Limited resource has never been an excuse at Cheery children Education Centre but the desire to learn and share what we have, has been the driving force behind what we do.Michael Soskil and his class joined us to watch how our students are planting in our small garden using different technique to do it.Sacks filled with soil will replace the normal garden we know off.We are ready to skype with other schools to show them how things look at and how they also do same.

Cowpeas are one of the most important food legume crops in the semiarid tropics covering Asia, Africa, southern Europe, and Central and South America. A drought-tolerant and warm-weather crop, cowpeas are well-adapted to the drier regions of the tropics, where other food legumes do not perform well.
Cowpeas are native to Africa, where it is an important food crop. The plant thrives in warmer climates. There are vining and non-vining varieties.
Cowpeas grow in a slender pod which looks like a green bean. Six to ten inch pods contain tan colored beans.
Days to Maturity:
Ranges from 80 to 90 days depending on variety.
Sowing Cowpea Seeds:
Sow seeds directly into the garden. They germinate best at a soil temperature of 65 degrees or higher. Seeds germinates in 7-10 days.
How to Grow Cowpeas:
Grow cowpeas in full sun. They prefer rich, well-draining soil. Add compost prior to planting. Apply a side dressing of fertilizer to give these plants a fast start as soon as they germinate.
Cowpea plants are tolerant of heat and dry weather conditions. However, for maximum growth and harvest, water frequently, especially during dry periods. Try to keep the leaves dry as you water. This will help avoid fungus diseases.
Apply a general purpose fertilizer once a month during the season.
Harvesting Cowpeas:
Young, tender leaves are edible. Pick as needed for salads. Or, cook them like spinach.
Many gardeners, who are new to cowpeas, do not know that the young pods are edible, too. Pick when very young, as the pods get tough and stringy early. Most people harvest Cowpeas for the bean inside. If harvesting green pick, when young. For dried shell beans, pick after the pods have dried. The beans can be allowed to dry right on the vine.
Insects, Pests, and Plant Disease:
A variety of insects enjoy cowpeas. Use insecticides or repellents as needed.
Deer and rabbits like this vegetable, too. They will eat the young plants, and nip tender leaves. Deer will forage for the young beans. If you have wild turkeys in your area, you may find them munching on your Cowpeas. They eat the young plants and enjoy the insects that the plant attracts.
 

We dont see obstacles but we see opportunities and possibilities and bridging the gap and making chnage with the resources available.Cheery garden is ready for planting and we look forward for a unique kind of farming.