This content details the establishment and management of an open-field cucumber farm, highlighting innovative direct seeding techniques, cost considerations, and the strategic importance of the crop for generating revenue to cover operational expenses like salaries.
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Apart from what what we grow in the
tunnel, this be this is our first open
field cucumber farm. So yeah, we we we
tried direct seeding here instead of
nursing it. Not not just because he
wanted to risk it. I I wanted to risk
it. Vent asked that I don't risk it
because he was scared we will lose the
seats. You know how expensive the seats
can be. So I went ahead I did it and I
think he himself was impressed by the
germination. He said we should never
nest them again. So we will always go
for the direct seeding.
>> So this is Midas.
>> Is it supposed to be an open field?
>> Yes. It is it does well I think both
internal and then open field. So this
place also should cost I think close to
6,000 7,000 Ghana cities. Yeah. the production
production
>> the the the seeds alone I think we have,00
have,00
close to,200 seeds here as in the plants
close to,200 so if,200
a bag a pack of 100 is 110 cities. >> Okay.
>> Okay.
>> So 1,200
divided by 100 that's we bought 12 of
that 12 * 110. So 1,320 cities for the
seeds only. >> 1,300
>> 1,300
>> 320 C is for the seeds only. >> The
>> The
mold sheets, that's 1,300 for the mold sheets.
sheets.
>> Then this will be bigger than your tunnel.
tunnel.
>> No, the tunnel is 640 square m. So the
plant population is almost the same.
Yeah. You know the tunnel has bigger path.
path. >> Okay.
>> Okay.
>> Yeah. But then this one the path is
quite narrow.
>> Yeah. And then we bought bamboo binding
wire and then some ropes.
>> Let's take you step by steps. Um the
when how did you start with the production?
production?
>> So we used to grow okro here and
anything we want to experiment and
irrigation. The setup was actually this
way but then I sat down and realized no
the setup we did it's like we we weren't
getting the maximum area out of the
setup. So we changed it to this
direction and then decided [snorts] that
we would rather use uh we rather do
cucumber here you know cucumber uh let's
say it grows fast and then gives you
your returns. So we are having
challenges paying salaries and all those
things. So this field we are dedicating
it to paying salaries so that the other
fields can finance something else. The
returns from the other fields can
finance something else.
So a plant population of,200 we
estimating uh maybe a minimum of 1.5 to
2 kg per plant. So that should give us
maximum of 2.4 tons
uh of cucumber and maybe we sell it
around 12 cities per kilo. I know the
market women some of them by the last
time we asked them I sent sets to
[snorts] ask them they said they would
count so depending on the size but then
what I realized that sometimes to
counting rather is more profitable than
the kilo because they could count four
and maybe that four is not giving you a kilo
kilo
>> and they will still buy it for maybe 10
cities or 15 or 12 cities or whatever
the price is
>> you can weigh one cucumber
>> oh no I I'm just saying depending on the size
size
>> Uh-huh. Uh so maybe small and then it's
still yours if if the we we we'll we'll
check the difference. Yeah, we will look
at the difference and then we do that.
So if the total yield is 2.4 for let's
say two two tons only we should be
hitting 20,000 to 28,000 thereabouts
from here and I think if we spend 8,000
the good news is that the nutrients I'm
using on the pepper field what to use
from last year we have about half back
for each of them and we even bought new
ones so most of the cost this is just
like benefiting from the pepper field so
yeah so that's why the idea is to use it
in paints salaries and all that.
>> So this field also have the automated light.
light.
>> Yes. But this one uses the battery.
>> The battery.
>> Yes. So
>> what's the difference?
>> So with the electricity and with the
automated one, I think it's the features
are limited. It gives me the option to
choose when I the system should run
>> and then how often it should run. So I
can set it to maybe 5:00 a.m. every 2
days or 5:00 a.m. every 3 days. and then
gives me the manual override. But with
the electric one, that's a whole control
board on its own. I'm able to select
multiple times of the day. I can select
which days of the week it should water
and then it has the rain sensor and
those things. And I then I can connect a
Wi-Fi model where I'll get to connect
control it from my phone remotely. So I
can run it wherever I am. Once I have
internet connection and there is
internet connection here, we are good to go.
go.
>> Okay, we have done the forecast for this
uh small size of uh farm.
[clears throat] Now let's start with the
production. What goes into it after
so not [clears throat] much or well
cucumber demands a lot. We we prune we
we take off these uh should I say vines
or tendrils. We take them off. We take
off the side shoots as well. So this
these are side shoots and then this is a
flower. This is a side shoot. So we will
prune all of them. But because of the
workload on the other fields and how our
employee run away,
>> we are
let me say handicapped just four or five
of us handling everything from Somaya to
the village
>> and then one of our guys to
unfortunately lost their mom. So he's
gone back to the north. That's a guy in
Cape Coast. So everything is on that. So
you realize for the first block the
trellising has been done. >> Yeah.
