Tree saplings bagged up ready to be planted, and a postcard of a group of people smiling.

It’s More Than Trees: Notes From The Field

“My Forest Garden dream was to create different areas that have their own purpose. I’m very happy. I appreciate everything they have done for us, my family is shining.”

James, Farmer in Mt Elgon

For every order we plant a tree. But, it's way more than that

Honking boda bodas, bonding over songs of gratitude, sweet smells of freshly sliced papaya, the zing that hits you from a not-quite-ripe passionfruit. This is the story of our trip to Eastern Uganda, a three-day adventure into the heart of Mt Elgon National Park with Trees for the Future, where we met the committed folk who do the good work day in, day out. 

A large group of Ugandan locals and visitors smile and wave at the camera
Meeting the farmers of Mt Elgon 7
A man examines a lush green wall of calliandra plants in a Forest Garden in Uganda
A mature 'green wall' made up of lush calliandra plants

Our partnership with conservation legends Trees for the Future is well rooted, we celebrated planting one million trees together back in April this year, and continue to support their epic work to educate and train farmers on their unique Forest Garden Approach. 

Ugandan farmers wearing Trees for the Future t-shirts and foliage around their bodies dance holding vegetables they
A Forest Garden welcome, Mt Elgon style

It’s easy to sit back in comfort and take this in, but nobody from Passenger had ever seen first-hand the impact our tree donations have made on the lives of farmers and communities out there in the field.

"Witnessing the impact of conservation through the eyes of those we've helped, is a humbling reminder of the power we all hold to change lives."

Samuel Westley, Brand Director

A man smiles at the camera holding a huge bunch of bananas on his shoulder, at a market in Uganda
Farmer Robert and his epic banana harvest, a sellout at Bukigai market

So, Passenger founder Rich and some of the crew recently had the humbling opportunity to meet the people on the ground, visiting farmers and their Forest Gardens in the Mt Elgon region of Uganda.


The mission? Show up in the communities we’ve supported, spend time with farmers and hear their stories, their challenges, and find out firsthand how the Forest Garden Approach is a game-changer for their livelihoods.


Boots laced and packs on backs, we set off on our journey and documented everything along the way. 

A videographer shows a group of Ugandan children some video footage of them, they all laugh joyfully
"Show me!"

Community first

“We plant a tree for every order”. Roots in the ground, absorbing carbon from the air. But it’s so much more than that, it’s about community. We visited many farms and projects during our trip, and at each site, we were welcomed with nothing but good vibes. Open arms, the biggest smiles, and songs that stayed with us long after we got home (stay tuned for Rich’s sound mix…).

Three Ugandan women farmers smile and wave while dancing and singing in celebration
A Ugandan woman smiles as she dances in celebration

A special approach

Trees for the Future flies the flag for the Forest Garden Approach - a specialist mix of agroforestry techniques that empowers farmers to take back control of their land, diversify their crops and improve their livelihoods. 

A birdseye view of two patches of land, before and after the Forest Garden Approach was introduced. The left is baron and dead, the right is luscious and full of trees and plants.
A farmer's land before and after the Forest Garden Approach was introduced. Image by Trees for the Future

“Trees for the Future has helped us a lot, I’m no longer buying vegetables, I’m no longer buying firewood. The fertility of my land has improved because of these calliandra trees. I pray the support continues so we can do even more.”

James, Mt Elgon 6, Year 3 of Training

A Ugandan farmer smiling  wearing a Trees for the Future t-shirt
James in Mt Elgon 6 was one of the first farmers we met. He's in year three of his training, only one more to go.

Walking through a Forest Garden, you almost forget where you are. Towering banana trees form a shaded canopy overhead, sunlight filtering through to give just enough light for the crops below to do their thing. Although it was hot and humid, the air had that thick scent of fresh foliage. Some farmers have planted herb gardens, the perfect opportunity to get nose-to-shrub for a familiar sniff of rosemary.


Or an in-field chilli taste test, if you’re anything like our founder Rich…

A man looks surprised after tasting a chilli, others around him are laughing
A bit spicy...
Sunlight shines through big leaf canopies on a banana tree that has a huge bunch of bananas growing
Banana leaf canopies overhead

“Before Trees for the Future taught us these techniques, we used to cut down so many trees. Now, we tell everyone don’t cut down trees! And if you have to cut down one, plant five, or 10.”

James, Mt Elgon 6, Year 3 of Training

Three people walk through a Forest Garden with huge corn crops on one side and banana trees on the other. In the distance, towering eucalyptus trees
A thriving Forest Garden in Mt Elgon 7

After four years of training, farmers are awarded a professional certification. Where farmers once grew one or two crops, they now produce dozens of food and resource crops for their families, year-round. Not only do they have plenty to eat, they have plenty to sell at their weekly markets.


