to his land and livelihood day after day.

#FoodSecurity #SocialInclusion

Comentarios (2)

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wonderful and thank you so much for growing trees on our beautiful planet

Joanne lawn12 January 2025

This is brilliant new you should be so proud of your work and knowledge. !what trees do you grow? 😊

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