Pioneer wisdom: Seeds for resilient, productive landscapes

In May 2026, an ILRI team facilitated 6 field days with more than 800 participants. But these were not the usual kind of field days. These field days were organised and held jointly by groups of farming families for other farmers, in their homes. The host families decided whom to invite, when and where, and what they wanted to talk about, and who would talk. And they are not just any kind of farming family: they are pioneer families, positive deviants in their farming practices, in particular in maintaining and managing biodiverse pastures for productive smallholder dairy systems. And for this, they are also recognised in their communities. However, the field days were a unique opportunity for their community members to visit their farms and learn from them. The video further explains how important those field days were for the farmers.