Farming my way into the fastlane

[Awakened2022]

After reading @ Prime Periwinkle's reply to@ @ Marcus Aurelius' request for guidance, I decided to start this thread so that I may not be the faker she mentions after two years.

I joined this forum two years ago after reading TMFL. I had had a series of FTEs at my workplace and in my financial life that one of my goals was to become a millionaire and drive my life.

Since joining the forum, I have seen a massive transformation in my life, especially mindset-wise. When I first came here, I was asking if $240 should hold me hostage. I received lots of support and advice, some of which I implemented.

I am happy to announce that come next year around this time, I will no longer be held hostage by such a paltry amount.

HAVE I ROBBED A BANK, OR KILLED A EUROPEAN?

No! I have found an idea the execution of which is guaranteed to free me from the clutches of a job that no longer holds any attraction for me.

Is the idea SEXY?

It is the most unsexy, and that is what makes it a must-win.

Early this year, I changed my business from a small retail shop to a grocery store. My funds were pretty small, but my head was full of ideas garnered from this forum. The store is in the central district shopping center where retailers from all over the district shop. No MBA could have taught me the lessons I have since learned.

The most important one is that NO BUSINESS PLAN SURVIVES CONTACT WITH THE MARKET. I went in guns blazing ready to secure tenders from various schools for the supply of maize flour only to learn that I would need lots of capital to pull off such a feat.

In my introduction as Anon 05554, I mentioned that we as a family own agricultural land and we're beginning to earn more from the farm than from our day jobs. Because of the farm, we rarely buy food items. Hence, I didn't know that there was a big demand for dried cassava chips and high-quality cassava flour.

I launched my new business with half a tonne of beans, a tonne of maize,200kgs of millet, and 400kgs of dried cassava chips (all produced on my farm). Because I had produced them myself, and my mother taught us to produce clean food, the quality was out of this world.

Within two weeks, I had sold everything. It was then I appreciated the meaning of a productocracy. Referrals were coming in to the extent people started leaving their contacts so I could notify them when I brought in fresh supplies!

WHERE AM I GOING WITH THIS?

I have decided to grow cassava. A kilo of cassava flour sells for slightly less than a dollar and a cassava plant can at worst give one kilo. So, to make over $10k a year, I need to plant over 10000 cassava plants. An acre accommodates 4000 plants at a spacing of 1 meter by one meter. This means I need about three acres of land.


I have always grown cassava for home consumption. I know which variety yields more, which one makes a good dish, and which makes quality dry chips.

I have already planted around 2000 cassava plants and hope to hit the 10000 mark in August when the rainy season starts. I will use our land and even rent some of my inlaws'.

The major challenge will be how to dry such big quantities. I am looking into the possibility of constructing a solar dryer.

Uganda is facing a big food crisis with the population growing at a supersonic rate without a corresponding increase in agricultural investments. The price of food items has doubled and I don't expect that of cassava to go down any time soon.

I will be updating this thread whenever there is a new development. I want to look back two years from today and laugh at how small my dreams were.

I am looking at $100k a year as some big money to start with since I only make $240 a month as a teacher of English in a government secondary school.

I hope to leverage the fertile soils in my area, the fact that I already have a grocery store with a steady stream of customers, and the fact that farming comes naturally to me(I would rather spend the day chopping cassava than marking exam scripts).

My value skew will be unparalleled cleanliness and timely delivery since I will be drying it on my farm. (Currently, my neighbors order theirs from the capital).

If you have read this far, thank you. I have a lot to say, but typing on a phone has its limitations.

Looking forward to a year of growth and plenty of advice from those who know better. Good night good people.

 

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[BizyDad]

After reading @ Prime Periwinkle's reply to@ @ Marcus Aurelius' request for guidance, I decided to start this thread so that I may not be the faker she mentions after two years.

I joined this forum two years ago after reading TMFL. I had had a series of FTEs at my workplace and in my financial life that one of my goals was to become a millionaire and drive my life.

Since joining the forum, I have seen a massive transformation in my life, especially mindset-wise. When I first came here, I was asking if $240 should hold me hostage. I received lots of support and advice, some of which I implemented.

I am happy to announce that come next year around this time, I will no longer be held hostage by such a paltry amount.

