HYDROPONIC
Very few things taste better than freshly harvested organic vegetables and herbs, which is why Kicheche grow them, delivering them onto plates moments after picking.
Our master chefs relish using the finest ingredients making sure every meal is a cocktail of texture, colour and taste and freshly picked ‘greens’ are an important part of their offerings. A tantalising safari is amplified by a tantalising meal.
Hydroponics revolutionized farming in Kenya needing 80% less water, minimal land-use, fast maturity of plants with increased yield. The fundamental tenets of the Mara Conservancies are replenishing, rejuvenating and renewal: this starts in the gardens and kitchens.
We were particularly impressed with the establishment of a hydroponic garden. We recognize the difficulty of providing fresh ingredients and we have no complaint about the freshness of food available to us as guests. But the glorious greens that Bush Camp served were a wonderful surprise. We had salad greens that really were “just picked” and plentiful. This seemed a terrific innovation and we applaud Kicheche’s investment in this.
Bill & Barbara Westbrook
Dickson and Wellington work wonders with the fertile pickings from the Mara Camp shamba (garden). Many guests plead for their melt in the mouth recipes, with good reason.
PERMACULTURE
Kicheche Laikipia has opted for permaculture which is more than just an organic garden. Patrick is busy landscaping a new garden for the camp at 1900m.
- Permaculture activists are motivated by reducing their ecological footprint and developing a varied healthy lifestyle. Permaculture needs to engage all people of different ability, not just young strong people who can shovel compost.
- It aims to imitate nature. Visually this is the most noticeable difference between organic gardening and permaculture. In permaculture gardens (home systems is the more holistic term) there is rarely bare soil, the conservation of soil and water is a high priority. There is a more complex use of space. Plants are allowed to set seed and are interplanted for pest control. You are unlikely to see plants in rows.
- The permaculture system aims to harvest and maximise water, sun and other natural energies, e.g. wind, dust, leaves, bird droppings.
- The permaculture system aims to provide nutritious food and habitat for people AND native animals and birds.
It is a system that is focused on closing the fertiliser loop by using waste, and reducing the dependence on inputs by creating healthy soil and diversity of produce.
At Kicheche Laikipia, the Chefs Michael and John’s favorite is the homegrown beetroot burger.
In order to help indigenous trees grow in our conservancies, our guests are offered seedballs to throw whilst on safari. This is a genius gem of germination, simply a seed inside a ball of charcoal dust. A biochar coating of the ball protects it from predators such as birds, rodents and insects and extreme temperatures to maximize germination.
Check our new itinerary 4 nights in Laikipia combining a stay in Ol Pejeta conservancy and a wild camping experience in the Lolldaiga Hills.
