As the rainy season in Kenya draws to a close, our farmers are starting to get ready to harvest their maize. In Chwele District, the difference between the maize of One Acre Fund farmers and non-One Acre Fund farmers is stark. At the beginning of June, one of Chwele’s farmers, Violet Laisa, stood on the edge of her maize field holding a baby in her arms. Her dark green maize stalks soared over her head, and they were covered with sizeable cobs.

Violet planted Pannar seed and plans to harvest at the end of June. Pannar is a fast-growing variety of maize, and it has performed well for our farmers this year. One Acre Fund provides professionally grown hybrid seed, and we allow our farmers to choose between several different varieties. Hybrid seed is naturally grown and selected for higher yields and drought resistance—it is not genetically modified.

Violet liked Pannar so much that she has a cloth with the Pannar logo that she likes to tie over her skirt. When farmers use improved seed for the first time, they are often amazed at how well it performs—and they become loyal customers.

Violet said she hoped to harvest ten bags of maize on ½ acre of land, double what she harvested last year. One Acre Fund farmers generally double to triple their yields in one growing season. This increase means that Violet will have enough maize to feed her family this year—last year, she didn’t.

Violet raises five children, but only two of them are hers—Ian, who is nine months old, and Regan, who is three. The other children belonged to her husband’s first wife, but after she passed away, Violet adopted them.

Though she is raising five children and managing her fields, Violet also holds a leadership position in her group. In fact, she had already finished repaying her loan—a full three months before the repayment deadline.

In the next growing season, which begins in August, Violet plans to plant beans. Early repayment of her maize loan means that she is eligible to receive beans and fertilizer from One Acre Fund. Like many farmers in Chwele District, Violet saw that One Acre Fund farmers had good bean harvests last year. Beans are a good crop for home consumption, and they fetch a good price at the market. Next year, Violet wants to plant 1 acre of maize with One Acre Fund, and a good bean harvest will help her earn enough income to repay a larger loan.