HAVE I ROBBED A BANK, OR KILLED A EUROPEAN?

No! I have found an idea the execution of which is guaranteed to free me from the clutches of a job that no longer holds any attraction for me.

Is the idea SEXY?

It is the most unsexy, and that is what makes it a must-win.

Early this year, I changed my business from a small retail shop to a grocery store. My funds were pretty small, but my head was full of ideas garnered from this forum. The store is in the central district shopping center where retailers from all over the district shop. No MBA could have taught me the lessons I have since learned.

The most important one is that NO BUSINESS PLAN SURVIVES CONTACT WITH THE MARKET. I went in guns blazing ready to secure tenders from various schools for the supply of maize flour only to learn that I would need lots of capital to pull off such a feat.

In my introduction as Anon 05554, I mentioned that we as a family own agricultural land and we're beginning to earn more from the farm than from our day jobs. Because of the farm, we rarely buy food items. Hence, I didn't know that there was a big demand for dried cassava chips and high-quality cassava flour.

I launched my new business with half a tonne of beans, a tonne of maize,200kgs of millet, and 400kgs of dried cassava chips (all produced on my farm). Because I had produced them myself, and my mother taught us to produce clean food, the quality was out of this world.

Within two weeks, I had sold everything. It was then I appreciated the meaning of a productocracy. Referrals were coming in to the extent people started leaving their contacts so I could notify them when I brought in fresh supplies!

WHERE AM I GOING WITH THIS?

I have decided to grow cassava. A kilo of cassava flour sells for slightly less than a dollar and a cassava plant can at worst give one kilo. So, to make over $10k a year, I need to plant over 10000 cassava plants. An acre accommodates 4000 plants at a spacing of 1 meter by one meter. This means I need about three acres of land.


I have always grown cassava for home consumption. I know which variety yields more, which one makes a good dish, and which makes quality dry chips.

I have already planted around 2000 cassava plants and hope to hit the 10000 mark in August when the rainy season starts. I will use our land and even rent some of my inlaws'.

The major challenge will be how to dry such big quantities. I am looking into the possibility of constructing a solar dryer.

Uganda is facing a big food crisis with the population growing at a supersonic rate without a corresponding increase in agricultural investments. The price of food items has doubled and I don't expect that of cassava to go down any time soon.

I will be updating this thread whenever there is a new development. I want to look back two years from today and laugh at how small my dreams were.

I am looking at $100k a year as some big money to start with since I only make $240 a month as a teacher of English in a government secondary school.

I hope to leverage the fertile soils in my area, the fact that I already have a grocery store with a steady stream of customers, and the fact that farming comes naturally to me(I would rather spend the day chopping cassava than marking exam scripts).

My value skew will be unparalleled cleanliness and timely delivery since I will be drying it on my farm. (Currently, my neighbors order theirs from the capital).

If you have read this far, thank you. I have a lot to say, but typing on a phone has its limitations.

Looking forward to a year of growth and plenty of advice from those who know better. Good night good people.

Congrats on the progress. I look forward to hearing more.

 

[Awakened2022]

Congrats on the progress. I look forward to hearing more.

Thank you. Will surely commit to documenting my escape from the rat race.

Congrats on the progress. I look forward to hearing more.

 

[Awakened2022]

Time for an update.

I am back in town and business is slow. However, the demand for clean dry cassava chips is up. I came from the village with 76 kgs and was sold out before midday.

Others have dry cassava chips but they aren't as clean as mine. I get excited when my neighbors who also sell cassava chips buy from me cassava for their personal use.This makes me wish I had planted a lot last year. As things stand, I have to be patient.

The dry season is upon us and all planting activities have to be put on hold till mid August. We shall instead be harvesting coffee, beans, peanuts, and soy.

I was excited to have someone call to book 50kgs of cassava chips for his party in June. As the business lady I have become, I told him to make a deposit in lieu of commitment..Waiting to hear back from him.

I am wondering whether I shouldn't name this thread,"Farming My Way Into the Fastlane."What do you think?

Will give another update when the harvest is all in so that we can evaluate if the margins are worth my efforts.

Btw, we haven't been paid salaries for three months. I don't know what I would be feeding my family of 9 if we hadn't invested in Agriculture.

Till next time.
Aura

 

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[Isaac Odongo]

Hey

Well done

I am excited.

