The almost translucent yellow that lights up parts of the foot hills of Mt. Kenya when the canola or rapeseed is flowering is breathtaking.
It almost makes me feel like I am driving through the south of France! What sets Pure Mountain canola apart from the other gleaming yellow fields is that it is non-irrigated and practices conservation agriculture. Pure Mountain produces Canola from their fields, a super healthy cooking oil.
Canola Oil
Rapeseed (Canola) oil is the healthiest of all commonly used cooking oils and comes from the seeds of the canola plant. It is lowest in saturated fat, high in cholesterol-lowering mono- unsaturated fat and the best source of omega-3 fats of all popular oils. The seed is harvested from pods that are filled after beautiful yellow flowers form on the plant.
Its polyunsaturated fats are essential omega-3s – which may help prevent heart attacks and strokes – and omega-6s – which are important for the brain and essential for the growth and development of infants. It is a rich source of vitamin E.
Conservation Agriculture
Pure Mountain under the company Agventure works with a focus on enabling conservation agriculture practices to be established. Located in the rift valley region which receives over 1000mm of rain per year (when only 300mm is sufficient to produce a crop), the Pure Mountain farms are non-irrigated. To tackle the dry seasons Agventure have diversified their cropping system to build healthier soils that hold more moisture for longer periods of time. The Agventure team have already started seeing strong results from their sustainable efforts and better yields and more resilient crops are becoming established. Agventure admit that there is still a long road ahead, however they have made it a point so far where the questions that need to be answered are better known.
Centre of Excellence for Crop Rotation
Agventure take huge pride in their non-profit department – the Centre of Excellence for crop rotation which focuses on building farmer capabilities within the wider farming community. They hope to reach several thousand farmers in the coming years, offering support, know-how and access to markets.
