Cultivating Change: Farmer to Farmer Blog

From Waste to Cooking Fuel and Composting

2012-02-16T13:34:00.000-05:00

FTF Volunteer Grant Ligon, showing future placement of biodigester inlet pipe

Last month, North Carolina resident Grant Ligon got his first taste at being a Farmer to Farmer volunteer. He traveled to Guyana, South America, and carried out a successful assignment as a Biogas Specialist. Below are excerpts from his trip report and a few photos from his trip!

"Over the past several years Farmer to Farmer in Guyana has supported IPED, the Institute for Private Enterprise Development, in their Inter-American Development Bank-funded project centered on helping farmers install, operate and maintain plastic polyethylene biodigesters. These cylindrical units, which are typically around 25 feet long and five feet in diameter, create an anaerobic environment were methanogenic bacteria ferment cow or pig waste, producing methane gas to be used for cooking as well as humus that can be used for vermiculture and composting."

Discussing function of biodigester at St. Stanislaus College Training Farm

"The volunteer specialist was recruited to visit several of the digesters and offer recommendations for improving the structural integrity of the damaged or in-disuse digesters, the dung-based slurry feeding practice, and gas production and storage techniques. Five under- or non-performing plastic units and two unfinished concrete digesters were visited and assessed, and a workshop for the digester owners and other interested parties was hosted at the St. Stanislaus farm." [Several technical recommendations for improvement to these digesters were provided.]

"The trip proved to be a great professional experience, especially when it came to interacting with farmers and livestock raisers and observing how a program like FTF works together with IPED . . . I learned a great deal about how creative they are in addressing various practical concerns . . . I also began to appreciate how often programs with specific roles (like FTF with its advisory focus and IPED with its installation and direct consulting mandate) work together ..."

Getting Beekeeping off the Ground in Senegal

2012-02-13T11:45:00.001-05:00

McGahan and April Muniz of the Peace Corps suit up
with Senegalese beekeepers.

Jerry McGahan, a retired beekeeper from Arlee, Montana, recently traveled to Senegal on a Farmer to Farmer volunteer assignment. He worked with Boubacar Cisse’s union of beekeepers and Peace Corps volunteers to help get beekeeping off the ground, part of the national program to improve food security in Senegal. Cisse’s union set a goal of training 1,000 beekeepers across the country but has only succeeded in training 100 to date. Peace Corps volunteers are part of this training program because they will be serving as a support group to make sure that training is translating into hands-on work. They discussed the possibility of establishing local beekeeper organizations and a wax press for constructing frames.

McGahan had the opportunity to visit nurseries throughout the country. In many cases he saw the most primitive forms of beekeeping and honey gathering, which can be efficient yet cannot be turned into larger scale operations. Elsewhere, he saw more established nurseries with wood ware hives and impressive extraction materials. McGahan advised nurseries on the difference between concrete and wood hives, emphasizing that although concrete hives are less expensive, wood hives enable maximum production and efficiency. He demonstrated how to preserve the comb when harvesting honey, stack hives into large colonies, select and develop desirable traits in bees for better yields, fight pests and intruders, and prevent honey from becoming watery.

McGahan teaches girls about beekeeping and works with
them to build bee sculptures.

McGahan also spent time working in a classroom setting where he taught a class of 19 children the relationship between the bee and the flower as well as how beekeepers work with bees. The following day he worked with a group of 10 girls to construct honey bee sculptures. Finally, McGahan visited with community leaders in a village that has expressed interest in starting a village-owned-and-managed beeyard. The tree nursery managed by the village was an ideal site for a beeyard, as it fences out people and is fairly secluded. Over a 3-day period, McGahan and the community leaders solidified the Peace Corps volunteers’ role in the beekeeper training program, and Peace Corps volunteers were trained on how bee colonies operate, what beekeepers do to manage bees and produce honey, and how to avoid common pitfalls.

Farmer to Farmer at EcoFarm!

2012-02-06T16:03:00.000-05:00

FTF Deputy Director Meghan Olivier at the conference booth.

Farmer to Farmer staff and volunteers recently joined 1,400 attendees for four days of farm visits, networking, discovering the newest ecological agricultural developments and techniques, and much more. The EcoFarm Conference meets every year in California to create, maintain, and promote healthy, safe, and just food farming systems.

There were 60 workshops and sessions covering all aspects of ecological farming and food. Several workshops were given by past Farmer to Farmer volunteers, including "Hippity Hop to the Wabbit Workshop" with Mark Pasternak (FTF Haiti volunteer) and "The Magic of Organic Integrated Pest Management" by Martin Guerena (FTF Jamaica volunteer). Other past volunteers present had traveled with Partners' Farmer to Farmer Program to Guatemala and Nicaragua as well. It was a great opportunity to share information about the Farmer to Farmer Program with new, potential volunteers while catching up with past volunteer specialists.

To find out more about the EcoFarm Conference, visit their website: www.ecofarmconference.org

FTF Volunteer & Chef Supports Tourism Cluster in Dominican Republic

2012-02-03T15:46:00.002-05:00

Hands on Activity wth Culinary Students

Farmer to Farmer volunteer, Chef Voltaire Moise recently completed his assignment in the Dominican Republic. During part of his time, Mr. Moise worked in the Jarabacoa area with the Jarabacoa tourism cluster, the culinary students from the Technical School in the area and the Jarabacoa Environmental and Natural Resource school.

Mr. Moise' technical assistance focused on culinary techniques using local fruits, vegetables and plants that will help improve the local tourism industry.

In addition to working with culinary students in Jarabacoa, Mr. Moise also worked with other groups of students and community members in the nearby areas. Mr. Moise has extensive culinary experience and has worked for many years in the Hawaiian tourism industry. Farmer to Farmer in the Dominican Republic works with tree crops, specifically avocados; through this assignment we hope to support and improve the ways to use these and other products in the local tourism industry.

Working with community members

First FTF Queen Raising Training in Haiti

2012-01-24T12:06:00.000-05:00

Farmer to Farmer volunteer Ed Levi, a beekeeping specialist from Arkansas, is currently in Haiti conducting trainings in queen bee breeding. This is the first training on this important topic under the Farmer to Farmer Program, and likely the first strategic training on this topic in the country. Ed is collaborating with Haiti's Makouti Agro Enterprise as well as the Ministry of Agriculture and other beekeeping associations. Selective breeding of Haitian queen bees holds the potential to improve the overall genetics of the honeybees in Haiti, and selecting for desirable traits will lead to increased productivity and income for beekeepers. Below are some pictures from Haiti.

Mr. Levi conducts a training on development of young bees

Nicodeme Pierre, one of Haiti's most accomplished beekeepers, conducts his first grafting of queen cells (North Haiti)

Mr. Levi working in the hives, together with Haitian beekeepers, in the Port au Prince Area

University of Wisconsin Extension Agents Continue their Commitment to Nicaragua

2012-01-18T14:16:00.000-05:00

UWEX Agents working with Nicaraguan farmers on silage bags that will used during the dry season

University of Wisconsin Extension (UWEX) Agriculture Agents, Otto Wiegand and Vance Haugen and John Cockrell, retired UWEX Ag Agent, volunteered to work as a team in Nicaragua from November 27 to December 11, 2011 on a dairy project for Partners of the Americas' Farmer to Farmer (FtF) program.

Wiegand focused on farm financials and forages, Haugen on silage-making and biogas production, and Cockrell on mineral supplementation and also on silage-making. On their farm visits, the team also covered farm and pasture management. The team worked with staff and producers of the San Francisco de Asis and Masiguito Cooperatives in Camoapa, the Lacteos Cooperative in Rivas, and visited farmer members of cooperatives based in Boaco and San Jose de los Remates.

Vance Haugen and John Cockrell had previously volunteered in Nicaragua with Partners of the America's Farmer to Farmer program. Otto Wiegand is a veteran Farmer to Farmer volunteer having participated in five assignments with both Partners of the Americas and other Farmer to Farmer implementing organizations. He has participated for the past three consecutive years with FTF Nicaragua. In a recent interview by his local newspaper "The Spooneradvocate", Wiegand shared "I like Nicaragua. I am getting familiar with the country, and I understand the culture fairly well, and I speak Spanish" (3A).

