Farming in Zambia: The Basics of Turning Bush into Farm Land Using Machinery

Many people staring a farm from scratch in Africa will often find themselves faced with either land that still has lots of trees and shrubs, or with old fields that were cleared by hand and still have tree stumps in them that make tractorised farming difficult. They then have to create fields that are suitable for modern farming that are optimal in size and regular in shape.
Land clearing an be done manually, but our experience at Wintherthorn has proved this to be slow and cumbersome. From the very beginning, we learned the advantages of bringing in earth moving machinery like TLBs and excavators to do heavy lifting (and pushing, and stumping).
This year, our land clearing exercise had three main objectives:
1) to increase the productive land area of our flood plain fields, Florida 1 and Dubai 3
2) carry out some road works
3) clear several new fields in the north of the farm for growing field crops.
TLB stands for tractor loader backhoe. They are versatile, multipurpose pieces of machinery that can be used to dig the earth and load up materials such as rubble and sand.
This video starts with a quick overview of some of the basics of land clearing as we make new fields and optimize old ones. It then looks back at how we increased the size and scope of some of our fields down by the river, and then how we opened the new fields.

[@elvisnjoroge_]

Brother its either you were once a teacher or a journalist. Its so natural how you make these vlogs

[@mondofarms4343]

Thanks Elvis. None of the above, but I am glad that all the effort and work are so well received. We will keep producing quality content.

[@chibesamutale568]

My thoughts too

[@ellenorbjornsdottir1166]

Do you find yourself effectively being a sort of agricultural journalist these days? Regarding the tree you cropped that came back: elsewhere, when it's done deliberately with species known to come back (which is most broadleaf species - in the temperate parts of the world, beech, birch, alder, maple, willow, poplar, hornbeam, hawthorn, most mulberry-family trees, etc.), that practice is called "coppicing" (rough pronunciation guide: cop iss ing). It can quickly produce slender timber, but over the long haul it can also lead to exhaustion of the soil.

[@audreydavis6533]

Was wondering what have you done with the larger trees/wood that was on the land before clearing it? Do you first send a team with chainsaws to cut those down and use/sell the wood?

[@mondofarms4343]

Hi Audrey. We had considered the idea of doing that. Especially since we always need poles for trellising and fencing, etc. Then, the TLB operators told us that it is much easier to push over a tall tree than a tree stump. So cutting down trees would delay the land clearing and result in higher costs. The end result is that the TLB pushes it all to the sides of the fields, and we later chop it up from there.

[@zambianyoutuberx]

Nice Video Boss! so how much per hour/day was the excavator?

[@mondofarms4343]

Costs vary depending on where you hire from, extent of the work, etc. We don't share what we paid. I'm sure you can understand that even as we are running a commercial business, and doing it with a level of exposure to the general public through this KZbin channel, we still have to keep the figures relating to our business private and confidential. It would be unwise for us to be too open as we continue to develop our farming business.

[@emmanuelm.manyindo6829]

Your passion is so evident. Happy for you. Thanks for sharing your experiences. Wishing you well! 🇿🇲🇺🇬✊🏿✊🏿

[@mondofarms4343]

Thank you! You too!

[@danleighton]

Chisha my friend. You are not fooling me. You and I both know that you just got a load of massive diggers because you spent too much time studying as a kid, instead of playing in the sandpit!

[@mondofarms4343]

Thanks Daniel. 😊

[@simonmwaura6733]

yes its tree stumps, so it can be called stumping.

[@mondofarms4343]

Indeed

[@tomkulinga7015]

Powerful! Serious strides over there.

[@mondofarms4343]

Thanks Ba Kulinga. Take care.

[@ellenorbjornsdottir1166]

Do you think you'll be increasing the density of field-edge trees for the purpose of having a windbreak, or is the density quite high enough already?

[@mondofarms4343]

yes we will.

[@zevlove612]

I find Mondo content not very helpful… doesnt really share much details that are of use to other aspiring farmers… especially on the financial side… you are better off listening to other farmer vlogs where they break down info and some numbers. There is a spirit of i want to hold all the information close to my chest in Mondos channel which kinda defeats the purpose of making a youtube channel… even the links to the contractors he has used he wont give and says its free advertising… what a mean spirited and selfish old man… you have lost a viewer in me sir!!! What would it hurt honestly to explain to viewers that this is what is cost ME to have an acre of land cleared? Much more useful info than seeing the machines go back and forth surely…

[@mondofarms4343]

Thank you for your valued contribution to our channel.

[@mantoine9980]

Buddy this excavator needs some greesing on the boom and bucket

[@mondofarms4343]

Indeed.

[@yusufmahomed7228]

Hi , this awesome . Mondo how much would you clear per day ?

