How a Kitengela Farmer Turned COVID-19 Uncertainty into a Thriving Agribusiness

From Lockdown to Lush Field;

“Farming Found Me”: How a Kitengela Woman Turned a Lockdown Hobby into a Thriving Agribusiness

When COVID-19 hit in early 2020, Alexin Hasoa had just moved to Hawa in Kitengela, Kajiado County. Farming was the last thing on her mind until lockdown restrictions left her searching for something meaningful to do.

“I’m actually a COVID farmer,” she laughs. “Farming was never in my plan. I had no idea how to even plant an onion.I didn’t even know the different types of onions,” she recalls. “I was just learning on the go.”

But with movement restricted and days stretching into one another, encouraged by a friend,a friend suggested they try farming. “I thought, why not? At least I’d have something to do.” She leased a quarter-acre of land and planted onions, guided more by curiosity than expertise. “I didn’t even know there were different varieties. I just went to the agrovet and bought seeds.”

The first harvest was humble one pickup of onions but it sparked something deep inside her. “I was so excited until someone told me, ‘You know you should be harvesting four times this amount.’ That was the challenge I needed.”

Discovering the Secret to Big Yields

Determined to do better, Alexin scaled up to five acres and began exploring improved farming techniques including growing tomatoes alongside onions. Her turning point came when she discovered Yara fertilizers through a visiting agronomist, a decision that transformed her yields from 12 tons per acre to as much as 24 tons.

“Before Yara, I was getting 12 tons of tomatoes per acre. With Yara, I hit 18, then 20, and eventually 24 tons. That’s when I knew this was serious business.”

Her farm, Limitless Fresh Farm, now thrives on precision: drip irrigation, careful soil testing, and fertilizers tailored to each growth stage. She uses cow and chicken manure to enrich the soil, and even plants cabbages as a natural pest barrier.

“Feeding your crop right is the secret,” she says, eyes lighting up. “If you do it well, tomatoes can give you seven months of continuous harvest.”

Mastering Crop Nutrition and Protection

At Limitless Fresh Farm, Alexin now grows tomatoes, onions, and cabbages, using the latter as a natural crop protection method. She follows precise fertilizer application schedules tailored to crop stages employing products like YaraMila Power, YaraVita Crop Boost, and YaraLiva Tropicote to ensure optimal plant health.

Her methods combine modern crop nutrition with drip irrigation, minimizing dependence on rainfall and ensuring consistent production. Soil health remains a priority she regularly incorporates cow and chicken manure and avoids overly acidic fertilizers.

Inspiring a New Generation of Farmers

Alexin is on a mission to change perceptions about farming among young people. Through her Facebook page and community trainings, she showcases agriculture as a profitable and respectable profession. One of her proudest moments was inspiring a Kenyan youth working in the U.S. to return home and start farming.

“He saw my videos online, reached out, and now he has his own farm not far from here. That’s the kind of change I want to see.”she explained.

In collaboration with Yara, she has trained dozens of local women to grow vegetables in their backyards, helping households achieve food security. “In this community, farming was not a common practice, especially among the Maasai,” she explains. “Now, many women have small kitchen gardens, and they’re proud of it.”

Impacting Her Community

In a Maasai community where crop farming wasn’t common, Alexin has introduced new possibilities. “When I came here, most women didn’t grow vegetables. Now, after our trainings, they have kitchen gardens with sukuma wiki and spinach. It’s about food on the table and dignity in self-reliance.”

On harvest days, her farm bustles with up to 50 casual workers, each carrying home not just wages, but stories of a woman who turned an unexpected path into a community lifeline.

Farming as a Way of Life

For Alexin, farming is more than a business it’s a calling. Her days run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and she admits her social life has taken a backseat to her passion for the land. But the rewards are clear which includes: improved livelihoods for local workers, steady food supply, and a sense of purpose born from turning uncertainty into opportunity.

Through her Facebook page and community trainings, she challenges the notion that agriculture is dirty, outdated work. “Farming is an 8-to-5 job for me. I pack my breakfast, lunch, and snacks just like any other professional. The only difference is my office is a field.”

Addicted to the Land

Alexin admits farming has changed her life completely. “My social life? Zero,” she says, “Call me, I’m at the farm. But I don’t mind. Farming is addictive. You sleep thinking about it, you wake up thinking about it. And once you see the results, you can’t stop.

By Sharon Atieno