The team made 11 farm visits on nine mixed dairy and beef farms. They gave technical advice at all of the farms and developed recommendations. Feed intake and availability is a major constraint for dairy cattle in most parts of Nicaragua during the dry season that extends from December to May. Silage and hay can be used to provide forages during this period. The team made five silage bags (about 1 ton each) on four farms and examined three anaerobic digesters. Silage bags were provided to a number of neighboring farmers who came to observe and help make silage. Farmer to Farmer, Field Officer, Daniel Ingram has constructed a half-dozen digesters on farms from designs and materials left by Haugen. Bio-gas produced with manure from simple bio-digesters can harvest un-utilized energy that can be used for cooking and heating water for cleaning that provides extremely valuable in these remote areas of the country.

University of Wisconsin Extension agents have volunteered in Nicaragua on a number of assignments focusing on milk quality, tree forages, biogas, silage and pasture management. The team noted the extent of progress in several areas since they first visited on Farmer to Farmer projects in 2001-02 and 2009-10. Some of those improvements are more bag silos or bio-digesters used by farmers. There has been an increase in varieties and quality of forages used for cut-and-carry. More farmers are using small forage grinders to make daily green chop from cut-and-carry. Road conditions have also improved substantially. Export and internal markets for dairy and beef are steadily improving and continue to exceed supply, noting that there is a great opportunity to sell increased production.

McLeod, Correll Team Up with CIAT to Expand Vegetable Production in Eastern Bolivia

2012-01-10T13:41:00.000-05:00

Correll and McLeod work with a local vegetable producer in her garden

Last month, Doctors Paul McLeod and Jim Correll of the University of Arkansas teamed up with support staff from the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) to expand and improve vegetable production in the lowlands of eastern Bolivia. This trip was a follow-up assignment for McLeod and Correll, who visited rural towns in Magdalena, Santa Cruz and Beni in 2010 to provide vegetable seed to interested potential producers. During this follow-up, the volunteers visited individual households in the same rural towns to check for progress in vegetable growth, provide additional seed and tools, and offer instruction on insect and disease identification and management. McLeod and Correll also identified seed sources in Santa Cruz and developed a method for sending seed into the more remote eastern lowlands.

A family of producers receives vegetable seed

McLeod and Correll reported general progress in vegetable production in the towns visited. In various households in Magdalena, they observed many new vegetable gardens that did not exist the previous year. The villagers were successfully producing onions, several peppers, sweet corn, several cucurbits, lettuce, beans and cowpea. In Bella Vista, few vegetable gardens were observed, however this was an improvement upon the previous year when no gardens were observed. Further, with the help of Hugo Serrate, Executive Direct of CIAT, McLeod and Correll located numerous stores selling vegetable seed, garden tools, chemicals, fertilizers and irrigation supplies. Together they identified a trucking company to deliver the seed and supplies to the Beni area and areas north of Santa Cruz.

Young Farmer in St. Kitts Makes Progress in Agriculture

2012-01-09T16:58:00.000-05:00

Levine sells his produce at the Farmers Market

Photographed above is Levine, a young farmer from St. Kitts who benefited from some FTF trainings in collaboration with the local Community Achievers Project (CAP). Due to his involvement with CAP, he has beaten the odds that many young people face on the island and has recently graduated from high school, as well as beginning to sell his produce at the local farmers market every Saturday. Congratulations to Levine for his success!

CAP manages youth development projects in St. Kitts and Nevis. Partners of the Americas' Farmer to Farmer Program continues to collaborate with the CAP to help young people develop productive, income-generating opportunities through agriculture.

Producers and Technicians Learn Post-Harvest Handling Techniques

2011-12-29T15:05:00.000-05:00

Twenty-eight greenhouse vegetables producers in Constanza, Dominican Republic, along with technicians from the Ministry of Agriculture and the Dominican Institute of Agricultural and Forestry Research (IDIAF), completed a course entitled "Development of Management Skill in Post-Harvest Handling of Greenhouse Vegetables for Export." The course was implemented by the Farmer to Farmer Program with the support of the Cluster de Invernaderos (Greenhouse Cluster), the Universidad Interamericana (UNICA), the Ministry of Agriculture and the IDIAF.

During the graduation ceremony, the Director of the Farmer to Farmer Program in the DR, Dr. Rafael Ledesma, urged the graduates to use the knowledge they received because they know first hand that losses due to mishandling vegetables during post-harvest significantly reduce the quality and price of product in the markets, both local and export markets.

The Farmer to Farmer Program in the DR supports the development of the greenhouse sector as a means of improving the lives of small and medium-scale farmers. By providing technical assistance, producers can improve the quality and quantity of their products and can earn more income.

Presentation of a graduation certificate to a greenhouse producer. From left to right, Ing. Jose Rafael Espaillat from IDIAF; Dr. Rafael Ledesma, Director of the DR Farmer to Farmer Program; Javier Carrasco, Constanza producer; Dr. Oleg Daugovish, Farmer to Farmer volunteer; and Ing. Kalvin Bencosme, Farmer to Farmer Field Officer.

Happy Holidays from the Farmer to Farmer team in Washington, DC!

2011-12-22T13:17:00.001-05:00

Marcela Trask, Peggy Carlson, Meghan Olivier, Christine McCurdy and Samantha Mitchell

Whether it is Felices Fiestas, Happy Holidays, Jou konje Happy, Boas Festas or Joyeuses Fêtes, the holidays are a time to celebrate. During this season, we would like to thank all the dedicated volunteers, field staff, program collaborators, host organizations, funders and all the others who have made our Farmer to Farmer Program a success.

Thank you and best wishes for 2012!

Partners of the Americas' Chapter News

2011-12-19T12:48:00.000-05:00

Analyzing plant health - Guyana shadehouse project

A few of the local Partners of the Americas Chapters who collaborate with the Farmer to Farmer Program have some recent news-worthy stories.

The Guyana Chapter of Partners of the Americas, leaders of the local shadehouse project, have recently created a Chapter Facebook page to share their news with you! The page will feature their activities, especially those related to Youth Programs and Farmer to Farmer. To check out and follow their page, click here, sign into Facebook, and "thumbs up" or "like" their page.

The Haiti Chapter of Partners of the Americas is celebrating the accomplishments of chapter member and past president Guy Etienne, who was recently named one of 20 finalists in Haiti's Digicel 2011 Entrepreneur of the Year contest. Guy heads the competition's education category due to his innovations as Director of the College Catts Pressoir in Port au Prince. Guy was also instrumental in facilitating trauma counseling and related trainings for teachers shortly after the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, when the Farmer to Farmer Program received special permission from USAID to send a team of three post-trauma specialists to Haiti. Congratulations and best of luck to Guy! To read more, click here (article in French).

At the College Catts Pressoir (2010): teacher training in recognizing the signs of post-disaster trauma

Farmer to Farmer Volunteer Works with Colombian Youth

2011-12-08T14:34:00.004-05:00

On December 2^nd, the Farmer to Farmer team sent our first Colombian-bound volunteer to the rural community of Anaime, located in the central-western department of Tolima. John Rushing of Cary, North Carolina is working with la Fundación Colombianos Apoyando Colombianos (Colombians Helping Colombians Foundation), an organization designed and coordinated by Partners of the Americas with the mission of improving the quality of life of Tolima’s citizens and helping provide employment and income-generating opportunities. A specialist in food technology and dairy processing, John is working with a group of youth in Anaime to assist them with a small dairy production enterprise that they have initiated through Colombianos Apoyando Colombianos. The group plans to focus on products including condensed milk, arequipe (dulce de leche), cheese and yogurt.

Students in the processing room in Anaime.

When John met with the youth for the first time, he found that their biggest challenge is limited facilities, and that the facilities they have access to do not meet proper sanitary standards. This restricts them to an informal market. On a positive note though, the local mayor has offered a location for construction of an improved processing plant. John was able to meet with the students to begin the initial phase of the new facility by providing detailed plans and a budget, and discussing the basics of dairy processing technology. He also worked with the youth on basic product development and marketing issues.

