I've sent $11,000 to a farm back home and seen no profit. Farmer or fool?

The question

An illustrative letter.

The answer

My dear, there is a reason Kenyans have a name for what you are doing. Telephone farming, running a farm by phone from far away, is common among people working in Nairobi and abroad, and the stories often sound just like yours: calls asking for money, a crisis every month, and profits that never quite arrive. You are not a fool. You are a man who loves his family and his home, and who has been sending money into a fog.

Why does farming by phone so often go wrong?

Farmers who have tried it describe the same troubles: work paid for but not done, feed and medicine bought for the farm ending up elsewhere, animals that starve or go missing, and endless requests for more money while the results stay poor. None of this means your nephew is dishonest. Poultry is hard work, feed prices are real, and chickens do fall sick. But when you cannot see, you cannot tell bad luck from bad management, and that uncertainty is exactly where money disappears.

What records should I ask for?

Simple ones, every week, with photos: the number of birds alive, any that died and why, how many bags of feed were bought and used, the eggs collected or birds sold, and the money received. Ask for a receipt or a photo of every purchase. Treat each flock as its own batch, with its own costs and its own sales, so you can see whether a batch made money even when the overall picture looks gloomy.

Records are not an accusation. They are how any well-run farm works, near or far. Explain it that way: you want to understand the business so you can help it succeed.

Who can check on the farm for me?

Someone who is not part of the money. A local veterinarian or an agricultural extension officer can look at the birds, the housing and the feed, and tell you plainly whether the operation is sound. A friend or relative you trust, with no stake in the farm, can drop in without warning. And visit yourself when you can, especially for the big moments, such as a new flock arriving or a sale. Farmers who have learned this lesson say staying involved in those moments makes all the difference.

How should I send money from now on?

• Pay suppliers yourself where you can. Feed stores and vets can often be paid directly by mobile money, so the money goes for exactly what it was meant for.
• Agree a fixed monthly amount for wages and small costs, decided in advance, rather than answering each emergency call.
• Set a ceiling. Decide the total you are willing to put in before the farm must begin paying its own way, and hold to it.
• Watch the cost of sending. If you pay a transfer company in cash, a 1 percent U.S. tax now applies. Transfers funded from a U.S. bank account or debit card are not taxed.

Should I make an agreement with my nephew?

Yes, in writing, and kindly. Set out his wage, what he is responsible for, how records will be kept and shared, and whether he shares in any profit. A share of the profit gives him a reason to make the farm succeed, and turns him from someone spending your money into a partner building something. A clear agreement also protects your relationship, because disagreements over money are easier to settle when the terms were written down in calmer days.

When is it time to stop?

Set a date and a measure: perhaps two or three more flocks, with full records, to see whether the farm can at least cover its own costs. If it cannot, you have choices. You might sell the equipment, lease the land and poultry houses to an experienced farmer, or help your nephew in a different way, perhaps with training or a smaller venture of his own. Stopping is not failure. Pouring money into something you cannot see, year after year, would be.

What about taxes here?

If you are a U.S. citizen or resident, the United States taxes income from anywhere in the world, and a business abroad may need to be reported on your return, profits and losses alike. Keep every receipt and record. A CPA who works with immigrants can tell you how it applies to you.

How do I protect the family bond through this?

Talk to your nephew as family first and business partner second. Tell him you are proud of what he is trying to do, and that you want records and visits so you can both see the farm clearly. Most people rise to clear expectations, and the ones who resent them tell you something important.

You can farm from more than 7,000 miles away, my dear, but only with eyes on the ground and numbers in your hand. Get the records, send someone to look, and let the farm prove itself before it receives another shilling of your hard-earned money.

One thing to do this week

Ask your nephew for this week's bird count, feed used and sales with photos, and find a local vet who could visit the farm.