Mr Farmguard: My life as an agriculture content creator

Gilbert Kipkoech, commonly known as Mr. Farmguard has become a social media sensation for his innovative approach in documenting his farming journey online. 

In an interview with Mtaa Wangu, Kipkoech recalls how his interest in leveraging social media for farming was sparked in 2014 when he was in Form Two after getting his first smartphone. 

After creating a Facebook page, he came across Rodgers Kirwa's page, known as 'Mr. Agriculture,' which fuelled his passion for learning more about the field.

"I stumbled upon Mr Agriculture's page, and that is how my interest was piqued, and I started learning from him, which I still do to date," he says.

After completing high school, Kipkoech initially enrolled in an aviation college but quickly realized it wasn’t the right fit. 

With the support of his parents, he switched to Baraka Agricultural College to study Agriculture and Biotechnology. 

“I felt out of place in aviation college, so I decided to drop out and pursue an agriculture-related course. I’m glad I did,” he reflects.

In 2020, Kipkoech moved to Olegurone in Kuresoi South Sub-county to work as a sales representative for a fertilizer company, where he also trained farmers in proper agronomic practices. 

After observing the substantial income of a farmer he was training, Kipkoech decided to apply his knowledge and start farming himself.

"At that time, a bag of potatoes was costing Sh. 6,000 and the farmer had harvested 162 bags. I saw agriculture was a decent income earner and I decided to start farming," he notes

He leased one acre of land to plant potatoes and made a significant profit. Today, he farms seven acres, growing potatoes, cabbages, and peas. 

Kipkoech uses social media to share his farming journey, offering technical advice from planting to harvesting. 

His goal is to empower youth by showing them that agriculture is profitable, modern and not just an occupation for the older generation.

"I wanted to empower the youth, to talk about agribusiness, tell them the benefits of farming, that agriculture is profitable and a cool thing and not for the old,” he says 

The 26-year-old has diversified his income through brand promotion for seven companies, thanks to his strong social media presence. 

He believes young people should recognize the vast opportunities available beyond traditional farming methods. 

His online presence has also opened doors for international learning experience, which he looks forward to exploring in the coming days.