These are just some of the techniques we learnt about at the TREES training site:

  • Seed saving

  • Drip irrigation

  • Nursery development

  • Medicinal plants

  • Water catchment - 'store, stop, sink, spread'

  • Beekeeping

  • Food towers

  • Grafted plants

A manmade drip irrigation system set up on an avocado plant, using an old plastic bottle
A neat drip irrigation system making good use of an old plastic bottle, for those water-thirsty avocado plants
Two beehive structures made out of wood and mud
A traditional, organic beehive (left) made from sticks and cow dung can yield 6kg of honey in 6 months
A man in a Trees for the Future training t-shirt points to educational materials. He and his two visitors laugh at something slightly off camera.
Full of knowledge after a morning with Trees for the Future Training Site Manager Titus

What is a Forest Garden?

Forest Gardens start with ‘green walls’ - a three-rows-deep living wall of calliandra plants that will grow fast to border the farm and protect it from the elements and livestock. It provides fodder for animals, farmers can take dead leaves to use as compost, and the trees help mix and maintain soil health. Another thing we quickly learnt - everything in a Forest Garden has more than one purpose.

“Everything in a Forest Garden has more than one purpose.”

Titus, Trees for the Future Training Site Manager

A lush green forest garden with tall banana plants, a group of people explore the forest garden
More than one purpose: Tall banana trees provide shade for the crops below, and fallen leaves can be used for mulching

From there, farmers are free to design their Forest Gardens however they like. It’s their chance to put into practice what they've learnt during training, what suits their farm best depending on the terrain and location, and they always have support from Trees for the Future’s expert field technicians along the way.

A woman with a trees.org t-shirt walks through a Forest Garden surrounded by passionfruit climbers
Finding our way amongst the overhead structure farmer Mary built herself to grow her passionfruit climbers. Impressive.

“People respect us because we are doing something very important. It has given us a responsibility to give back to the environment.”

James, Mt Elgon 6

A woman takes a selfie with a farmer in her Forest Garden, showing off the passionfruits she has grown
Passionate about passionfruit - Sarah with Mary in Mt Elgon 7

Mary is one farmer who’s taken total creative freedom in designing her Forest Garden. She built this incredible web structure above her permagarden to grow passionfruit climbers. We ducked under and explored the farm, leaving with a handful of fresh passionfruits Mary insisted we take.


We visited a few farms up higher up into the hills, and it’s here that coffee shrubs flourish. Splitting open their berries to reveal the beans that would eventually become someone’s morning brew, the farmers told us how wholesalers would travel here to buy beans straight from the farm or in the local markets, giving them another stream of reliable income.

A closeup of coffee beans laid out on the palm of a man
Wholesalers travel to buy coffee beans straight from the farm or in the local markets, giving farmers another stream of reliable income

One farmer we met in this project had extended his farm beyond his original green wall, making the most of the land he had to diversify his Forest Garden even further. He even set out an area to keep bees, but we didn’t roam too close…

Three people walk down a dirt road surrounded by tall trees
Heading to meet farmer Saul in Mt Elgon 4, one of the farmers who graduated this year

At the first signs of rain, we said our goodbyes and hopped it back to the trucks. Heavy rainfall can make the mud roads pretty gnarly to drive on in these mountainous areas, so we didn’t fancy our chances, as much as we had total faith in our driver James.

“There has been a big change… Trees for the Future taught me to practice crop rotation, so I can keep changing what I’m planting after each harvest, which means I can grow more for my family and sell more too.”

James, Mt Elgon 6

A Ugandan farmer smiling at the camera, wearing a white cowboy hat and printed shirt
Farmer James in Mt Elgon 6, who is in year 3 of his Forest Garden training

“Before, I could not plant onions because I could not afford to buy them, but when I started planting, I enjoyed so many extra onions! I even made extra income in my pocket, I made 70,000 Ugandan Shillings which is a huge amount to me.”

James, Mt Elgon 6 (70,000 UGX is approx. £15)

Plant It Forward

Trees for the Future can only help so many farmers at a time, so they came up with a creative way to empower farmers to pass on the knowledge they’ve learnt during their four years of Forest Garden training.


While visiting a Plant It Forward farm in one of the projects, we learnt that around 10 farmers in each project are selected to be part of the scheme, guided by field technicians on how to educate other farmers in their area on the Forest Garden Approach.

