This month on the farm
Hillary W. AdareFarm advisory · Ghana
A golden field at the edge of freshly tilled red-brown soil, with trees on the horizon

Good soil, healthy animals, and a farm that pays its way.

I walk farms with their owners, find what is holding them back, and write a plain plan to fix it, one affordable step at a time.

Before you put money into land, know what the ground can grow, what it will cost to get it producing, and who will run it. I check the land before you sign.

Asase ye duru“The earth has weight”

The best farms I have studied, from Ashanti to the English Cotswolds, have one thing in common. They look after the land first, and the yields follow.

i.

Soil first

Every good harvest starts underground. Feed the soil with what the farm already makes, and it feeds you back.

ii.

Animals kept well

Shade, air, space and clean water. Most of the losses I see come from housing and water, not bad luck.

iii.

Small steps, measured

No expensive overhaul. One change, written down and checked, then the next.

What I do

The right land, a thriving farm, and the team to get you there.

Whether you are starting out or growing what you have, I help you build a farm that keeps producing, season after season.

  1. Site and crop suitability

    Know which land suits which crop before you plant, buy or lease, so every cedi goes into ground that can deliver.

  2. Productive in today's climate

    Farms designed to thrive through shifting rains and rising heat, with crops, soil and housing chosen to stay productive for years to come.

  3. The right team behind you

    One point of contact, with the right specialists brought in at the right time to turn your goals into harvests.

Start with the one thing you need. When you're ready, I link the pieces together so the compost feeds the crops and the records show what paid.

Aerial view of small vegetable plots in Ghana
soil · rainfall · slope · temperatureWith Wonfliki data

Crop suitability

Before you plant, I check which parts of your land suit which crop, what will limit the yield, and how the crop is likely to perform over the coming seasons.

Start here if you are about to buy, lease or plant land.

Hands holding a handful of dark, rich soil
carbon : nitrogen · moisture · turningWith Terravore, UK

Compost and soil health

Turning crop leftovers, manure and kitchen waste into compost that feeds your soil, so you buy less fertiliser each season.

Start here if your soil is tired or fertiliser costs too much.

Try the compost mixer
A woman holding a chicken on a farm
flock size · feed conversion · mortalityIn-house specialist

Poultry

Housing, feeding, disease prevention and the day-to-day problems, handled by our in-house poultry specialist, who has a proven track record of building successful poultry farms in Nigeria.

Start here if your birds are not growing, laying or surviving as they should.

A herd of cattle walking along a dirt road
space per animal · airflow · water accessWelfare and design

Cattle and pigs

Pens, shade, water lines and simple equipment that keep animals healthy and the farm productive.

Start here if you are building, expanding or losing animals.

A lone tree in open farmland in Ghana
site visit · suitability map · cost to produceFor investors

Land suitability checks for investors

Before you buy, lease or fund a farm: a site visit, a suitability map, a realistic picture of what it costs to get the land producing, and a frank opinion.

Start here if you are putting money into land or a farm project.

How it works
A farmer checking the leaves of his crop in a green field

How I work

Start on the farm, not in a report.

  1. Walk the farm

    We walk it together. I listen to what you want and look at what you already have.

  2. Find what holds you back

    Land, soil, housing, feed or water: whatever is limiting your results.

  3. Write your farm recipe

    A short plan with steps you can afford, in the right order, with the right partner where needed.

  4. Measure it

    Simple records, and Wonfliki's data tools where they help, so we both see the results.

A broad tree in open farmland at golden hour in Ghana
“The nation that destroys its soil destroys itself.”
Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1937

Farm Check · 2 minutes · no sign-up

How is your farm doing?

Seven questions about soil, water, crops, animals and records. Each answer fills in a part of your farm. At the end you get a score, your strongest area, and where I would start.

Try it yourself

Mix a compost heap.

Good compost needs about 25 to 35 parts carbon (dry, brown material) for every part nitrogen (fresh, green material and manure). Add what you have on your farm and see if the heap will work.

Your heap

– : 1

Too greenJust rightToo brown

Add something to begin

Start with what you have most of.

Parts by weight. Typical values; your materials will vary. Keep the heap as damp as a squeezed-out sponge and turn it every one to two weeks.

A field of tall sorghum with trees behind

For investors

Money into land is only as good as the land.

Many farm investments in West Africa fail for reasons a careful site visit would have shown: the wrong crop for the rain, no water in the dry season, or no one on the ground to run it.

See the ground

A visit to the land with photos and notes on soil, water, access and what the neighbours grow.

Map what fits

A suitability map from soil, rainfall, slope and temperature data, prepared with Wonfliki.

Count the real cost

What it takes to get the land producing, in what order, and the risks I would watch.

Farmers planting together in a green field

Now open

Founding farms: five places, no consulting fee.

I will work with five founding farms in Ghana at no consulting fee.

What you get

  • A farm walk and a conversation about your goals
  • A short written plan for the area you choose
  • Check-ins over three months

What I ask

  • Permission to share the results as a case study, with your approval
  • Honest feedback on what helped and what did not

My background is formal training in agriculture and close observation on farms, backed by partners with years of hands-on experience. These founding farms are where that turns into documented results.

Apply

Tell me about your farm.

It takes two minutes. I read every application myself and reply by email.

What do you grow or keep?

Your details are used only to reply to you and plan a farm visit. They are never sold or shared, and I will delete them whenever you ask. The site uses no tracking cookies.

Field notes

Letters from the farm.

Short, practical notes from farm visits: what worked, what didn't, and what it cost.

All notes on Substack
25 November

Harmattan is coming: a dry-season checklist for your farm

Dry air, dust, cool nights and fire risk. Ten things to do before it peaks.

9 December

Before you buy farmland in Ghana: seven questions to ask

Ownership, boundaries, water, rain, soil, roads, and who will run it.

30 December

Don't burn the stalks: start the new year with a compost heap

Turn this season's harvest leftovers into next season's soil, for free.

Portrait of Hillary W. Adare
Your portraitSave it as assets/img/photos/p03-portrait.jpg

Who you work with

One person to call. The right expert for each job.

I'm a geomatic engineer who works in agriculture. I use maps and data where they help, and a farm walk and a notebook where they help more.

I have experience in agricultural technology and innovation, Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and geomatic engineering. I founded Wonfliki to bring crop data to Ghanaian farmers. I am your main contact: I assess the farm, write the plan and bring in the right people.

View my LinkedIn profile

Wonfliki

The crop and data company I founded: mapping, suitability data and monitoring.

Terravore, UK

Composting and soil advice.

Contact

Let's walk your farm.

Tell me where it is, what you keep or grow, and what you'd like to improve. Email is the best way to reach me, and I reply to every message.

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Email

Farm passport

Walk the whole farm

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