How do you make your cassava flour?

I remember once eating cassava flour from fresh, unfermented cassava. What a delicacy it was. But nobody seems to be bothered about it.

It is the best flour anyone can eat. But it can’t be found with ease.

 

[Awakened2022]

Hey

Well done

I am excited.

How do you make your cassava flour?

I remember once eating cassava flour from fresh, unfermented cassava. What a delicacy it was. But nobody seems to be bothered about it.

It is the best flour anyone can eat. But it can’t be found with ease.

Thanks for the words of encouragement. I make my flour by following the following steps:

1st I wash the cassava, then I cut it into medium-sized chips which I peel. Thereafter, I rinse it and spread it on a clean tarpaulin to dry.

That is where the real battle begins. If it does not shine that first day, the color will change, the smell will be horrible and molds will grow. That is why I am planning to invest in a solar drier. A flush one would be better, but it is mighty expensive and we do not have hydroelectricity in my village.

When it is dry after like five days, I get it milled and the selling begins.

I do not know about fermented cassava flour. How is it made?
Btw, a kilogram of cassava flour retails at 3000shs and wholesale at 2500shs.

With the price of maize flour skyrocketing daily, investing in cassava growing might be the best decision of my life. One year is not too long a time to asses and adjust.

Good day.

Aura.

 

[Isaac Odongo]

1st I wash the cassava, then I cut it into medium-sized chips which I peel. Thereafter, I rinse it and spread it on a clean tarpaulin to dry.

Harvest. Wash. Peel. Cut up. Remove impurities. Sort the best quality for flour. Crush into pulp. Something like sort again for what isn't crushed. Crush that as well. Then dry and then mill. All in one revolution of the sun. The flour is great when made into bread. I don't know the price. But it can be parked. And it seems some supermarkets take it as well. It is superior to maize flour, at least in taste. It doesn't even feel like cassava.

Btw, a kilogram of cassava flour retails at 3000shs and wholesale at 2500shs.

The other one should for now be relatively higher than these.

 

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[Awakened2022]

Harvest. Wash. Peel. Cut up. Remove impurities. Sort the best quality for flour. Crush into pulp. Something like sort again for what isn't crushed. Crush that as well. Then dry and then mill. All in one revolution of the sun. The flour is great when made into bread. I don't know the price. But it can be parked. And it seems some supermarkets take it as well. It is superior to maize flour, at least in taste. It doesn't even feel like cassava.

The other one should for now be relatively higher than these.

Since it is shining daily, I will continue with my method for the time being. I will give your method a try next year when my cassava matures and I go all in to make huge quantities of flour.

Btw @Isaac Odongo, how are the prices of foodstuffs that end? Here in the West, everything has skyrocketed in price. For beans, it's like they will soon be extinct. It is the harvest season and a kilogram which less than two years ago was at 1800 shs now stands at 4500 shs. One wonders what a kilo will cost in October since the next harvest season is in December.

Thanks to this forum, when someone said to look at what is already working for you and multiply it by 100, I decided to up my bean-growing game. I am heading to the village to oversee their harvesting and will report on the output.

If you are in Africa and wondering how to start, what about looking into food growing and processing as well as climate-smart farming?

Till then,

Aura.

 

[Awakened2022]

I guess I owe you an update. First and foremost, I have been maddeningly busy. This is the harvesting season and we are at school! Luckily for me, I have a trustworthy maid who doubles as my assistant at the grocery store when I go to the farm.

Most of the coffee has been harvested and we should sell off the first batch, like one tonne this weekend. Each kilogram goes for 4000shs(slightly more than a dollar).
As for the beans, I have about half a tonne and the prices go up daily. I plan to hold on to mine and sell them in August when people are desperate for clean planting seeds.

Quality cassava chips are selling like hotcakes. In the last two weeks alone, I have sold nearly half a tonne, and my customers are people with weddings. Cassava flour is mixed with millet flour in equal quantities and mingled to make millet bread which is a must have at every function in my region).The beauty of these sales is that most are referrals.

On another positive note, we had some land under trees and I have persuaded hubby to sell off the trees so I can get more land for cassava growing come August when the rains begin. He has injected the proceeds from the sale of the trees into my store, so it is a win win for me.

