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“Milking” Fodder Trees for a Richer and Healthier Future

fodder plant for cattle
Fodder trees serve as powerhouses for farmers in Ikinu, Kenya. In the first year of our Forest Garden Approach, farmers use them to establish clear boundaries and barriers around their plots. These living fences often include Calliandra calothyrsus, Leucaena trichandra, and Sesbania sesban, all of which grow quickly.

A dairy cow in Ikinu enjoying fresh fodder tree leaves
“A dairy cow in Ikinu enjoys a fodder leaf fresh from the tree”

Harvesting and Preparing Fodder Leaves

As the trees grow, farmers trim and prune their leaves. The first pruning typically happens 9–12 months after transplanting from the nursery. Farmers dry the protein-rich green leaves in the sun before milling them into small pieces to mix with feed. This addition benefits cows by improving their health, enhancing milk quality, and helping farmers save on feeding costs.

Fodder trees leaves ready to be dried
“Freshly picked leaves ready to be dried”

As a result of fodder tree intake, a cow is healthier, and therefore, more productive. The high-protein leaves increase butterfat content by 10%, leading to better dairy products. A cow fed with fodder trees also yields high-quality meat, increasing the farmer’s profit.

Our farmers with the dried leaves from their fodder trees
“Our farmers with their dried fodder leaves”

Sustainable and Long-Term Feed Supply

Once fully grown, fodder trees are trimmed 4–6 times a year, providing approximately 1kg of dry feed per tree annually. A farmer with 500 trees has enough feed to sustain one cow year-round. These trees continue providing feed while maintaining their role as natural plot boundaries for many years.

Peter Kamumu with his family with dried fodder tree leaves in a sack
“Peter Kamumu and his family now have plenty of protein-rich feed for their livestock”

Reducing Aflatoxin Contamination in Dairy Products

Another significant benefit of fodder trees is their role in reducing aflatoxin exposure. These poisonous fungi grow in some agricultural crops and can harm cows and humans. When cows consume contaminated feed, aflatoxins enter their milk, reducing production and causing illness.

See also  Ms. Independent

In Kenya, liver cancer cases are high due to aflatoxin-contaminated food and milk. Since maize, groundnuts, and dairy products often contain these toxins, diversifying a cow’s diet with fodder trees helps lower the risk.

Dried leaves of fodder trees are mixed with maize feed
“The dried leaves have been mixed with maize feed”

Measuring the Impact of Fodder Trees

The advantages of the fodder trees are manifold. Many of these benefits are easily quantifiable. Our farmers have seen an increased profit margin between 30-40% annually. The benefit from reducing exposure to aflatoxins is harder to measure, as research is ongoing and under-funded in developing countries. However, the harmful effects of aflatoxins are widely known, and diversifying a cow’s diet is an important step in reducing the exposure of both cows and humans. We are proud of our impact and continued benefit the role of fodder trees play for our farmers – they are a workhorse of the Forest Garden Approach.

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