The negative perception that farming is unrewarding is long gone. Many Kenyans are now embracing agribusiness as their lifetime career. Among those who have made this life-changing decision is Evans Nthiga.
Evans quit teaching to follow his passion for agribusiness. After completing his bachelor’s degree in 2013, the mathematics teacher secured employment in one of the secondary schools in Kenya.
According to him, a formal job would offer peace of mind considering the consistent paychecks guaranteed at the end of every month. Unfortunately, the work environment didn’t give him the fulfillment he desired. He describes losing the morale to step to work every day. ”I felt underutilized, bored, and enslaved,” he said.
After teaching for a few years, he took a daring step only a few would. Evans quit his job and went to farming. At that time, he was armed with nothing apart from passion and sheer determination to do great in the agribusiness world.

While it was a step towards an unfamiliar world, at least it was towards what he was fully passionate about. This brave move gave birth to Richfarm Kenya, a fruit and vegetable farm with branches in Embu and Naivasha.
Many people with farming interests cite a lack of resources including land and capital as the biggest impediments to achieving their dream. The case was no different for Evans Nthiga. ”I did not have an elaborate plan on what I would do in farming. I didn’t also have any capital to invest. But I had a deep passion for farming,” he said.
Running a fruit and vegetable farm requires a reliable source of water. While this was not readily available, Evans couldn’t let it deter him from achieving success. He was quick to innovate a way to store surface runoff. He constructed a small dam and lined it with greenhouse polythene.
With time, Evans sourced a backhoe tractor to help create a larger water reservoir. ”I now have 1 big earth pond with a capacity of over 1 million liters, 2 lined up ponds and the 4th one is under construction,” he said.
Evans has overcome all these barriers and set up a thriving farm. He operate fruit and vegetable seedling propagation units in Embu and Naivasha. Among the fruit seedlings he raises in these units include pawpaw, dragon fruit, grape, mango, apple avocado, and pixie orange.
Besides, the farm has plenty of vegetable seedlings including capsicum, kale, cabbage, chili, spinach, and an array of traditional vegetables. On the Embu branch, he has gone further to establish a pawpaw and dragon fruit orchard.

When starting the venture, Evans could handle everything on the farm all by himself including manual digging and seedling delivery to the customers. His shoestring budget could not cover outsourced labour cost. A few years later, he is an employer with his team helping achieve the farm’s target including setting up sustainable projects for farmers.
We asked whether he would reconsider going back to teaching. He is quick to state his unwillingness. ”Farming is way much better,” he said. But a teacher remains to be a teacher. Mr Nthiga offers consultancy services at his farm, teaching farmers how to do things right and helping them to set up sustainable farming projects. When you engage RichFarm Kenya for a farming project, the team will walk with you from planning to the market.
Mr Nthiga believes in taking up a task and giving it his all. He remembers starting a small venture while still working as a teacher. ”I tried, but I lost all the investment. This is a mistake most people make, taking agribusiness as a side hustle. Most people who have lost significant amounts through farming are doing this kind of thing. That is where the term telephone farming came from,” he said.
Evans Nthiga has solid advice for anyone who wishes to venture into agribusiness. ”Farming is not easy: not everyone can do it. A plan and money to invest are important factors but might not guarantee success,” he said. He urges people interested in farming to have close links with professionals who can help them through the journey.