Other than these, I am in the village plotting , planning and acting on my goal of farming my way into the fast lane.

Will be back with the rains.
Till then,

Aura.

 

[BizyDad]

I guess I owe you an update. First and foremost, I have been maddeningly busy. This is the harvesting season and we are at school! Luckily for me, I have a trustworthy maid who doubles as my assistant at the grocery store when I go to the farm.

Most of the coffee has been harvested and we should sell off the first batch, like one tonne this weekend. Each kilogram goes for 4000shs(slightly more than a dollar).
As for the beans, I have about half a tonne and the prices go up daily. I plan to hold on to mine and sell them in August when people are desperate for clean planting seeds.

Quality cassava chips are selling like hotcakes. In the last two weeks alone, I have sold nearly half a tonne, and my customers are people with weddings. Cassava flour is mixed with millet flour in equal quantities and mingled to make millet bread which is a must have at every function in my region).The beauty of these sales is that most are referrals.

On another positive note, we had some land under trees and I have persuaded hubby to sell off the trees so I can get more land for cassava growing come August when the rains begin. He has injected the proceeds from the sale of the trees into my store, so it is a win win for me.

Other than these, I am in the village plotting , planning and acting on my goal of farming my way into the fast lane.

Will be back with the rains.
Till then,

Aura.

Thank you for the update. Are the chips a new product or is your recent success a result in a change in getting the word out?

Either way, I'm glad to hear you are getting word of mouth. That means you have some things good, something worth telling people about.

 

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[Awakened2022]

Thank you for the update. Are the chips a new product or is your recent success a result of a change in getting the word out?

Either way, I'm glad to hear you are getting word of mouth. That means you have some things good, something worth telling people about.

Thank you for the update. Are the chips a new product or is your recent success a result of a change in getting the word out?

Either way, I'm glad to hear you are getting word of mouth. That means you have some things good, something worth telling people about.

Thanks for asking. The chips are not a new product. Others have them, but they are dirty and full of molds and probably aflatoxin.

When I began this business, I had my personally dried chips, and people got to know me as the "clean chips lady".Now, whoever is looking for clean chips simply gets directed to my store.

The chips have always been sold cheaply, but food prices have simply skyrocketed in the past two years, and I am counting on them to stay that way for the next two or so.

I didn't know cassava chips and flour were in high demand because I have always grown my cassava and processed flour for home consumption. So, I had zero interaction with the market.

Thanks to this forum, I now know about value skew and mine is very clean cassava chips that say"Shut up and take my money".

When I doubt someone's ability to dry them satisfactorily, I buy the cassava raw and dry them myself at a cost.

I am encouraging my neighbors to plant cassava in August so that they become my out growers.

All in all, I am excited about life and feel I am on to a CENTS-based business.
Thanks for the prompt.

 

[Awakened2022]

A new month and a new update.

Business is frighteningly slow as our sales peak only when there is food scarcity in the villages. As things stand, bananas are plentiful this time of the year. Therefore, few people are buying rice, millet, and maize flour.

Being relatively a novice in this business, the legends have encouraged me not to lose heart since the business picks up from September up to March.

On the cassava chips and flour side, there are more suppliers now that it is the dry season, but their supplies fall short of mine in quality. This gives me the confidence that I am onto a serious value skew.

The cassava I planted in April is now 2 and a half months old. I sourced the seed from our National Agricultural Research Organisation in the hope of getting increased yields. If it matures in 10 months, as I was told, I have seven more months of waiting.

In the meantime, my goals for this month are as follows:
1. Pay casual workers to prepare fields for planting when the rains come in August.
2. Convince my Member of Parliament to visit our farm. I hope to persuade her to lobby for a hydropower connection for my village to the national grid so that by the time my cassava matures, I can set up a milling factory.
3. Record all cassava-related sales, and capture the phone numbers of my customers to get feedback on how satisfactory my product was to them.

Meanwhile, it is 1:00 pm here and the only thing I have sold is cassava flour_55kgs, and mercifully, to repeat customers.

I can't wait for the rains to come so that I hit my target of a 10k cassava plants garden.

Btw, regarding the Member of Parliament, I have just got her number from my brother who is her friend. He has requested me not to mention him. Any tips on how to pitch her an invitation? I want her to visit my farm, see how much it is contributing to the development of her constituency, and hopefully persuade her to lobby for a connection to the national power grid.