John has also gained valuable cultural experiences. Many of the students participating in the project were graduating from high school and John was able to participate in the graduation activities and parties. And he was also in Colombia for Día de las Velitas - Day of the Little Candles - which Catholic Colombians celebrate by placing candles and paper lanterns everywhere. He had some comical experiences, including trying to ask for a hand towel in Spanish and instead he was given everything but that: hand-soap, hand-cream and more. Finally, after just taking his shirt and performing the action of drying his hands did the store clerk understand what he was asking for.

As John's trip comes to a close, there are many follow-up activities planned and the Farmer to Farmer Program hopes to continue to support the work in Tolima and elsewhere in Colombia.

Mahindra's Story

2011-12-06T17:21:00.001-05:00

Below is the story of Mahindra, one of the shadehouse growers participating in Partners of the Americas' Farmer to Farmer Program in Guyana. He recounted this compelling story when I was in Guyana this past August, and he is eager to share his good news with others! The video mentioned below can be viewed this previous post.

Mahindra had invested nearly all his family’s money in his field crops, but they failed due to weather or other conditions. He was at the end of his rope, and was worried about how he would make ends meet for his wife and 4 children. He began exploring all options, including difficult manual labor jobs and assistance for his agriculture activities. With the phone book in hand, he cold-called organizations in Georgetown, Guyana, looking for someone who could point him in the right direction to get back on his feet.

Crops growing in Mahindra's shadehouse, August 2011

No one was able to help him, but one day he called an international agency and a person there knew Kelvin, the coordinator of Partners’ Farmer to Farmer Program in Guyana, and put them in touch. Mahindra had never heard of Partners of the Americas or the Farmer to Farmer Program. When Mahindra called, Kelvin was in the middle of an activity so he took Mahindra’s phone number and promised to call him back. The next day was the first day that Kelvin had formalized collaboration with Gavin, coordinator for Partners' shadehouse project developed with CASRI and the Inter-american Development Bank, and supported by FTF technical assistance.

When Gavin called Mahindra that day, he was surprised because he thought he had been politely written off by another organization. The following day Gavin visited Mahindra and within no time he was starting his shadehouse on a wing and a prayer. He had borrowed money from him neighbors to get the shadehouse running, and he and his family constructed the structure on their own to save money. Mahindra explains that he had to put blind trust in Partners and the shadehouse project. He had been skeptical, like most, of farming on raised table beds in a covered area.

The youngest shows newest section, using palettes as low-cost materials

That was January 2011. As of August of the same year, he had developed a successful greenhouse operation growing celery, lettuce, and other crops. He is paying off his debts and he beams with pride, saying that he couldn’t even think of a sum of money that would be able to repay Partners of the Americas for what he was “given”. He says that he wasn’t given a meal for one day, but the ability to feed his family for a long time, and the technical assistance that the FTF Program provides at no cost is the most effective project. He’s expanding his operation and has started a small seedling nursery. He will become a key supplier of seedlings for this area of Guyana.

His wife and family help with the operation where they can. He dreams to expose his children to the development of this small business and expand to other regions of Guyana in the future. He tells everyone about the project so those like him who are seeking a means to support their families, without as much risk as in-field farming, may also be exposed to the appropriate technology.

Recently, he sent his very first email ever to a team of Farmer to Farmer volunteers in Wisconsin who helped capture part of his story in a video they produced, which teaches people the basics of shadehouse growing. His relatives in the US saw the video before him and he heard that they loved it. By now, Mahindra has seen the video show in front of other farmers and stakeholders in Guyana. He says that he now feels like a part of a family – the network of shadehouse growers and FTF staff and volunteers, and he’s excited about the future.

Four months later (Dec 2011), Mahindra's newly added palettes are full of vegetables. Mahindra (left) is pictured with Lauren Bernsten (center) of Partners' Youth Engagement Program and Ms. Myrtle Richards (right), Chairperson of the Guyana Chapter of Partners of the Americas

News from St. Kitts and Nevis

2011-12-02T16:23:00.001-05:00

Farmer to Farmer volunteers are in the news again! Jim and Jackie Resick from Wisconsin are finishing up their trip to the islands of St. Kitts and Nevis, where they were conducting assessments and trainings related to gardening, small business development, and direct marketing with the Community Achievers Project. Click here to read the article announcing their visit, on ZIZ online news.

100 Donated Beehives to Haiti: Customs Cleared and Hives Received!

2011-11-28T09:43:00.001-05:00

FTF Staff have fun while inspecting boxes of hive parts

Around this time last year, Partners of the Americas and its volunteers rose to the challenge of donating 100 new, quality beehives to Haiti. You can read more about the use of these hives and all those who contributed to making it happen in this previous blog post. We are happy to announce that the hives have finally completed their long journey and have arrived in the office of Makouti Agro Enterprise in Cap-Haitien!

FTF and Makouti staff discuss hive design as they construct a hive box

What does it take to ship new beehives to Haiti? Once funds were raised, the hives were ordered and shipped to a US storage site before being loaded onto a sea container. Shipment was delayed a few months due to the unrest and uncertainty around Haitian presidential elections and the run-off in early 2011. The hives were then shipped by sea container and arrived in the spring, but took some time to clear the customs process before being brought to a local storage site in Port au Prince. Towards the end of the summer, the hives were driven to the North of Haiti and have been unloaded for temporary storage in the office of Makouti Agro Enterprise. It was a long journey, but these hives will serve as a model to local carpenters, students, and beekeepers in Haiti as well as a reminder of the international partnerships developed through the Farmer to Farmer Program.

In addition to the invaluable support and donations made by FTF volunteer Virginia Webb of Mtn Honey, Mark Bennett at Dadant and Sons beekeeping supply company, and Leo Blumle and his shipping contacts, we would like to thank the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies for collaborating with Partners to arrange a fundraiser screening of the documentary Vanishing of the Bees.

Beekeeper Noe explains to FTF volunteers how his honey and hive construction activities have allowed him to begin constructing an improved home (seen in background) for his family. These hives will help his carpenters improve their design, resulting in more durable, long-lasting hives for Haiti.

FTF Volunteers in the News

2011-11-17T16:22:00.001-05:00

Farmer to Farmer volunteers have been in the news recently! Here are a few examples:

Dr. Henry Chan of Maylan Skincare traveled to a remote Amerindian village in Guyana to assist community members in developing new cosmetic products using crabwood tree oil. To read more about his "flex" FTF assignment, view the article here.

Spencer always takes polls about the usefulness of the information he shares

Volunteer Robert Spencer also published an article in an Alabama Cooperative Extension online publication about his recent trip to Haiti, which focused on meat quality control. Click here to view the article!

For any readers subscribed to the American Bee Journal, the November 2011 issue features a story by Rob Horsburgh about his experience as a volunteer beekeeper in Haiti. Rob traveled through our partner organization FAVACA. His efforts supported Partners' same Farmer to Farmer beekeeping projects in Haiti.

Dominican Republic Volunteer Visits Greenhouses

2011-11-17T12:00:00.002-05:00

This past week the Dominican Republic welcomed a new volunteer, George Matthew Tokar. The focus of Matt's trip is to follow up on past assignments to provide insight in the area of post- harvesting and cold- chain management.

Matthew Tokar working with staff members of a greenhouse where peppers are grown.
He will be visiting multiple other greenhouses and packing plants this week.

He will be working with ADESJO, Fundacion Sur Futuro Inc. and two other organizations. Matt will provide training on the importance of having packing plants, and will develop an assessment study of the current situation on refrigeration after harvesting.

Women Growers in Colombia Learn New Skills

2011-11-16T06:43:00.001-05:00

The Farmer to Farmer team was recently in Colombia and visited with a group of women from San Vicente, near Medellin, who are growing vegetables and medicinal herbs. In addition to visiting their plots, we traveled with the women to a local Foundation that provides training in Good Agricultural Practices. It was a great experience for everyone involved and FTF hopes to continue working with the women to improve their production.

60 Seconds in Haiti

2011-11-08T15:45:00.000-05:00

Recently, a team of video production volunteers traveled to Haiti to work with Farmer to Farmer and Makouti Agro Enterprise in creating outreach and success videos. The videos are still being produced, but the team - Sid McGregor, Clay Mason, and Brian Mehrens - compiled a quick video showing a glimpse of their time volunteering. Here it is, for your enjoyment!

