The farmer I'd like to talk about is Mr Okoro, my best friend's father, who has a farm about an hour outside Owerri, in south-east Nigeria. I've spent many school holidays there since I was about twelve.
He grows mainly cassava and yams, which are the main crops in that area, and he also has a small plot of peppers and tomatoes that he sells at the weekly market. In the last few years he's started keeping goats and a few dozen chickens as well, partly because the weather has become less predictable and he wanted something that doesn't depend on rain.
His day starts before sunrise. When I stayed there, I'd wake up to the sound of him already outside checking the animals. In the planting season, he works in the fields until midday, rests during the hottest hours, and then goes back out until dark. He's also very knowledgeable. He can tell from the colour of the leaves what a plant needs, and he keeps his own seeds from the best plants every year.
What do I think of his way of life? I respect it hugely, but I know it's not easy. It's physically hard, and his income goes up and down with the weather and market prices. One year, heavy flooding ruined most of his cassava, and the family had a very difficult time. On the other hand, there's something admirable about it. He's his own boss, he eats what he grows, and he's deeply connected to the land. I work in an office in Port Harcourt now, and I sometimes envy his sense of purpose. I just wish farmers like him got better prices for their work.