Though the majority of people in Nepal engage in agriculture, the main crops grown (rice, wheat, corn, and millet) don’t provide families with much income, forcing many young people to leave their homes and work abroad. Biloba Farms is a research orchard in Sindhupalchok, Nepal, that aims to address this issue and support under-resourced farmers by introducing higher-value fruit and nut crops.
In 2022, Chandan Shilpakar and I received a grant from the Wyoming Center for Global Studies to work with Biloba Farms to establish a teaching orchard at a nearby school. In 2023, we travelled to Nepal to help plant the first fruit trees and lead workshops on soil and plant health for the students. The project now has 25 apple, peach, coffee, and orange trees managed by students in the school’s Eco-Club, and plans to expand to a second school!