60 Seconds in Haiti from Clay Mason on Vimeo.

Photos from the Field: Two Horticulture Teams in Guyana

2011-11-04T19:10:00.002-04:00

During the month of October, the Guyana Farmer to Farmer Program welcomed two teams of volunteers who assisted different horticulture efforts. One team from the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff, James Garner and Edmund Buckner, analyzed test plots during eddo (taro) harvests. They evaluated soil fertility and water quality, and the resulting differences in eddo size on each plot.

A second team from Tennessee, husband and wife Pete and Chris Wotowiec, provided ongoing technical assistance to shadehouse vegetable producers as well as a new type of training in "horticulture therapy" programs for rehabilitation programs and orphanages.

We thank our dedicated volunteers! Below are some pictures from their trips.

The Team from UAPB assists an eddo farmer from Kuru Kururu

Volunteer Pete Wotowiec poses with shadehouse farmers. Pete has conducted several trips to Guyana to help the producers over the years and he commented on the progress he observed during his recent trip

Volunteer Chris Wotowiec works with youth in Guyana. Horticultural production can serve as a valuable skill as well as a therapy for disadvantaged populations.

Female Participation in Family Farming in Paraguay

2011-11-03T10:24:00.001-04:00

The role of women in agriculture has been studied the world over and is an important issue for the Farmer to Farmer Program as well. Two volunteers recently had the opportunity to explore this and other topics in South America. James Murren, Program Coordinator for Purdue University’s International Extension Program, and Cheryl O’Brien, gender specialist, recently concluded an 18-day assignment in southern Paraguay. Murren and O’Brien visited small family farming communities and met with staff from the University of Asunción’s College of Agriculture to identify needs on family farms and ways in which women can contribute to farm sustainability. Paraguayan women remain a highly underutilized resource in agricultural production, with limited access to training programs and low involvement in agrarian reform.

Murren and O’Brien’s research focused on the southwestern territories of Ñeembucú and Paraguarí, where they were generously hosted by the Inter-American Institute on Cooperation in Agriculture (IICA)/Paraguay and the Paraguayan Ministry of Agriculture (MOA). Based on feedback from farmers, University staff and members of IICA and MOA, they were able to identify the following agricultural needs: general training in product diversification and commercialization; assistance with business planning and commercialization for honey products; training for women in bee-keeping; and integration of gender training into agricultural workshops. Reflecting on potential spaces for female participation, Murren and O’Brien highlighted beekeeping/honey production and family gardens as specific areas to be addressed in future Farmer to Farmer volunteer assignments.

Happy Halloween from the Farmer to Farmer Team!

2011-10-31T14:19:00.000-04:00

To celebrate Halloween, the FTF Team in Washington dressed up to represent our programs: a bee for our beekeeping project, a rabbit for our small animal project, a tree representing our forestry and tree crops project and a Nicaraguan producer (maybe even our Country Coordinator Ronald Blandon). :) Enjoy the holiday and volunteer today (costumes not required). :)

Integrated Pest Management in Nicaragua

2011-10-31T10:01:00.004-04:00

Recently the Farmer to Farmer Program in Nicaragua welcomed Julie Longland for a pest and disease control assignment specifically focused on Integrated Pest Management (IPM). Ms. Longland worked with potato growers and field workers in the main potato production areas of the highlands near Jinotega, Matagalpa and Estelí. Farmer to Farmer began working with the potato growers in this area in January of this year as part of its horticulture country project.

IPM is an important area of technical assistance given that many growers use pesticides as the primary control method to managing pests and diseases. Growers are often unaware of the safety hazards to themselves and the environment. Often times these growers don’t know the other tools that are available that may be both safer and less expensive to use. As Ms.Longland expressed, “With all of the recommendations, it was emphasized that any positive change, even if only a small adjustment, would be a real improvement in their management and/or safety”. In addition to IPM training, Ms. Longland also provided technical assistance on pesticide safety, beneficial insects, monitoring using yellow sticky traps, storage and sanitation practices and crop rotations.

Farmer to Farmer is planning other upcoming assignments that address the needs of IPM and pesticide safety for potato growers in Nicaragua. These assignments will build on the recommendations made by Ms. Longland and other horticulture volunteers. Below is a link to a short article written by Julie Longland for the website of the Entomology Department at Purdue University, where she completed her undergraduate degree.

http://www.ag.purdue.edu/entm/Lists/News/DispFormNoSummary.aspx?List=8a0d6fbd-206c-4231-9f9a-83f1da3610f6&ID=182

Bonus Day for Donations to Help Improve Nutrition in Haiti!

2011-10-19T09:41:00.000-04:00

Today, October 19th, is BONUS DAY on Global Giving! Donations to projects will be matched (at a 33% rate) by Global Giving - increasing the impact that your donation has in rural Haiti. Funds have already helped provide tools and seeds for the village of Lory.

Visit the "Vegetable Gardens For Improved Nutrition" project site today: http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/vegetable-gardens-for-improved-nutrition-in-haiti/

Update from the field

2011-10-12T10:32:00.014-04:00

From Robert Spencer, FTF Volunteer: Here I am on my third volunteer visit this year and each one is great; as I put it “each trip is friends, food, education, and fun”. Field Officers Papy and Anderson are amazing hosts and always make sure we accomplish our mission while enjoying ourselves and serving the clientele. I have been coming to Haiti since 2006 and have become so accustomed to spending time here I consider it my ‘home away from home’. My travels continue to take my colleagues and I to villages further out from Cap Haitien (in the north) including the villages of Gran Pre, Caracol, Limonade, Lory, and Port Margot. And to the southwest part of Haiti which includes the villages of Aquin, Les Cayes, Asile, and Passe bois d’orme. As we make progress with increasing the people’s knowledge base, my presentations are further developed to cover more specific areas such as: animal husbandry, food safety as it applies to organ meat (i.e. liver), zoonotic and biologic concerns, home-style rabbit meat processing, and meat quality. Animal husbandry needs to be addressed since management styles tend to be lacking, and the people do not always comprehend the correlation between animal husbandry skills and how it can enhance (or destroy) animal productivity and profitability.

All this is based on suggestions from the field officers who work closely with me and receive feedback from the clientele.My participation in outreach programs in Haiti have taught me much over the years, such as how my “style or approach” to teaching is to gain interaction from the people. This applies to my programs in Haiti and the U.S. I figure if I can get people to interact with me in a country where I do not speak the language, processing the information. At the end of each seminar I tend to ask the audience then the people are understanding three questions: (1) Do you see the relevance of the information I have shared with you, (2) Do you see the potential to implement what you have learned, and (3) Do you believe this will help feed your families and allow you to generate revenues through the sale of this meat product? Their responses are a resounding yes, followed by an intensive thank you from the lead person in each community. This approach is working well within the U.S., and I have begun utilizing these same three questions in my programmatic evaluations to better assess impact.

Wisconsin Volunteers Featured in News

2011-10-07T16:48:00.000-04:00

Three Farmer to Farmer Volunteers from the University of Wisconsin-Stout recently appeared in a news article in the Chippewa Valley Post. Click here to learn more about their trips to Nicaragua!

Rabbit Production Makes a Difference in Haiti

2011-09-29T10:35:00.000-04:00

Rabbit producers in Haiti have made significant gains over the past 2 ½ years of the Farmer to Farmer Small Animal project, thanks to the support of Farmer to Farmer volunteers and the ongoing training and follow-up provided by Makouti Agro Enterprise. Partners of the Americas has been tracking the progress of individuals and groups receiving FTF support and based on a recent review, we have found very encouraging results which show the impact the project has had on Haitian farmers who are determined to improve their livelihoods.

Our study compared baseline data, collected primarily in 2008 and 2009, against data collected in early 2011 for 99 producers and producer groups (hosts). We found that there was a 142% increase in the number of rabbits each host owned, with an average increase per host of nearly 19 rabbits. One producer from Grand Riviere du Nord started with only 4 rabbits in late 2008 and was managing 96 rabbits by early 2011. There was a 185% increase in offspring, although mortality rates of young continues to fluctuate as new producers come on board and learn the ropes of caring for these animals. On average, hosts increased their monthly income from rabbit sales by US$19.55, and one host increased his monthly income from rabbit sales from $0 to $125 per month!

