Dr Sesutlho Koketso Kesianye is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Botswana and a passionate farmer. Dr Kesianye has been farming with her children for over 15 years at her farm located along the old Mahalapye/Mmutlane road and sandwiched by Bonwapitse village on the right and Mmutlane village on the left. In an exclusive interview with Farmers Magazine Botswana, Dr Kesianye revealed that she got her inspiration for farming from her mother, Mme Kelaeng Semetsamere who is also a passionate farmer. She said that she knows the value of farming thus her decision to be an integrated farmer. She told this publication that she decided to be an integrated farmer as she realized that each farming activity or sector feeds another.
The farm which is now a registered company under the name Mommzy’s Farm, keeps small stock (both goats and sheep), Tswana cattle, poultry (Tswana, Sussex, and occasionally Broilers), horticulture, and arable farming. She said that they currently have less than 20 Tswana cattle, a number she wants to maintain even in years to come, and over 60 small stock animals. As water is a critical part of farming, Dr Kesianye drilled a borehole six years ago. The borehole however, gives a low yield. She said this greatly impacted her plans. She however, said that she decided to set up a horticulture farm in a less than a hectare piece of land due to limited water supply. She plants various crops such as butternuts, cabbage, green pepper, tomatoes, and beetroots. As she has not undertaken any special farming course, Dr Kesianye said experience has been her best teacher including her well versed Zimbabwean farm labourer, Nomsa Sande. She revealed that this year she has introduced cabbage for the first time and hopes to farm it throughout the year.
Dr Kesianye also plants different crops in an 8 ha piece of land. The past ploughing season she