[@mondofarms4343]

It all depends on many factors: Slope Soil type Density of vegetation Type of vegetation Age of the vegetation Weather Skill of the machine operator You can also have a look at a video we did on land clearing a couple of years ago: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gXmrmX9ujK6LkLM

[@tariromakwangudze3344]

Where do you rent your excavator?

[@mondofarms4343]

There are a lot of options in most towns, as said in the video. Sadly, none of them paid us to promote their services. We are really working to reduce the level of free marketing that service providers and suppliers inadvertently get from our channel. They are always free to contact us and engage in a brand collaboration. All the best.

[@universeboy6304]

The grt teacher is back .

[@mondofarms4343]

Thanks 😊

[@universeboy6304]

@@mondofarms4343 it is my pleasure to watch your educational videos

[@agro-valleyfarm7217]

Why are you using foreign names for naming section of your land ???

[@mondofarms4343]

We choose names that we like. Apologies if you find them triggering. All the best.

[@ellenorbjornsdottir1166]

My guess: it's an expedient way of communicating which field is wanted for an action (e.g. "today we are bringing fertiliser to field Canada-2"). Each field has a name that has 2 to 4 syllables, and a number, and if someone already knows where field Canada-2 is, that's more expedient than "the second field on your right from where you bike or disembark the bus into the property". That the fields have country or US-state names in English is of no consequence - you could just as well use names from closer to home or traditional names for the same land.

[@mwenichibwa6147]

"we're taking virgin land, mmm I think uyu ana balapo" 🤣🤣🤣

[@mondofarms4343]

😊

[@Mega30cent]

This is beautiful. How much does it cost to have them come and clear the land?

[@mondofarms4343]

Costs vary according to many factors: land size, slope, extent of vegetation cover, vegetation type, distance to yoir place, fuel, etc You will get more accurate guidance from the earthmoving service providers in your region.

[@andrewchinyemba9364]

Wonderful. Will get in touch soon.

[@mondofarms4343]

👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽

[@ladydee1244]

How many acres were cleared manually?

[@mondofarms4343]

Sorry, it's hard to recall. That manual clearing we mentioned was back in Jan 2020. It was a disaster and almost messed up our whole project. Stopping for lunch, attending funerals, chatting, etc Eish...

[@hopemorrison2367]

Glad too see you Mr Mondo cant spell your name

[@mondofarms4343]

Thanks, Hope. It is good to have another video out of production and published. The late night editing take their toll on a middle-aged Dad bod. Got a really good nights sleep and feeling refreshed. Your comment about my name brings back dark memories of growing up in the 70s. I went to the International School of Lusaka, which mainly had expatriate pupils and teachers. The concept of diversity wasn't yet a thing, so we few Zambian children had to put up with having our names mispronounced regularly. What I really hated thenmost was being called 'Tissue' or being given various nicknames that were more convenient for Westerners. Later, I went to a boarding school in the UK, and it was pretty much the same thing. We didn't know that a lot of damage was being done to our psyches as our identity was being formed. Fast forward to 2023 and all the progress that has been made since in recognizing and respecting the various ethnicities, cultures, and backgrounds that we all come across. It wouldn't be too much for me to ask someone expressing what you said to try and learn my name. Mind you, I'm not perfect. A good friend of mine is married to a lady of Irish descent, and they gave their daughter a name I haven't yet learned to pronounce. We are all a work in progress. Good day.

[@sylkabs6647]

Mr. Mondo, pse can you provide contacts for machinery guy. I have a farm to clear in Mumbwa, Thanks

[@mondofarms4343]

Apologies for not answering sooner. Im sure you have found someone by now. There are plenty of machines available around the major towns and cities. We are reducing the amount of free advertising that is offered through our KZbin channel. Perhaps next time, we will work with someone who is willing to pay for the exposure we offer via access to thousands of viewers and subscribers.

[@sylkabs6647]

@@mondofarms4343 Thank you well elaborate, great teacher , I will keep in touch , thanks for work done

[@blackpalacemusic]

What is the pH of anthill soil?

[@mondofarms4343]

Good question 🤔 We've never had occasion to test and find out specifically. Even big anthills when broken down would be spread over maybe 20-50 square mtrs. Soil tests are normally done over a whole field, with samples being taken from different areas. They are then all mixed up into one, and some of that mix is then taken for testing.

[@absaishikongo7648]

Please explain a virgin land ?

[@mondofarms4343]

I'm sure you can quickly google the term to learn what it means. All the best.

[@ellenorbjornsdottir1166]

Land that does not have the hallmarks of being used for agriculture.

[@josephsikasote8688]

Up rooting

[@mondofarms4343]

🙏🏽