Your tips are most welcome.
I will do my best to provide updates weekly.

I am going to try and attach pictures of my baby(cassava garden). If I fail, I am still a work in progress. Looks like I have succeeded.

Till then,

Aura.

 

[Isaac Odongo]

Btw, regarding the Member of Parliament, I have just got her number from my brother who is her friend. He has requested me not to mention him. Any tips on how to pitch her an invitation?

@Kak may come in here.

 

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[Awakened2022]

That will be the day!Holding my breath...

@Kak may come in here.

 

[Isaac Odongo]

That will be the day!Holding my breath...

@Kak, you are cordially requested to share your experience in lobbying from politicians.

The floor is yours. Others are welcome too.

 

[Awakened2022]

Yesterday, I got confirmation that I am on the right track with my cassava chips idea.

A supplier brought around 5 tons of not-so-clean dry cassava chips and people almost exchanged blows in a bid to get their hands on a sack.

You may not believe this,(and I also found it hard to believe)but this cassava had been imported from Tanzania, our neighbor to the south. This means cassava production in Uganda could be at an all-time low, or is it that demand has exceeded supply? Either way, I believe I will emerge victorious and will be singing a happy song sometime next year.

The most surprising and heartwarming news is that even with others selling cassava chips as cheaply as 2500shs a kilo, those who treasure quality still found their way to my store, and mine is 3000shs a kilo.

In other news, this weekend I was in the village and planted around 200 cassava plants. I took a risk because the dry season has set in already. Let us wait and see if the skies will smile on me and send some rain. If not, the cassava will still sprout when the rainy season begins in August.

I have not yet pitched the Member of Parliament since I realized I needed a compelling project for her to tour (I only have about 2500 plants so far).

Will update again when I have news worth sharing.
Till then,
Aura.

 

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[Isaac Odongo]

Most sellers of produce have shitty quality. Their products are dusty and dirty and other weird things.

Storage and transportation is poor. But people buy.

Good that you are sticking to your quality.

Keep going.

 

[Awakened2022]

Most sellers of produce have shitty quality. Their products are dusty and dirty and other weird things.

Storage and transportation is poor. But people buy.

Good that you are sticking to your quality.

Keep going.

That you are following my progress and cheering me on gives me the gusto to keep hustling. Hopefully, you will get a chance to sample my product when begin packaging the flour.

 

[Two Dog]

Quality cassava chips are selling like hotcakes. In the last two weeks alone, I have sold nearly half a tonne, and my customers are people with weddings. Cassava flour is mixed with millet flour in equal quantities and mingled to make millet bread which is a must have at every function in my region).The beauty of these sales is that most are referrals.

On another positive note, we had some land under trees and I have persuaded hubby to sell off the trees so I can get more land for cassava growing come August when the rains begin. He has injected the proceeds from the sale of the trees into my store, so it is a win win for me.

Love your effort.

Are cassava chips a food or a snack? What options do you have for marketing them?

I couldn't possibly know less about marketing avenues in Uganda vs. US, but wonder whether you're doing even the basic marketing step of clearly identifying the products as YOURS. Stamped bag, package label, handwritten insert, coupon, anything that would connect buyers directly to you to ask questions and potentially place an order.

 

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[Awakened2022]

Love your effort.

Are cassava chips a food or a snack? What options do you have for marketing them?

I couldn't possibly know less about marketing avenues in Uganda vs. US, but wonder whether you're doing even the basic marketing step of clearly identifying the products as YOURS. Stamped bag, package label, handwritten insert, coupon, anything that would connect buyers directly to you to ask questions and potentially place an order.

Thanks for following my progress. Cassava chips (dry ones) are mixed in millet and milled to get flour for making millet bread which is a must-have in every homestead in Western Uganda.

When milled alone, cassava flour is used to make cassava bread which is a staple food in other parts of Uganda.

With a hike in wheat prices following the Russia-Ukrainian War, most bakers are turning to cassava flour as a substitute for wheat.

Western Uganda is famous for banana growing, so cassava is mainly grown on a subsistence basis. Also, as the population keeps growing, arable land has become scarce, which increases the barrier to entry for commercial farming. That is what I want to turn into an unfair advantage.