What does it mean to a small-scale rabbit producer in Haiti? Consider the story of Paul, from a mountain town in Haiti near the Dominican Republic border, who has 6 people in his family. On his small plot of land he grew coffee and beans, and in February 2009 he reported making 20,000 Haitian Gourdes (US$500) net income per year from his farming activities. That month he received 3 adult rabbits and started a FTF training program in rabbit production. Two years later in February of 2011, he had 18 adult rabbits with 60 offspring. He now earns 100,000 Haitian Gourdes (US$2,500) per year in net income from selling rabbits, has 8 clients in the Dominican Republic and Haiti, and has hired an employee. He takes notes of all his sales, and he also makes compost and plants trees.

Although an average increase in monthly income of $19.55 seems negligible to an average American family, for a Haitian family this increase can mean the difference in putting food on the table or sending your children to school. According to the World Bank, “school fees are also prohibitively expensive [to most Haitian families]—an estimated US$70 to US$80 per child each year in a country with a per capita GDP of US$480. In many cases, parents simply cannot afford to send their children to school.” In early 2011, 74% of rabbit producers assisted by Makouti Agro Enterprise and the Farmer to Farmer Program report they can now afford the fees to send all of their children to school with money made from rabbit sales. Imagine the broader difference that can be made in Haiti when more families are managing small agro-enterprises, putting healthier food on the table, and sending all their children to school!

Volunteer Lays Foundation for US - DR Market Linkages

2011-09-26T16:38:00.000-04:00

Mr. Delemarre observes greenhouses at harvest time

Often times finding new markets nationally and abroad can be difficult for farmers. Farmer to Farmer has recently had the opportunity to work with a marketing specialist who has answered the call to help farmers begin to bridge this gap in the Dominican Republic.

Robert Delemarre had volunteered previously with the USAID Farmer to Famer Program in Southern Russia, and this past July and August he applied his expertise in the Caribbean by participating in an assignment with Partners of the Americas’ FTF Program in the Dominican Republic.

His schedule was unique compared to the typical FTF agenda. His first few days were spent in Florida obtaining information from import - export companies. He sought to answer the following questions: What products do the companies already import/export? Would they be willing to establish relations with the Dominican Republic? What products are the companies interested to import? What grade standards do they follow? What are the food sanitation regulations that the company requires? This information is highly important for farmers to have when seeking future relations for business because it allows them to put measures in place in advance, so they can meet standards, and because this information is not always easy for farmers to obtain.

Cold Storage Facility Tour

During the 16 days of his trip, Mr. Delemarre visited greenhouse clusters while providing multiple presentations throughout the week. While traveling from greenhouse to greenhouse, he saw beautiful crops that had much potential for profit. However, farmers often face the effects of poor postharvest infrastructure which prevent them from preserving the quality of the product by the time it reaches the market. Still, he found reason for hope.

On the 10th day of travel, Mr. Delemarre was brought to visit a brand-new, state-of-the-art Cold Storage Facility in Constanza. The building has 8 separate cold storage chambers and room for 8 more. The same owner also has another facility in Santo Domingo with another one on its way just outside Santo Domingo.

Mr. Delemarre shares information on export market standards

Along with the quality of storage facilities, Delemarre observed that many farmers were producing the same crops resulting in competition between farms. He recommended trying other crops that are in demand like broccoli, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, strawberries and more, as well as working toward certification and meeting Eure-Gap or Primus Labs requirements. These certifications aim to reduce potential spread of listeria and E. coli.

The overall objective is two-fold, helping farmers supply higher quality produce to local markets and also reaching higher-value export markets. Currently there is export potential for peppers, cucumbers, pineapples, cantaloupe and honey melons, avocado, and papaya. With improved post-harvest procedures, clusters of medium- and small-scale farmers in the Dominican Republic have a great deal of opportunity to market their produce locally and also internationally.

Renewed Focus on Goat Production in Haiti

2011-09-22T18:10:00.002-04:00

Ms. Stover visited with animal producers in the South of Haiti

The Haiti Farmer to Farmer Program recently benefited from the perspective of a specialist in goat production, Ilana Stover, from the Alabama Cooperative Extension Service. Since the program has previously focused a great deal of attention on rabbit production and beekeeping, this dedicated attention to goat production was very welcomed and needed.

In her words,"During my two-week stint in Haiti, I toured the country and met a number of different goat farmers. Until I arrived, there had not been anyone with Farmer to Farmer to handle strictly goat production. I went in with the objective of observing and discovering the major issues that farmers were facing."

Ms. Stover conducted a thorough analysis of several sites in the South and North of Haiti and made recommendations in the areas of parasite control and appropriate remedies, dairy production training, slaughter standards, breeding practices, and more. Farmer to Farmer is planning another trip this fall where a volunteer will address breeding practices and energy needs of goats, as a follow-up to her recommendations and findings. Thanks go to Ilana and the ACES for their support of Farmer to Farmer's efforts to improve goat production practices and benefit farmeres in Haiti!

Different breeds of goats are present in Haiti, some better adapted to local conditions than others

Final training session in Cap-Haitien was well-attended

"John Ogonowski" and Doug Bereuter Farmer to Farmer Program

2011-09-19T10:37:00.000-04:00

Did you know that the USAID Farmer to Farmer Program's official name as of 2008 is the "John Ogonowski and Doug Bereuter Farmer to Farmer Program"? Doug Bereuter is the Congressman who initially sponsored the Farmer to Farmer Program, and John Ogonowski was an airline pilot who lost his life in the September 11th attacks. He is memorialized in the official name of our Program, but do you know why?

This recent article in The Republic out of Indiana tells the story of Mr. Bereuter's dedication to helping farmers from other countries. It's a must-read!

This Week in the Field

2011-09-15T10:55:00.001-04:00

At any given time, Partners of the Americas's Farmer to Farmer volunteers are volunteering their time to assist farmers and farming groups in the Caribbean and Americas. So what's going on this week?

Bob Blohm, recent Dairy Quality volunteer, with Nicaraguan counterpart

Volunteer Sheila Dallas Katzman, communications and leadership specialist, is conducting trainings in leadership to entrepreneurs and agribusiness and community leaders in the South of Haiti.

Volunteers Jim Murren and Cheryl O'Brien, extension and gender specialists from Purdue University, are collaborating with IICA (InterAmerican Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture) and over 80 extension agents in Paraguay to improve agriculture extension practices and gender considerations in extension.

Volunteer John Hargreaves, aquaculture specialist, is working with a tilapia hatchery in Guyana to make recommendations to improve Good Agriculture Practices.

Volunteer Craig MacFarland is conducting a workshop with the Ministry of Agriculture and the Jarabacoa Forestry School in the Dominican Republic to assist park staff and forestry students in the areas of public use of protected areas, trail building and park management.

From California to Haiti: FTF Volunteer's Work Featured in News

2011-09-12T13:16:00.001-04:00

The San Francisco Bay Area Times-Herald featured an article yesterday which highlights the work and dedication of veterinarian and Farmer to Farmer volunteer Myriam Kaplan-Pasternak. Together with the advice of volunteer specialists like Myriam and the local expertise of FTF field staff and Makouti Agro Enterprise leaders, data indicates that the average individual rabbit producer collaborating with Farmer to Farmer has increased his/her annual net income (from rabbit production activities) by US$817, and 74% of rabbit producers collaborating with Makouti Agro Enterprise are now able to send all of their children to school with income from rabbit sales. For a low-income Haitian farmer and his/her family, that translates into an improved livelihood and hope for the future.

Vegetable Gardens For Improved Nutrition In Haiti

2011-09-06T13:07:00.002-04:00

Help support Partners' horticulture activities in Haiti! Donations provide tools, seeds and training to rural families. Click the image above to read more!

Peace Corps Volunteers Continue Spirit of Service through Farmer to Farmer

2011-08-31T12:42:00.001-04:00

Students in El Cerron learn about seeds, soil, and environmental protection

This past month Partners’ Farmer to Farmer Program had the opportunity to send certified forester Glen Juergens and his wife Patricia Juergens, in collaboration with the Sustainable Harvest International and their local counterpart FUCOHSO (Fundación Cosecha Sostenible Honduras), to Honduras to work with local communities and families to provide assistance in reforestation, nutrition education, and environmental education.

