I Am Proudly Nigerian, Planting And Harvesting My Cassava, And Processing It Into Garri (Cassava Flakes), A year Project
Hello dear Nigerians and friends, trust you are all doing great? Today, I will like to share with you all how I have planted, harvested and even processed cassava into flakes or garri which is Nigerian most cultivated crop. It's amazing how it all took place within one year. Please read on and see what I mean.
Cultivation of cassava with the stem
It was a year ago when this journey began and that was April 2021 when I and my husband thought of cultivating cassava in our farm land. It looked impossible because we are in a land that is not our home town and you know that this cassava is mostly planted by those in the village and those in the cities will travel to the village and come back with garri (cassava flakes) as a gift. So it looked awkward planting it in the town. But with mush encourages from friends and well wishers, we decided to give it a trial.
I made a post about a year ago when we went to plant the stem. Some of the stem were brought to us by my parents in laws from the village and they even went with us to the farm to help us start the planting. See the picture and the post link below 👇👇
The planting was done by first clearing the bushes, then creating ridges. Then the stem were cut into smaller pieces and planted on the ridges.
Caring For It
Next was the weeding and when it seemed that they were not doing well, we added fertilizer to it to revive it. After about 2 months, the growth became more visible. I visited and made a post about it especially when I go there to harvest pumpkin and corn. One of the Publications I made about it in the one I have added the link below along with the picture
Link
You can see how beautiful and fresh the cassava looked. Hope you can identify the one that is cassava? Haha, I trust you do.
Harvesting
After about 10 months, we started harvesting the cassava little by little to make into tapioca until just this past Monday, April 10th, that we made up our mind to harvest and process the cassava into flakes or garri. The efforts needed to do that is much but we had to do it.
It was early morning that faithful Monday that we started harvesting the cassava. It was pretty easy because the ground has softened due to the rain that have been wetting the ground. I even was able to uproot the cassava unlike before when the ground was very strong. The yield was encouraging. I have added videos when I was personally harvesting the cassava, you will like it but don't laugh at me, hahaha 🤣🤣
The video explains the harvesting stage very well. I will also add some pictures for more explanation
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@benton3 is the one washing the casava in the picture, @wizzyboy3 and @madilyn02 are the ones with me in the other picture
Processing
We couldn't finish the whole cassava in the farm because it was big, so we peeled the ones we harvested, washed them and took them to the mill for grating, see the video below
The arrangement was for them to grate and squeeze the water out of it. That was what happened , so after grating, we just bagged the grated cassava and left it there till the next day so that the water can be squeezed out.
Then we started making arrangements on how to get the things needed for the final stage of the processing. We made contact to get the following
- The frying pan ( a special pan is used for frying the garri). It is a custom in Igbo land where I come from that when a girl is being given in marriage, this spacial frying pan along with other kitchen equipments will be given to the girl as a gift. I was also given this garri frying pan by my parents as if they knew that I will someday start frying garri. But my own pan is in my in-laws house. I had took it down there when we were relocating to this city that am residing now. Hence, I had to borrow from someone else. In fact, it was @eliany that brought the pan to me from her mother inlaw.
you can see the pan down there with garri inside
- The next thing was the sieve. Yes, when the cassava is grated, it usually contains some lumps that needs to be separated with the sieve. So I also had to borrow from someone.
- Then the turner and pot stand was also arranged for. Luckily, I got everything I needed including firewoods. But the firewoods were purchased for 3000 Naira which is about 16 steem.
Then the next day being on Tuesday, we brought back the squeezed cassava to be fried on Wednesday. I like waking up early to fry because if the following reasons
It is stressful to process. You will be besides firewood fire and as such, one don't even need to fry when sun 🌞 comes out else everywhere will heat up and you will not find it easy at all
I like staying in the open to fry and not in a house do that the smoke will not affect me much and staying in the open means that passersby will be watching. So doing it early will be much better when people are still sleeping.
So early morning, though not too early as I had planned, we woke up to begin. While @madilyn02 was sieving it, @benton3 was getting the fire 🔥 set for me to start. But he was the one that started it, after the first pot, I took over. Since the squeezed cassava was in four bags, we were only able to finish 2 bags due to the sun that came out and then planned to finish up on Thursday morning. And thankfully, we concluded it successfully. See the video of the frying below 👇
It is a thing of joy to see that we were able to get upto 50kg of garri just in this first batch
you can see the cassava flakes or garri there, spread for it to cool before bagging it.
Reflection
It was amazing growing my own food and processing it. As the garri is now, we can soak it in water like flakes and drink with groundnuts, milk and any other thing of your choice and it will serve as food. But we mostly enjoy it with soup as you can see in the picture below. Simply boil hot water, turn it in a bowel and add the cassava flakes and turn very well. Then prepare your soup and enjoy.
It was about 15 years ago that I fried garri last. I am glad that I was able to do it again. It gives great joy. This practice has rekindle the desire for farming that I once had just like my late dad who was a great farmer. Am thinking of even replanting the cassava stem. We gathered the stem at a place and covered it for replanting. But we will have to finish up the harvesting of the remaining cassava this coming week.
