My tree empire was once a ‘joke’

Tree seedlngs farmer.John Magachu, a certified tree seedlings farmer at Equator Meru County

Imagine starting a venture and the whole village starts mocking you because they think you are a big fool. And more so because you dropped out of school to pursue that project. That is what happened to Mr John Magachu a certified tree seedlings farmer at Equator, Meru County. Interestingly, the joke has turned on those who were mocking him because not only is Magachu a successful farmer but he has also won the trust of big names.

So what was big joke about?

“Back then, in the 60s people were planting crops like maize, beans and coffee and here I was planting tree seedlings which my dad taught me. And they mocked me even more because I quit school in Class Seven to plant trees,” Magachu recalls.

But he blocked his ears from his detractors and focused on the goal. “My father taught me to farm trees and even allocated me acreage to practise in the late 60s,” he says.

He taught him everything from the seedlings to the nursery stage and how to tend the young trees.

“Dad even taught me how to make money from selling the trees. I made my first shilling when I was six years old. I sold a mature tree to a construction man. That is the day I knew this thing has money,” he says with nostalgia. After dropping out of school, he concentrated his energies on his project. As the years went by, the journey was not easy, money was not forthcoming and villagers wondered how he would make a living on trees, but he soldiered on. When he hit 28, luck smiled on him. A buyer came looking for trees and luckily enough, he was the only supplier making a cool Sh2.5 million. “Pocketing Sh2.5 million in 1983 was no laughing matter. And that is how the joke turned on the villagers.” “Now after that fortune, everybody started taking me seriously. I was not only able to purchase more land but I educated my children all the way to the university,” he says with a smile.

Today, Magachu and his wife Janet Naitore are certified tree seedlings farmers. Their six acre farm — Meru Gardens Trees and Nurseries Seedlings – is a model farm and the talk of town.

The farm has over 64 certified tree seedlings. The farm has established itself as a reputable farm even Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS), the government parastatal whose responsibility is to assure quality of agricultural inputs and produce to prevent adverse impact on the economy, works with them. KEPHIS certifies their trees every year. The farm is a sight to behold.

Botanical names

Right from the entrance is a mix of some grafted seedlings that include: macadamia, fruit trees, coffee tree seedlings, some indigenous and exotic trees that extend to the farm.

The couple has also received several awards and had the privilege of being sponsored by companies like International Centre for Research in Agro forestry for intensive trainings on trees and tree planting. That explains why, despite the fact that Magachu did not complete his studies, he knows all the botanical names of the tree in his nurseries even though he cannot write them.

USAID has also constructed for them a green house. The couple also capitalises on value addition. From the bamboo trees, they make bracelets, necklaces, table mats handbags and pouches which they sell in the local market. To give back to the community, the couple offers training to local farmers on tree planting.

“We not only offer training but also teach individuals on how to be self-reliant by planting certified tree seedlings that have a high demand,” he says. Rosy as it may appear, they have also hit some pot holes in their journey. The major challenge that they faced was when they joined a certain group and supplied tree seedlings worth Sh400,000 to an organisation but were never paid for it. But they have learnt from their mistakes.