The Juergens have been to Honduras multiple times over the years, beginning with the first time they met during their Peace Corps service in the country in the 1970s.

“We thoroughly enjoyed working with individuals, families, and FUCOHSO employees which reminded us of the time when we were PCVs. The highlight of the trip for us was being able to take a few days after the work was completed with FUCOHSO and travel to some of the communities we worked at as PCVs. We were delighted to find that all of the individuals we visited remembered us and many were still actively growing crops and practicing soil conservation techniques they learned when we first began working with them.”

Patricia discusses health and hygiene with women

During their two-week assignment with Farmer to Farmer, Glen and Patricia worked with over 6 communities and collaborated with current Peace Corps Volunteers in Honduras. Glen’s activities focused on advising reforestation projects, including developing ideas for bringing water to seedlings and crop, assisting with developing a seedling nursery, collecting soil and seeds, and teaching children how important it is to preserve the forest around the community. Patricia spent her time alongside the women in the communities and in orphanages, showing different ways to prepare different products, collecting recipes, discuss upcoming activities, health and hygiene, and more.

Mr. and Mrs. Juergens recommend continuing workshops on tree inspection; reforestation and watershed protection; and health, hygiene, and recipes in order to improve livelihoods and help the families move closer to becoming independent small businesses who work closely together. They commented that “During the two weeks we worked in the communities with the families who work with FUCOHSO we found families highly motivated to learn how to improve their health and living conditions and increase their incomes by using best agricultural practices learned from the FUCOHSO technicians and staff.”

Update on Nicaragua continued

2011-08-25T15:57:00.004-04:00

While Bob Blohm worked on the milk quality stage of the dairy value chain, volunteer Dr. Allen Pederson had the opportunity to work with veterinarians, technicians, producers and agronomists. His purpose of travel was to teach ultrasound pregnancy diagnosis, c- section procedures, and to convey that there are multiple methods for pregnancy diagnosis.

Dr. Pederson worked with a group of beginners to advanced students, starting the program by determining “why” a C- section would need to be performed, and finishing with follow-ups after performing two C- sections on the second day. Throughout his time in Nicaragua Dr. Pederson saw a strong willingness from the students to learn and expand upon the knowledge they have already acquired.

Update on Nicaragua Dairy Project

2011-08-25T15:21:00.019-04:00

The cows of Nicaragua in the past couple of months have been busy with a couple of U.S. volunteers: Bob Blohm and Allen Pederson. While both worked closely with the farmers and cows their objectives couldn’t have been any more related.

Bob Blohm from Pennsylvania spent his time from June 26 to July 10 monitoring and providing suggestions to improve the quality of the milk from stage one, milking the cow, to the final stages at collection/ transfer stations.

One of the largest problems with milk production is trying to keep milk from being contaminated with bacteria that causes milk to turn “sour.” This often occurs when there is cross contamination between the milk and other objects, or if milk is not kept at a recom-mended temperature. During his time in Nicaragua, Blohm was able to pick out areas where this might occur.

Some of these possible contamination risks were cloth strainers and Milk holding containers not being cleaned properly or thoroughly, allowing for the formation of milk stone. One handy “trick” Blohm taught farmers was to look for milk stone formation with the use a UV flashlight. When the light is passed over the inside of the canister the milk residue turns a bright green color. Milk stone formation is hard for farmers to clean since an acid wash is used, and cleaning of the containers is often performed by the haulers.

However, Mr. Blohm has seen willingness from the community to accept new ideas and methods to continue the improvement and future growth of the Nicaraguan dairy industry.

Guyana Program in the News

2011-08-19T17:38:00.000-04:00

Partners' FTF Staff examine drip irrigation tape in shadehouse

The Guyana Times International has picked up a story about a recent project monitoring visit to the Guyana Farmer to Farmer Program. The article gives some good information about progress on the Guyana Partners of the Americas Chapter's shadehouse project, which Farmer to Farmer volunteers have supported with technical assistance and production of training videos. The title is misleading since this was not a visit from Mississippi, but the articles gives some interesting information nonetheless!

Volunteer Robert Spencer in the News

2011-08-15T15:22:00.000-04:00

Robert Spencer has been a strong supporter and returning volunteer with Partners of the Americas' Farmer to Farmer Program in Haiti. With each visit, he works with Makouti Agro Enterprise, a Haitian agribusiness, as well as students, producers, and processors to increase knowledge of food safety procedures and meat quality assurance in different regions of Haiti. Check out this Alabama Cooperative Extension article about his July 2011 visit to Haiti!

Project Update from Guyana

2011-08-07T11:50:00.002-04:00

Lettuce produced through shadehouse hydroponic production. The raised beds and covered structure provides protection from extreme weather and flooding, and the sand and paddy shell substrate is an easily-accessible growth medium.

In the past several days that I’ve been here in Guyana visiting Partners’ Farmer to Farmer Projects and meeting with program partners, I’ve heard so many stories from producers and seen so many unique sights that it’s hard to choose what to feature in this blog post. Since my last visit in April 2010, there have been many changes as a result of collaborative efforts between Partners of the Americas and other local and international groups including IICA (Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture), GTIS (Guyana Trade and Investment Support), the Guyana Chapter of Partners of the Americas’ shadehouse project, and more.

Among the successes that stand out in my mind after visiting a selection of project sites are the 28 (and growing) shadehouses that are now in operation, allowing people to grow lettuce, radishes, celery, pakchoy, and other vegetables with limited risk of crop failure and in spite of poor soil; the newly-revived Guyana Apiculture Society and its beekeepers who are showing great energy and determination to increase honey production and their outreach efforts with ongoing support from FTF; the impact that the FTF-produced training and success videos has had in spreading the word about low-cost agricultural technologies for hydroponic vegetable production and, of course, the personal stories of success told by the farmers themselves.

With several more field visits remaining, there is more for me to see. I hope to feature these stories on the blog in the future, and for now I will leave you with some photos.

Third generation beekeeper Ravi Rajkumar cuts honeycomb from one of his hives. His Africanized bees forage on mangroves and are largely resistent to pests and disease. He is already adopting recommendations to improve honey production and food safety from 2 FTF volunteers.

Beeswax bowl created in a training with FTF Volunteer Virginia Webb.

Volunteer Spots Improvements in Nicaragua

2011-08-04T16:36:00.020-04:00

Horticulture volunteer, Tom Syverud (see our blog post about his news article!), recently returned from Nicaragua where he provided technical support to local Farmer to Farmer hosts in existing small-scale garden projects. The project seeks to improve horticultural production, processing and marketing in rural areas. During his trip, Syverud made recommendations for improving vegetable production including newer cultivation, conservation and marketing techniques. Mr. Syverud has made trips to Nicaragua previously for similar purposes, and he remarked on the improvements he observed in the country since he last visited, six years ago.

"Although I did not return to all the same places, I sense an improvement in the knowledge level and interest in small-scale vegetable garden production...I think the whole country has shown improvement; the roads, the building, the stores, the restaurants, and the airport...The economy is, in general, better too, although there are still many unemployed, under-employed and poor people...Nicaraguans, however, are a friendly, resilient people and I believe will continue to make progress."

To find out more about the Farmer to Farmer Program and how you can volunteer, please visit the rest of this blog or the Partners of the Americas website.

"Flexible" Opportunities with Farmer to Farmer!

2011-07-28T13:54:00.000-04:00

FTF Flex volunteer Dick Waybright consults with dairy farmers in Brazil

Did you know that the 2008 - 2013 Farmer to Farmer program has an option for "flexible" assignments? These "flex" assignments are designed to give the program the flexibility to respond to requests for support from ongoing activities in areas outside of our established projects, or in some cases to explore new opportunities, related to agriculture and environment. Flex volunteers can travel to many countries throughout the world. Are you a part of an ongoing international agriculture project that could use some technical assistance? Maybe you could be the next volunteer to travel under a flex assignment!

