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The King picked produce from an urban farm today and presented it to a hospital’s chef as he learnt about a Kenyan project that has given new life to waste ground.
Charles pulled out spinach, kale and curly kale leaves from the ground after he was given a guided tour of City Shamba, a city farm initiative, on the first full day of his state visit to Kenya.
A large patch of land behind Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital in the capital Nairobi has been transformed in just 12 months into a thriving organic holding, producing a wide range of vegetables and herbs and also chickens, two ponds to raise fish – and snails.
Hospital chef Nelly Njagi, who was handed a basket of vegetables leaves with the final few picked by the King, said afterwards: “He asked if this was for the patients and I told him it was. Having this organic food available is very good for their recovery.”
The King was also shown a selection of large African land snails bred by staff at the farm and laughed when told by Gregory Kimani, City Shamba’s founder and chief executive officer, the slime is used by the beauty industry for women’s facial products.
Charles marvelled at the larvae of black soldier files used to turn vegetable waste into fertiliser and seemed impressed by the farm’s use of natural pesticides, including rabbit urine, and vertical planting.
For a brief moment he popped into a polytunnel where roasting temperatures are helping to ripen tomatoes.
Mr Kimani said after the royal visit: “Taking the King around the farm means that our idea is something that can go out there and it can be accepted anywhere by anyone. So we are very much glad for the validation of the idea.
“Growing our crops organically was a huge thing for him, he really liked the idea of how we are growing things and really taking back control of our own food system.”
– Words by Richard Palmer, Express Royal Correspondent
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