A group of Uganda farmers smiling and clapping
A group of Ugandan farmers we met in Mt Elgon 8

One technique that’s passed on through communities is the art of grafting plants. Taking a more mature mango or avocado plant and combining the branch structure with a younger plant reduces the time it takes the plant to fruit from five years to three.

A man crouches down holding a small grafted mango plant
The art of grafting plants - reducing the time it takes the plant to fruit from five years to three

The impact goes beyond this initiative too. We met a farmer who lives next door to the TREES training site. He observed the techniques being taught to other farmers and decided to bring these methods to his own land. Without any formal training, he was able to mimic the Forest Garden Approach and is benefitting from better harvests and a higher income.

Small sprouts growing in the soil, in the background three people walk past
Sprouting veggies in James' permagarden
Ripe avocados on an avocado tree
The farmer who lives next door to the training site is benefitting from incredible harvests, by copying the Forest Garden techniques

‘Plant It Forward’ is knowledge-sharing and empowerment at its finest, and creates an incredible halo effect.

“My Forest Garden dream was to create these different areas that have their own purpose... My family is healthier because of all this. We’re eating onions, eggplant, and more, it’s such a balanced diet compared to before. I’m very happy. I do appreciate everything they have done for us, my family is shining."

James, Mt Elgon 6

Three Uganda farmers and the wider family smile, along with their visitors, while standing in front of a Forest Garden
Farmers James and James with Sarah and Rich (left), and James' family (right) of Mt Elgon 6, in year 3 of Forest Garden training

Market Thursdays

Weekly markets are a huge part of the lives of the farmers we met in Mt Elgon. Each week they travel up to two hours with various crops harvested from their Forest Gardens, and livestock too. 


We drove further east to the Bukigai market on the Kenyan border and were blown away by the vibrancy and diversity of fruit and veggies on display from Forest Garden farmers compared to other stalls.

An array of fresh fruit and vegetables laid out on the floor in the farmer
The size of that jackfruit... This plus passionfruit, papaya, avocado, mango, cowpeas, collard, onions, and cabbage makes for an attractive market offering from farmer Agnes
A farmer holding a giant jackfruit and smiling, at a market in Uganda

"This market is one of the largest, and everything from food, livestock, phones, clothes and household items is sold here."

Richard, Mt Elgon Area Manager at Trees for the Future

Two people crouch down to take a closer look at the array of market vegetables on offer. They smile up at the farmer
Agnes' Forest Garden harvests were a sellout by 2pm

As we walked through the market, TREES colleagues took us to a few different Forest Garden farmers who were selling bananas, cabbage, jackfruit, avocados, even goats. Two of the farmers we were due to visit had actually already sold through everything and headed home to their families early - a result. Forest Garden produce is clearly in demand on market day.

Four people smile at the camera while holding a giant bunch of bananas at a market in Mt Elgon, Uganda
Farmer Robert has a Forest Garden in Mt Elgon 4, bananas are one of his biggest harvests

Alice told us how being part of the TREES project had given her the freedom to work and earn a living, whereas before she was mostly cooking with what limited ingredients they could buy at the market. Now she is looking after her land, successfully selling her produce and able to feed her family and put her kids through school.

Parting Thoughts from Rich

“I had no idea how truly inspiring it would be. We have learnt very quickly this project is a whole lot more than just planting trees.

“When I started Passenger 12 years ago, a big focus was around planting trees to capture carbon. But if I’m honest with you, this trip has given me a bit of a reality check that there is so much more to it than that.

A woman and a man smile and applaud a group of Ugandan farmers who are singing and dancing in celebration
Incredible welcomes in every Forest Garden we visited

“I’ll never forget arriving at the first Forest Garden, not really sure what to expect, but being made to feel incredibly welcome by the whole community. We joined in their singing and dancing, it was the best introduction to Ugandan culture and really got the vibes going for the rest of the trip.

A man and a woman join in the dancing and celebrations shown by a group of Ugandan farmers. The man smiles at the camera
"Everything Trees for the Future is doing is about community"

“Everything Trees for the Future is doing is about community. From empowering farmers to take control of their land, teaching them new skills and supporting them throughout the process, it all comes back to changing lives for the better.

A polaroid photograph of a Ugandan farmer and his family, shown over the shoulder of the farmer holding it
Polaroid photos, alongside books, sweets and soaps, were our small gifts of appreciation for the farmers and their families

“Beyond humbling. I’m so proud that Passenger will continue to support Trees for the Future.”

Richard Sutcliffe - Passenger Founder

A Ugandan farmer smiles as she holds an orange flower up to her nose, surrounded by tall crops in a Forest Garden
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