Examples of past flexible assignments are described on this blog - click "Flex" on the list of labels to the right to read relevant stories of what FTF volunteers are accomplishing throughout the hemisphere! From veterinarian to video producer, GIS technician to graphic designer, a wide array of specialists can contribute to improving agricultural development and environmental protection through Flex.

More detailed information is available here on Partners of the Americas' website. Contact us to learn more if you are an American interested in flex opportunities to support your international agriculture or environmental project, or if you represent an organization or university, from a developing country, who would like to receive technical assistance from a US volunteer specialist.

Farmer to Farmer in the News

2011-07-26T11:46:00.017-04:00

The Farmer to Farmer program has been featured in a few news pieces recently! Volunteer Gary Hickman was featured in the online Dominican paper Hoy. The article shares his view on the greenhouse horticulture industry in the Dominican Republic, especially as it relates to exporting to the US and competing with Mexico. Click here to read the full article in Spanish.

Pictured above, a hillside in the Dominican Republic,
growing plantains and beans.

Also related to Farmer to Farmer in the Dominican Republic, The Adirondack Enterprise published an article about the relationship that has formed between Paul Smith’s College and the Escuela de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (School of Environment and Natural Resources) in Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic. First introduced through their involvement in the Farmer to Farmer program, college officials from both schools are hoping to exchange knowledge about forest management and increase ecotourism in the Dominican Republic. Read more about this unique new relationship here.

In Guyana, The Guyana Chronicle Online recently ran an article highlighting a hydroponics project implemented by the Partners of the Americas’ Guyana chapter [watch our Guyanese hydroponics and shadehouse success story here]. The Chronicle takes notice of the popularity hydroponics seems to be gaining as a horticultural technique. Since its introduction in the 70’s, hydroponics has allowed more people to grow their own vegetables throughout the country in spite of poor soil. In Nicaragua, horticulture volunteer Tom Syverud was featured in his local Wisconsin paper, The Daily Press, describing the purpose behind his trip and his motivations for going:

“[Gardening] just kind of comes second nature to us. We have the chance to read so much and there are different gardening shows on TV. We have tons of information. None of that is available down there...I think it’s really important for us to help other people. I feel really grateful that I can do that."

-Syverud from The Daily Press July 2, 2011

Additionally, avid Farmer to Farmer volunteer and “Ag Guru” Dean Wheeler was featured in his local paper as well. The Davis Enterprise interviewed Wheeler, who has over 50 years of agricultural experience and 14 Farmer to Farmer volunteer trips under his belt. When asked about his future with the program, Wheeler said, “I don’t see myself stopping anytime soon. I’d like to do it twice a year, if possible.” Wheeler has traveld to the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua with Partners of the Americas’ Farmer to Farmer program. Read the full article here.

Machete Verde and Interview with FTF-Nicaragua Volunteer

2011-07-20T16:32:00.005-04:00

While in Nicaragua, I met a man who gave me the electronic file for Machete Verde, a manual in Spanish that has 16 chapters about appropriate technology transfer. Please contact me if you'd like electronic copies of the manual. I also posted my homemade videos to my youtube page. Those can be found at http://www.youtube.com/my_playlists?p=585CB9EB9D97E1F4 Included in the playlist are 3 videos about Camoapa Dairy: Bob Blohm (volunteer), Daniel Ingram (Farmer to Farmer Field Officer), and the Masiguito Cooperative Dairy Processing Plant. Farmer to Farmer Nicaragua is looking for someone to help the processing plants diversify their cheese varieties.

Here is one example of the videos mentioned above - an interview with Wisconsin volunteer Bob Blohm!

Trying New Techniques in the Dominican Republic

2011-07-15T17:15:00.002-04:00

Organic greenhouses are off to a good start in Rio Limpio in the North West Mountains of the Dominican Republic! This is Rio Limpio’s first year of production and the yields are looking high and the fruit quality is top notch. They are trying, for the first time, techniques such as crop rotation as a way to naturally feed the soil and also to control diseases. Currently they are growing peppers, tomatoes, lettuce, and melons in the same greenhouses. This is a very profitable way of growing because they aren’t saturating the market with an abundance of just one crop. They have a wonderful seedling production room and are applying non synthetics at early stages of growth to prevent any diseases and help prevent infestations of pests. This is a new way of thinking in the Dominican where the use of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers have, up to now, been the only answer. I wish them success in their efforts not only in a good harvest but in the continuation of integrating new ideas. They can be a great testing ground and will soon be able to provide data about organic methods as well as teaching tools to other greenhouses. Little by little small changes can be made to the environments of the greenhouses to improve the quality of production, yield, soil structure, and the health of the workers as well as the consumers. While the immediate change from commercial to organic is impossible to do this late in the operation of most of the greenhouses, the hope is that small changes and new techniques will ensure a step in the direction of a greenhouse that is more naturally sustainable and produces more profit than loss.

FTF Volunteers Help Haitian Coffee Reach US Markets

2011-07-15T16:57:00.000-04:00

Yves Gourdet stops to pose for a photo with some coffee "cherries", during his 2010 FTF Trip to Haiti which focused on coffee marketing

Two of Partners' Farmer to Farmer volunteers have taken the initiative to help quality Haitian coffee reach export markets in the US, through their social enterprise called HaitiCoffee. The access to higher value markets allows the farmers to reinvest profits into their communities and businesses so that they might reach even more local and international markets, and improve their livelihoods. Check out their website at haiticoffee.com!

Long-time Partners volunteer Myriam Kaplan-Pasternak realized the potential while traveling to Haiti with Farmer to Farmer and working with Makouti Agro Enterprise. After recruiting and teaming up with FTF volunteer and businessman Yves Gourdet, originally from Haiti, the two have recently launched a successful enterprise. Below is an update from Myriam. I'm sure our past FTF-Haiti volunteers will be happy to read about this progress. Spread the word, try to coffee for yourself, and see if your local coffee shop will carry it!

"It has been quite sometime since I updated all of you on the progress of our coffee project. Things have been really moving along. In February of this year Yves and I incorporated his company Haiti Coffee and became business partners. In April, we successfully received our first shipment. Importing was a challenge, but thanks to the hard work of Papy and Makouti we found a way to streamline the process. Next time will be much easier. We have sold close to 2000 pounds of the green coffee so far across the USA. It is being very well received. We have also been roasting (with Humboldt Bay Coffee Company) and selling some online at www.haiticoffee.com. The end consumers are raving about the coffee."

- From an email by Myriam Kaplan-Pasternak

Sneak Peek: Veterinarian Trainings in Haiti

2011-07-14T09:32:00.000-04:00

These two photos provide a preview to trainings conducted by a team of US veterinarians together with Haitian veterinarians, students, and rabbit producers. The team of 3 from California visited farms and conducted workshops in late June, in the North and also in Grand Boulage, a mountain community between Port au Prince and Mirebalais. More photos and details to come!

Bonnie Loghry trains a Haitian veterinarian to listen to the heart and lungs of a rabbit

Andremene, one of the most successful rabbit producers in Grand Boulage, tries out a stethoscope. Income from Andremene's rabbit micro-enterprise has allowed her to support her family and send her children to school.

Update from Guyana: Food and Pesticide Safety

2011-07-06T11:31:00.000-04:00

Dr. Koo (left) and Dr. Njue (right) proudly display a large eddo (taro). Together with Dr. James Garner of UAPB, this team has been working with the farmers to study which cultural practices yield the best eddo crop.

During the past two weeks, two specialists from the University of Arkansas - Pine Bluff have been meeting with farmers in Guyana to conduct trainings in food safety and pesticide safety. For Drs. Jaheon Koo and Obadiah Njue, they have traveled several times to Guyana and have cultivated working relationships with these farmers over the years. Their trainings provide followup on previous visits from UAPB and also other volunteers (see captions below). Having just returned, they report having and productive an enjoyable trip. Check out some of the photos from their trip!