Regarding marketing and branding, I have unfortunately not done much other than posting on my What's Up status and a few groups. This is because I am operating on a small scale, and word of mouth is still working fine.

As per your suggestion, I hope to look into branding and selling outside my district when I have a lot of produce next year.

I am currently buying my supplies from my village, but insisting on extreme cleanliness. I am also encouraging potential out growers by promising them cassava stems for planting (improved variety) when mine mature.

Thanks for asking me some questions. All I can say now is:watch this space!

 

[Bekit]

I love this thread so much! Super excited for you.

Two thoughts:
1. What if you set your sights on selling to the overseas gluten free market? Right now on Amazon, a package of Cassava flour is $14.49 for 2 lb (907 g). At your current scale, you might not be able to do this yet, but if your product is known for being the cleanest, I bet big brands would eventually love to order as much as you can produce.

2. Regarding the potential pitch to parliament - think about what's in it for them. Really think this through in preparing your pitch. Put yourself in their shoes and consider what factors they would have to take into account in order to grant your request. For example:

• How far is the distance to the nearest power grid?
• How much would it cost for them to extend the power lines to you?
• How much return would be generated if you were to have access to power? (e.g. the general prosperity of the whole region would be $X without access to power, but your projections show that if you had power and were able to scale your cassava operation faster, then you would have the ability to employ __ people and generate $XXXXX, which would have a ripple effect of improvements in the whole community.)
• Are there any problems that they would like to solve that could be solved more effectively if there was more money to go around in local area? Some issues, like lack of education, can be alleviated when the general population is more prosperous. Can you help them see the connection between your success and their objectives for improvements in the region? How much could the effectiveness of your operation help them to achieve things they care about?
• You might research what their campaign platform consisted of and see if there are campaign promises they made or "pet" issues they have that you could establish a link to. You don't have to promise them the moon - just argue a believable connection between them helping you and fulfilling their campaign promise.
• In terms of research - if your brother is a friend of this person, part of your research might be to ask your brother for insight into what this parliament member cares about.

 

[Awakened2022]

I love this thread so much! Super excited for you.

Two thoughts:
1. What if you set your sights on selling to the overseas gluten-free market? Right now on Amazon, a package of Cassava flour is $14.49 for 2 lb (907 g). At your current scale, you might not be able to do this yet, but if your product is known for being the cleanest, I bet big brands would eventually love to order as much as you can produce.

2. Regarding the potential pitch to parliament - think about what's in it for them. Think this through in preparing your pitch. Put yourself in their shoes and consider what factors they would have to take into account to grant your request. For example:

• How far is the distance to the nearest power grid?
• How much would it cost for them to extend the power lines to you?
• How much return would be generated if you were to have access to power? (e.g. the general prosperity of the whole region would be $X without access to power, but your projections show that if you had power and were able to scale your cassava operation faster, then you would have the ability to employ __ people and generate $XXXXX, which would have a ripple effect of improvements in the whole community.)
• Are there any problems that they would like to solve that could be solved more effectively if there was more money to go around in the local area? Some issues, like lack of education, can be alleviated when the general population is more prosperous. Can you help them see the connection between your success and their objectives for improvements in the region? How much could the effectiveness of your operation help them to achieve things they care about?
• You might research what their campaign platform consisted of and see if there are campaign promises they made or "pet" issues they have that you could establish a link to. You don't have to promise them the moon - just argue a believable connection between them helping you and fulfilling their campaign promise.
• In terms of research - if your brother is a friend of this person, part of your research might be to ask your brother for insight into what this parliament member cares about.

A thousand thanks to @Bekit for this detailed response. I have been hesitant to make an update, and you have given me a reason to make yet another update.

To begin with, fate put our Member of Parliament in my path when we met at a function last week. I put my timidity in the corner and introduced myself as my brother's sister(I had initially wanted to pitch to the female one who is known to my other brother, and this is the male one also known to my elder brother). To my surprise, he said he already knew who I was.

Long story short, I told him my family would love it if he toured our farm on one of his visits to the constituency. He told me to tell him more about the farm in a message to remind him of the invitation.

