Joanne ~~ The pit silo is almost complete. This was quite a feat as there were huge seams of rocks that they needed to break through. No backhoe, no jackhammer, only five workers with well worn shovels, pry bars and pick axes. A few broken handles later...of course, if you have a straight tree limb,a machetes, a rock, and the skill, you can make a new handle on the spot.
Dave ~~ The pit silo will be three meters in diameter and two meters deep to store 7-8 tons of silage. This will feed two cows for 4 months. The pit can be maintained and used for several years.
How dies it work? Grass will be cut and packed in the silo with someone tamping it to force out the air. When it is full, uncut grass will be put on top and a mound of dirt on top of that. During the dry season the dirt will be removed and the uncut grass. The silage will be sweet smelling and ready to start feeding. It's important that the grass be removed an even depth from the whole face of the silo to prevent spoiling. For easy access the pit is being built is near the barns.
This project will help them feed their animals throughout the dry season when grass is not as plentiful and what is available is very expensive.
The hand crank chopper that Dave worked on in August broke again which meant the grass needed to be chopped by machete. Grass was cut and carried from fields across the property near the Urukundo schools.
The last photo shows how grass is carried in Rwanda.
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