I am glad that I was born at such a time when the internet was not in existence. During my growing up days, my dad, a chef and a farmer did not hesitate to teach my siblings and I how to prepare some delicious recipes and to farm too. I am grateful today because cooking and farming are my other means of income. At first, the farming aspect looked like punishment to my siblings and I but today, we are glad that we did not refuse to learn the ropes of farming.
I got to know about the internet in the early 2000 when I got admission into the university. It was through the internet that I handled some of my assignments and also made some money for myself through undertaking assignments for other person's and groups. I can proudly say that the internet helped me make some extra cool cash because most undergraduates during my time in school haven't learned how to surf the net.
From the two skills that I have learned from my dad, the one I like to apply the most is farming. Farming is interesting and puts fresh food on your table. In this age and time where most food sold in the market is scientific or chemical supported including livestock.
Season and out of season, there are crops to be planted and sold to make ends meet. In Nigeria, there are two seasons of repute that help farmers make the most and adopt plants that can adapt to the atmospheric condition of the period to yield and become ventures for money making in the long run. Only individuals who have been taught the skills would know what to do in the right time to get the expected results.
For me, I major in veggies and tuber crops. Vegetables are everyday consumables for Nigerians and during the dry season, they are scarce and expensive especially pumpkin. During the dry season when there is low rainfall, I take my vegetable beds towards the swamp where the land is wet and the atmosphere cold to make the pumpkin grow fast. Farmers like me always rejoice when their pumpkin leaves are fresh and devoid of insect bites.
Also, okra, pepper, waterleaf and tomatoes are part of the vegetables I try on my farm during the dry season. I added pepper and tomato when the farmers from the northern part of Nigeria stopped bringing their produce to the south because of the agitation against open grazing. Since then, my tomato and pepper farm have been doing great. It first started as a subsistence farm latee I translated it to commercial purpose.
The turnover on a yearly basis is by far higher than what most people get in their white-collar office jobs.
With the internet gone, I do not have any problem making more income and to put food on my table and on the table of my fellow country men.
Farming is fun and at the same time needs a lot of hard work and observation to get the expected output. Before planting, one may need to prepare the land, and after planting, the weeding period could also be demanding. There is also the threat posed by pests. For instance, I had to stop planting maize because of monkeys. Two years ago, I planted maize in about four plots of land but could not harvest up to two bags because monkeys ate them up before they even got mature.
Tuber crops like yam, potatoes and cassava have a way of wiping your tears when they yield well. With my yam and cassava tubers in a year, I could turn over a million Naira comfortably. Like I said earlier, a lot of work is involved.
I have skills in poultry but I backed out because of the high cost of feed. Local chicken breeds do not require much. So, I stick with that and get enough rewards in return.
Our country may become a lovable place to live in if we all turn to farming and reduce the high cost of food items in the market. I think that's the way to go. If everyone has a farm, farm produce will become more than available in the market, thereby bringing down the high cost of food commodities.