I sent him a What's up message yesterday(I got his number from my brother), detailing the location, projects, and employment opportunities on the farm. I used a you-focused approach: how we employ his constituents, how we would benefit from his seasoned and informed advice to take the farm to another level, how being associated with any development in the area would further cement his support in the electorates blah blah blah. I even used a p.s.

Someone said that the universe always conspires to give us what we want if we focus enough on it. I guess this is happening in my case. As luck would have it, the honorable Member will be visiting a school in our community in two weeks and has thus asked me to send him a reminder towards that day. Fortunately, I will also be in the village hosting about 15 members of our village savings group. Let us hope something comes out of our engagement.

In other news, cassava chips are still selling steadily. Yesterday alone, I sold 95 kgs. I have also come to know a farmer who expects to harvest 20 tonnes of cassava around this time next year. He has promised to consider selling it to me. I am now prematurely worrying about where I will get the money from.

It is still the dry season and no planting can be done till it rains. However, I have resorted to having sharecroppers for millet so that I focus on planting cassava without worrying about millet as well.

This year, we have hit our target of producing one tonne of "clean"coffee(that who's husks have been removed).What we planted last year(around 1800) plants have flowered for the first time, so our harvest should increase this year.
My long-term goal is to brand packaging materials and begin "putting my product out there"probably mid-next year. I plan to quit my part-time teaching job to create more time for my venture.

@Bekit,@BizyDad,@Isaac Odongo and others, I am grateful for your time, likes, feedback, and advice. All I can say is: watch this space.

Till then,
Aura.

 

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[Bekit]

Hey Aura, that's great! What an awesome update!

I have also come to know a farmer who expects to harvest 20 tonnes of cassava around this time next year. He has promised to consider selling it to me. I am now prematurely worrying about where I will get the money from.

I would encourage you to read Jay Abraham's "Mind Shift Challenge" to stimulate your thoughts around creative ways to make agreements when you don't have the money but it might come in the future. There are a ton of interesting stories in this PDF, and all of them will help you to think outside the box to figure out what might be possible.

 

[Awakened2022]

Hey Aura, that's great! What an awesome update!


I would encourage you to read Jay Abraham's "Mind Shift Challenge" to stimulate your thoughts around creative ways to make agreements when you don't have the money but it might come in the future. There are a ton of interesting stories in this PDF, and all of them will help you to think outside the box to figure out what might be possible.

On it! Will get back with insights gained.
I owe you.

 

[Bekit]

the honorable Member will be visiting a school in our community in two weeks and has thus asked me to send him a reminder towards that day.

Copywriting thoughts on sending this reminder to help ensure that he comes. I sense a hesitancy and non-commitment on his part based on your description.

In your reminder, see if you can make the farm tour feel fun and easy to him, where he can picture himself going and having a good time. I'm sure these kinds of invitations often mean uncomfortable requests and/or demands from the needy. There is always more need than someone like that can fulfill! So you want him to feel at ease and help him to see that this will not be an uncomfortable visit. If you can indicate that you are coming from a mindset of abundance, strength, and gratitude, I think that will sell him on coming, and then once he is onsite, you can structure your pitch to get him further interested and bought in.

Angles you could consider taking for your reminder:
- Inspiration: You will be inspired at what's possible when you see what's happening on this farm.
- Curiosity: How does the Awakened2022 farm achieve the cleanest finished product for sale? You will get to see a demo.
- Pragmatism: No one wants to get grit in their teeth when they eat. Come and see how we solve that problem better.
- Culture: The story of how your mom taught you to produce cleaner food would be very interesting

You may have a different angle that is way better - this is just to get your ideas flowing. The overall point is, try to give him a really clear picture in his head of an enjoyable and easy thing to add to his agenda.

 

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[Awakened2022]

Copywriting thoughts on sending this reminder to help ensure that he comes. I sense a hesitancy and non-commitment on his part based on your description.

In your reminder, see if you can make the farm tour feel fun and easy to him, where he can picture himself going and having a good time. I'm sure these kinds of invitations often mean uncomfortable requests and/or demands from the needy. There is always more need than someone like that can fulfill! So you want him to feel at ease and help him to see that this will not be an uncomfortable visit. If you can indicate that you are coming from a mindset of abundance, strength, and gratitude, I think that will sell him on coming, and then once he is onsite, you can structure your pitch to get him further interested and bought in.

