Agriculture

The Mustard Seed School has owned and managed the Kanaan farm, spanning 100 acres, since 2016. The purpose of the farm is to provide the students' daily school meals through its own food production and to offer students a practical learning environment in agricultural knowledge.

In 2023, a budget has been set to initiate the production of fattening pigs on the school farm, which will eventually contribute to the school's financial independence.

The project will significantly increase the farm's existing potential to produce corn, soybeans, beans, rice, and fruit for the students' meals, and pig production will commence. Already in the first year, we anticipate a surplus of 100,000 NOK, which will help cover the school's operating costs, giving the farm a third purpose:

• The surplus from the sale of crops and fattening pigs will contribute to the school's operations.

The Kanaan farm is 100% owned and operated by Voantsinapy. The well-established agricultural schools Tombontsoa and Fihaonana, which Norwegian agronomists from Tomb Agricultural School have helped establish, will provide the necessary knowledge, expertise, and piglets. Former students of the school are currently pursuing agronomy studies focused on animal husbandry and will, upon graduation, take jobs in the daily management of the farm.

Eighty percent of the population in Madagascar relies on agriculture, but due to a lack of knowledge, farming is highly inefficient compared to other countries. Norwegian missions and development aid have contributed to the development of agriculture, including the operation of the Tombontsoa Agricultural School in Antsirabe, where the Mustard Seed School also trains its future agronomists and caretakers. Piglets and supplies are purchased from the same agricultural school.

Local small farmers from the surrounding farms of Kanaan will receive seasonal work on the farm.

As much as possible, students at Voantsinapy and their families will participate in the annual cycle of the farm through weeding, soil preparation, and harvesting of products. This will reduce operating costs while providing practical and theoretical agricultural knowledge, thus creating positive ripple effects in the local community. Theoretical agricultural knowledge will also be included as part of the school's curriculum.

In the pilot project, the budget is set for two seasons of 20 piglets each, which will take 5 months to raise before being sold for slaughter. The gross income from this is around 100,000 NOK. In the meantime, the pigs produce fertilizer from their urine and feces, which is collected and later used as fertilizer. The pigs are fed with self-produced feed made from the corn grown on the farm (carbohydrates), supplemented with minerals, vitamins, proteins, and oil.