>> Yeah.
>> Yeah. And then we just finished with
this and we will continue with that. But
then another thing that delayed this is
our drill. We have a cordless drill. The
battery is not so strong. So anytime we
are drilling and the battery is dead, we
have to stop. So it took us about 4 days
to erect the bamboo and then do the
drilling and all that. And then the
binding wire. I think today he will
finish. He's done. But then we have to
we missed one spot here. So we will do
that. Extend it and then finish the
setup. Then from tomorrow all we have to
do is do the rest. So even you see how
strong it's growing. You could come
tomorrow and then you realize the wind
will break it. So some of them got
broken. But because we used the rope by
God being so good, they are not dead.
They are still doing well. So I think
they will heal. It's just like the pepper.
pepper.
>> I think I got some few weak stems and
then I used the bamboo. I tied it around
it and then it healed over time. So the
same thing is going on here.
>> The only challenge is that they they
seem to be taking over the path.
>> How long can you have the
>> the cucumber?
>> I think 2 months if we take good care of
it or more. But then you know it's just
like uh a quadratic curve. I don't know
it has a minimum point
>> and then a maximum. So it will start
from a point increase you harvest for
some time at the peak and then begin diminishing.
diminishing.
>> That's how it is.
>> How many fruits can you get from a
single plant?
>> Fruit per plant.
I think unless we we use weights
>> unless we use
>> weights I even V shouldn't wouldn't be
able to tell the number of fruits
>> he was struggling with
>> yes that's why I'm saying it's it's a
lot of work
they grow they grow fast all these
things you see there we pruned them I
think we finished this set up about 2 or
3 days ago but they still have new side
shoots and then uh the the vine that we
need to take off. So almost every day
>> you have to make sure the new ones that
are growing you you you put them on the
rope. Yeah, you put it on the rope.
Every day you are training them. I think
that's the right term. You train the
plants to climb. They are supposed to be
creeping. But then since we have decided
to go this way, you train them every day.
day.
I think the benefit is that you you get
to control your pest very well. Since
it's lying here, you can't come and
spray under the leaves. Then yesterday,
for instance, we found some insect eggs.
Even you can see some white fly behind
some of them.
>> Yeah. So, you see insects. >> Okay.
>> Okay.
>> So, once it's this way, it is easier for
us to pass the nozzle. >> Okay.
>> Okay.
>> And then
>> what about blower? The mist blower
>> don't work here.
this one once. It's just that it will
take time. So we will use about three or
four naps. We all be we all carry it and
then if I take one row they also take
>> I know I've interviewed guys that leave
it on the floor like that and how is
this different from
you stressing yourself? Yeah, we are
stressing but our fruits are neater.
>> Yeah. And then the pest pressure will be
low. So it will be that I will have a
longer production cycle as compared to
the guys that leave it on the >> floor.
>> floor.
So that that's
>> but their cost of production will be
lesser than me.
>> Mhm. Not so much. Well, if they don't
use the mold sheet and those things then
Yeah. But I think it is worth doing it
this way too. >> Okay.
>> Okay.
>> Yeah. Because at at a point their farms
could become so crowded that they can't
even walk through. These ones are
already taking up
>> the part. So
what happens is this one goes up once it
reaches the binding wire. We get to drop
the plants. We prune and then we tie it
again. It goes for another journey.
And then you see this one all the plants
in fact all the leaves get exposed to
sunlight during the throughout the day.
By the time it's dusk, they all get
their fair share of the sunlight,
photosynthesis. So I think the the the
plants get happy. They they also give
you what you want very well.
>> The the since you started the
production, you've not faced any
challenges on
>> this side
>> with best. No,
>> I think so far we've not our leaves look
healthy. We can't see any serious damage yet.
yet.
But this I think it's been more than 4
days since we did any serious
uh insect control. So how old are this one?
one?
>> Exactly 20 days.
>> 20 days. >> Yes.
>> Yes.
>> It's not even a month. >> No.
>> No.
>> And you start harvesting into
>> uh the flowers. Yeah.
>> I can see a shoot there.
>> Yeah. So this a flower and even this is
a side shoot.
So the side shoots are also having their
flowers. But we'll be pruning off all
the side shoots.
>> Do you have to pollinate them too?
>> No, no, no. I think this very variety
whether there are insects or not, it's
I I think there is a term for it. It
pollinates itself also.
>> Yeah. Yeah. So whether there I read
something about it whether we have
>> Okay. Because since this is your first
time then we want to wait and get the
feedback from
>> we'll compare it to the tunnel and see
the tunnel we you know we planted and
lost uh eight rows so I think we lost
seven out of eight or so six out of
eight but we've replanted those ones.