It is beneficial to grow your own food if you can. For one thing, it will be free from sand and debris which are mostly common in the ones we buy from the market.
It is also economical. And the joy I get by growing and processing the cassava knows no bounds. I bet you to try it out and thank me later, haha.
From @ngoenyi,
This is my introductory post here
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I've been looking forward to seeing this, you have ventured into agriculture in the little way you can and I hope it would get better with time. From pre-planting (tillage), planting, harvesting, and post-harvest (processing), this is a great piece.
It won't be surprising if you become a great farmer with a large farm in the nearest future. What do you think of an Automatic Garri fryer? Would you adopt that in the soonest time? It's quite efficient and scalable. Great one, @ngoenyi.
Thank you so much for your wonderful comment. Yes, I have seen myself carrying out all the stages of that garri making.
It is my dream to expand my farming ambition. I pray it works out soon.
Do we have such? I have not seen one before. I will like to know if it is affordable. It will really help most farmers in my city.
Thank you so much for checking up on my post @fredquantum. It means a lot
It will. Well done, ma'am.
Yes, we have, as far as many years ago. I have a background in Agriculture and studying and graduating as an Agricultural Engineer gets me closer to mechanization.
The one that can handle up to 1tonne per day would cost nothing less than 1,000,000 NGN, it's powered by electricity. As such regular power supply is a must in your processing factory. Although, I guess I have seen some that utilize domestic cooking gas for operation. I will share a few pictures I took when I traveled home about a year ago, from a popular farm (I had my Industrial Training at their fabrication company in Lagos).
From the last image above, you can see the paddles, angled and it rotates throughout the frying bowl to ensure even frying. It's actually a good technology. Good to read your article once again.
There are a lot more to share, cassava peeler (a machine that peels for you), hydraulic press (to eliminate the cyanide, making the product dry before frying), vibrating sifter (to separate the large lumps after frying) and so on 😆.
Are you serious? Life made easy and simple. If there is a way to get these equipments and pay in installments, it will be great. I wish I can get a sponsor or a partner in this. It is a huge project but very important to farmers. I haven't seen such in this eastern, or south south region or perhaps, that haven't inquired. Thank you so much
Technology has brought in a lot of benefits, and its impact on agriculture is priceless. Alright, you are welcome.
Beautiful! Then I will need to plan towards that.
Wow this is lovely, but will the taste of the garri remain original
Sure, it will. And one of the cleanest Garri you would ever find out there is made through this type of technology, sand-free and dirt-free. I have seen people washing Garri before consuming it (to eliminate sand and dirts), that's not the case here.
Really? I wish to visit the company that uses such machines to fry garri
It's just super cool.
It would be a wonderful adventure if you do.
Sure
Technology has done so many things, since there is automatic palm fruit cutter, there will also be automatic fryer for garri, I will goggle it.
I enjoyed reading every part of your processing from the cultivation to the end infact you are proudly Nigerian you are not left behind in anything, keep up the good work it motivates people like me to sit up😄😄
I am blushing 🤦. I learn a lot from you too. Am still learning. Am glad you read from beginning till the end. Thank you so much for the pan and the turner. It really helped
You are welcome
Good memories and good updates, it’s indeed a year project. You’re an exemplary entrepreneur. Keep it up!
Yes, a year project in deed. It's a lot of work but the yield is bountiful
https://steemit.com/hive-172186/@pattwum/achievement-5-task-1-pattwum-understanding-the-steem-tools-review-steemworld-org
great work, in one year can harvest that much.
Yes and even more. You are a farmer and you can understand the stress. Thank you so much for reading through and for your nice comment
Congratulations, your post has been upvoted by @scilwa, which is a curating account for @R2cornell's Discord Community. We can also be found on our hive community & peakd as well as on my Discord Server
Felicitaciones, su publication ha sido votado por @scilwa. También puedo ser encontrado en nuestra comunidad de colmena y Peakd así como en mi servidor de discordia
Gosh! It looks like a lot of work. Hats off to you!
I’ve learned such a lot from your country through this post. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you for reading and learning dear @patjewell. A lot more things for you to learn is still on the way. Do you have something like cassava in your country?
What a beautiful farm you are a wonderful farmer
Thank you so much
Mama with swags even on the farm.
It's good you documented the farm process right from day one.
Your Garri is really neat and a kudos to you all for a job well-done.
I wish I was close so I can help you in eating the Garri because farming is running in the opposite direction with me 😆😆
We can only eat.
Thank you dear for your wonderful comment. It's not easy but it's worth all efforts. You are welcome to eat. I formally had that notion about farming but this particular one has given me more courage for more
Probably someday I'll have a change of heart also.
Thanks for the invite ma
Wow @ngoenyi this is serious. Weldone ma, but I can do more than you
Hahahaah, I see, why not? Are you not a Nigerian man? Thank you for your nice comment
U are are welcome ma