Angles you could consider taking for your reminder:
- Inspiration: You will be inspired at what's possible when you see what's happening on this farm.
- Curiosity: How does the Awakened2022 farm achieve the cleanest finished product for sale? You will get to see a demo.
- Pragmatism: No one wants to get grit in their teeth when they eat. Come and see how we solve that problem better.
- Culture: The story of how your mom taught you to produce cleaner food would be very interesting

You may have a different angle that is way better - this is just to get your ideas flowing. The overall point is, try to give him a really clear picture in his head of an enjoyable and easy thing to add to his agenda.

You are spot on especially on projecting the abundance mindset. Can't wait to incorporate your suggestions. Will ask my brother what the honorable's idea of fun on a farm would be.

In the meantime, I am going to research the cost of branding packaging materials so that I can gift him some of our cassava flour in a decent packet.

Let us keep our fingers crossed.

 

[Awakened2022]

A NEW MONTH AND AN UPDATE.

It has started drizzling which signals early rains. We normally get serious rains in the middle of August, and that is when vigorous planting takes place.

My plan to plant 10000 cassava plants is still on course, though I have had to make some changes.

I called the National Agricultural Research Organisation in Western Uganda to book cassava cultivars that are fast-yielding and disease resistant only to be told they are not available this season owing to the dry season. I have been advised to use the local varieties this season.

As if the angels are watching out for my venture, we got a call from someone who had a ton of dry cassava chips for sale, and he is not far from our village. I was able to secure an interest-free loan from my mum-in-law (she is 82 and rich by village standards:she has a coffee garden) for the purchase. I also picked planting materials from his garden and will go back for more if the need arises. I also met a lady there whose cassava will be ready for harvesting in January next year.

I am therefore thinking that we should maybe form a cooperative society for cassava growers to attract serious bulk buyers.

The downside is that these people do not dry their cassava to the hygienic standards that I hold myself to. I am thus thinking of doing the maths on what my margins would be if I bought their cassava raw and concentrated on the drying process myself. That would mean putting up a solar dryer as soon as possible, yet I am strapped for cash. We would also need to upgrade our pickup truck (the best purchase we have ever made) to a bigger one. Can we afford it? Time will tell.

Now that it has been shining, the market now has enough supply of cassava chips and flour, and only those who are obsessed with quality buy from me since others buy cheaply and sell cheaply. With the rains coming soon, though, I expect us to have less supply and an increase in demand.

With my one ton of chips safely stored up, I am looking into packing the flour so that by the time I go into full-time production, people are already aware of my brand. The profit margins might become negligible if I add costs of packing in and branding. What do you think?

@Bekit, thanks for the book recommendation. The idea I have picked is of using other people to store and sell my products at a percentage of the profits(in the future when I have produced or purchased a lot) so that I do not need to rent stores and pay storekeepers. It was a great and insightful read.

That is it for today. I hope whoever has read this far feels as optimistic as I do about life in the fast lane.
Btw, let me post pictures of the cassava dried under my supervision(my productocracy)and what others are supplying. Till next time,

Aura.

 

[Awakened2022]

Btw, let me post pictures of the cassava dried under my supervision(my productocracy)and what others are supplying.

Looks like my computer skills are failing me. Let me try to attach the photos again.

 

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[Awakened2022]

Short, but exciting update.

I was in the village yesterday and using my newly learned copywriting skills, I managed to wring about half an acre of rent-free virgin land from my 82-year-old mother-in-law.

I immediately engaged casual laborers at slightly more than a dollar for four hours of work each to prepare the land for planting.

We are all counting down to 15th August( the Assumption of Mary)for serious rains to begin. (In the absence of sufficient technology, we third-worlders look to religion.)

The quantity and quality of cassava in the market have improved because people can now sundry it with ease. This gives me a reason to believe that if I can get a means of drying cassava chips during the wet season. I will have found a very profitable unfair advantage.

I will return with the rains.
Till then,
Aura.

 

[Stargazer]

It's a real pleasure reading your thread.

I always think of the Poem 'The Soldier' by Rupert Brooke due to the line 'That there's some corner of a foreign field...' although the poem is not even remotely correlated to what you are doing.

I admire the way that both you and @Isaac Odongo are building up yourselves, your communities and your countries.

Dan