Now the problem is that the older ones
are giving uh [snorts] problems to the
young ones. I think we have this is it
powder mildew or what? One of those
fungal or bacterial issues. I think I'll
have to ask Tback to be sure of the
exact infection we have. But I think
These are the only visitors we have.
>> But how do they
>> I think the neighbors here sometimes
>> they don't do anything.
>> No, they don't do much.
Initially they were you know they also
forage. So initially the young ones they
were picking on the leaves you come and
then they've consumed it but as they are
aging I think
they are unable to do that. Okay.
Okay.
So this is Titus, Ivan, Set, and John.
>> Yeah. Very soon we'll be hosting classes
for people.
>> Oh yeah. I think we should consider
whether greenhouse or open field. We we
we are open for that. So they all have
to come through you then Vent will
handle the greenhouse. In fact Vent will
also come down here because sometimes I
wouldn't be around I wouldn't be in the
position to do that. So he'll be the
coordinator the chief coordinator after
all he's our technical director. So yeah
so I think it's a good idea once once
you're ready
>> this one and this one which one is more challenging.
challenging.
Can I call Titus come and answer that?
>> Who is Titus?
>> Peppe production. The peppe and then
this one. Which one is difficult?
>> This one is difficult and the pepper. [laughter]
[laughter]
>> Yeah, it was difficult
>> cuz with the
look how the place is
the pepper the plant they are just in a
good shape. Yeah, we do denting but it
is not like this one. >> Okay.
>> Okay.
>> So, yeah, it's difficult.
>> We started harvesting here.
>> No. And even pruning of it alone is is
weird. You prune today, tomorrow you
come and then the side shoots are there again.
again.
I think it's the green. Why don't you
leave one line to experiment that if you prune
prune
>> the the good thing is that last year
>> we we left the tunnel like that
>> and Tback regrets
>> that was [laughter] the channel.
>> Yes. But it's the same plot he regrets
it. You see this one even those that are
getting close if we don't take care to
get to a point where separating them
will become an issue because you have to
trace the vines and then know which one
is catching the other. So with this
thing we have to finish maybe by by
Monday we should be done releasing this
whole place.
>> So tomorrow we still we have weeds to
control at the okro farm. Hey and then
titus you need to go and spray. >> Yes.
>> Yes.
>> So [laughter]
he he'll have to go there whilst the
>> And then that's a small maze farm for
that one. It's not our land. But then I
think it's it was a little forest.
Someone was building and then they
stopped. So a whole lot of trees. I
realized the place was too grown. I cut
it and then decided to Yeah. for maze.
We we usually sell it fresh. After our
experiment to look at the yield, we sell
some fresh and then the rest. But this
is the first one we are selling. We are
going to harvest 100% dry.
>> Okay. Let's go. What about the honey production?
production?
>> That one it's in the village.
>> I've been harvesting.
>> Oh, yeah. We've been harvesting honey
for some time now.
The former um president of beekeepers.
>> Yeah. Not former. He's diseased now.
He's dead. So he is I will say that's my
teacher. And then his son is now my my
teacher. He is like a brother. So
through that's he manages that place for
us as well. So
>> how many boxes
>> for now? I think we have uh Rajon. How
many boxes are there? >> Approximately
>> Approximately
>> 15. Yeah about 15. We were we were
increasing it. We increasing it to 30
but then we decided to come hold on let
them we get all colonized and then we
move on.
>> Things are not all colonized. I haven't
been there in a while, but most of them
should be or Yeah.
>> How many liters or gallons from there?
>> Uh you can you can have a whole box and
then you get approximately one gallon
depending on the size of the box and
then how well the beads feed on the
pollen, how well availability of water,
they also need water to work. So how
active the colony the colony is will
also determine
the production they they give.
>> But so far how many gallons have you collected
collected
>> in all? >> Yeah.
>> Yeah.
>> I haven't I haven't recorded that.
>> How do you harvest? Is it 6 months or a year?
year?
>> So well since I I don't Okay. I I
harvest sometimes with them. And then
since uh William that's my teacher's son
who has become a brother he we have it
like a partnership now where he has to
go there and do everything. So since
then I think we've harvested once that
was within 2025. We are supposed we were
supposed to go there in December but
he's he's been busy. So
you know they have farms all the way
from uh all the way in. >> Okay.
>> Okay.
>> So Smana ateu vulta region. So by the
time you go around all the bee farms
you are you are tired. So I think uh he
told me he'll be traveling but then one
of the boys he is Amos so I think he
would have to go and check it out for
us. So he's trying to complete the
setup. He'll drill and then go and mount it.
Why is it? So because we we wouldn't be
able to nail and I don't think the nail
will be so strong. We pass the binding
wire through it to hold the bar that the
wood the other one that will be crossing
at the top.
So you tie it onto this.
So, a simple nail could drive it too.
>> Yes. But then the nail could easily come
out when the weight is on it.
And sometimes the the nail can also crack
crack
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