In a field of eddo crops, Dr. Koo consults with a farmer from the Kuru Kururu Farmers Crop and Livestock Association

KKFCLA members pose with the volunteers, also showing the color-coded pesticide safety charts developed by previous FTF volunteers and toxicologists Fred Aleguas and Henry Spiller. The chart was developed following surveys of chemicals used and available in Guyana, and provides information about the hazard level, known side effects, environmental risks, and safe handling procedures in a convenient and portable format

FTF-Guyana Field Officer Ryan Nedd (left) and KKFCLA farmer display new pesticide safety equipment

In addition to the KKFCLA eddo farmers, the volunteers consulted with shadehouse growers on food and pesticide safety topics

Jamaica: The Santoy Cooperative 5 Years Later

2011-07-01T13:07:00.004-04:00

Since 2006, multiple Farmer to Farmer volunteers have traveled to Jamaica to assist the Santoy Farmers Cooperative with improved vegetable production, greenhouse design, and marketing. One team of multidisciplinary specialists – Cliff Keil (entomologist), Tom Evans (plant pathologist), Wallace Pill (soil scientist), and Ian McCann (irrigation specialist) – were among the first FTF volunteers to assist Santoy and have returned to Jamaica several times and have made a significant impact on the Cooperative. The team helped establish specific goals to help the farmers improve productivity and marketing strategies. During their most recent trip in 2011, the Farmer to Farmer team received a letter from Milton Murdock, leader of the cooperative, detailing the impact they’ve had over the last four years.

“Due to the involvement of this FTF team, the members of the Santoy Cooperative have benefited tremendously. At first, we were having difficulties growing certain crops due to limited knowledge in agriculture, but since their interaction, we have become fortified with technical, theoretical and practical information on greenhouse production.”

-Milton Murdock

Tom Evans and his team, over the course of several volunteer trips through Farmer to Farmer, held multiple training workshops which conveyed invaluable knowledge to the cooperative members regarding basic but effective farming methods, as well as the growth of microgreens, disease and pest prevention for Scotch Bonnet Pepper (a markedly difficult crop to grow) and much more. It is clear from Murdock’s letter that these training sessions were not only beneficial to the members present, but many others as well. Mr. Murdock, an agriculture science teacher, has been able to use the information he learned from the team to teach his students relevant information that they will be able to draw on in their own agribusiness ventures.

“The passion, hard work and dedication that the FTF team exerted was overwhelming. Due to the introduction of [microgreens] and other technical skills, we have gained access to the resort hotel market. We have our first contract with the Sandals Resort in Negril and are selling microgreens and sprouts to other high-end hotels and restaurants in Hanover, Westmorland and St. James Parishes. This has greatly increased our profitability and standard of living.”

-Milton Murdock

The determination shown by Mr. Murdock and the Santoy Cooperative, coupled with the technical assistance to Santoy over the years, has achieved the overarching goals of the USAID Farmer to Farmer Program: to strengthen agricultural institutions, increase agriculture sector productivity and profitability, and facilitate value chain development and market opportunities.

The outcomes of this work will continue to yield benefits to the members of Santoy for years to come. Success stories like Mr. Murdock’s are at the heart of Partners of the Americas' philosophy to “Connect, Serve, and Change Lives”.

Update from the Field: The Dominican Republic

2011-06-23T11:29:00.000-04:00

Horticultural Specialist Gary Hickman is currently volunteering in the Dominican Republic on a greenhouse assignment. Mr. Hickman will be consulting with government officials and providing training workshops for local farmers to help them improve production, optimize productivity, and increase income.

During his visit, he will be meeting with various members of the Dominican government (both current and previous) to discuss the future of greenhouse policy in the country. These meetings include former President Hipólito Mejia. Here, Hickman is pictured in a meeting with the Agricultural Committee of the Dominican Congress discussing the new greenhouse public law.

“Every day the Farmer to Farmer Program is getting some kind of recognition by the agricultural sector…”

-Rafael Ledesma Schoowe

Nicaragua Dairy Project Yields Encouraging Results

2011-06-14T15:44:00.002-04:00

Marta Fajardo (left) with FTF Volunteer Yoana Newman

Dairy farmer Marta Fajardo raises around 60 cows on an 85-hectare farm in the Camoapa region of Nicaragua. She has been working with Farmer to Farmer volunteers for several years to help improve her milk quality, herd health, forage and feed options and more. During a recent visit to her farm, Marta was excited to report increased calving rates – double what they had been in the past. Marta’s cows now calve every year rather than every other year, and Marta is happy to attribute this exceptional increase to the mineral salt she now adds to her cow feed – the suggestion of a Farmer to Farmer volunteer. Marta’s cows have also increased their milk production from three to three and a half liters per day, and she has seen other improvements in her farming systems.

Because one of the key aims of the Farmer to Farmer program in Nicaragua is to aid farmers in producing more, contaminant-free milk, stories like Marta’s are a source of pride for the Farmer to Farmer team. In the recent Midterm Review of the program, Farmer to Farmer was pleased to see that many of the participating producers in Nicaragua have seen marked improvements in milk quality, market access, and milk sales. These improvements wouldn’t be possible without the technical assistance and training from volunteers on topics such as the use of genetics in breeding stronger, healthier cattle; post natal care; forage and food nutritional value; safety, hygiene and sanitation; and much more.

FTF volunteers looking at silage on the Fajardo farm.

Despite these exciting results, Nicaraguan farmers still have challenges. Improved record-keeping is a top priority and solutions to the issues related to milk spoilage are still a concern, among other topics. Farmer to Farmer plans to have volunteer assist in these areas, as well as continue to provide training in all areas of the dairy value chain. The data and positive feedback from local producers to date speaks volumes: thanks to the tireless efforts of volunteers and staff alike, the Farmer to Farmer program is empowering farmers, and aiding in the attainment of food security and economic growth in Nicaragua.

To volunteer with the Farmer to Farmer Program, visit http://www.partners.net/partners/Volunteering.asp

Photojournalism Slideshow Highlights Farmer to Farmer and Makouti Activities in Haiti

2011-06-07T12:05:00.001-04:00

Recent FTF-Haiti volunteer Nick Brubaker put his photographic skills to good use while in Haiti. Since his return to the US he has created a photojournalism piece with some of his many photos, bringing attention to the situation of farmers in Haiti and especially the work of Farmer to Farmer and Makouti Agro Enterprise in improving the Haitian agriculture industry and the lives of small-scale farmers.

This photojournalism piece was recently entered into the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation "Small Farmers are the Answer" Challenge, a competition soliciting various forms of creative works which show the value that investing in small-scale farmers has in economic growth and development. Nick volunteered in Haiti this spring as a website design specialist for the purpose of improving the design and functionality of the Makouti Agro Enterprise website.

Special thanks to Nick for his work developing the slideshow. Thanks also to our other talented FTF volunteers, and the monitoring efforts of our staff, whose reporting provided informative captions.

http://www.nickbrubaker.com/gates_index.html

Honduras: Then and Now

2011-06-02T12:12:00.000-04:00

Glen Juergens, Certified Forester and member of the International Society of Tropical Foresters, recently returned from a successful Farmer to Farmer “flex” trip to Honduras where he worked in collaboration with the Sustainable Harvest Foundation of Honduras (FUCOHSO) to survey 14 water sources for 12 communities in the Departments of Yoro and Santa Barbara.

FUCOHSO is an organization which aims to improve the nutrition of rural families in remote communities, aid in the attainment of economic stability, and teach better farming methods using organic technologies in a sustainable manner. FOCUHSO also focuses on imparting to families the importance of protecting the environment, forest and water resources in order to improve their lives over the long term. As a former Peace Corp volunteer stationed in Honduras, Juergens personally confirms that FOCUHSO is making significant and beneficial improvements to the lives of these people. Below are a few excerpts and reflections from his trip report.

“Honduras has certainly changed over the last 30+ years since I was there as a Peace Corps Volunteer from 1977-1979! Few small communities had water and/or electricity in their homes in the 1970s. The first village I worked in as a Peace Corps Volunteer in 1977, I had to walk about ¼ mile to get my drinking water from a spring next to the stream that went through the village and over ½ mile to the spot where I could bathe in the river. The drinking water from the spring would become contaminated with every large rain storm that caused the stream to rise above the level of the spring or when domestic animals would walk through the spring. [During my trip] only 1 community of the 12 I visited still did not have either water or electricity… Another change I noticed is that all of the children that I met on this trip seemed very healthy. As a Peace Corps Volunteer in Honduras in the 1970s, the majority of children in small, rural communities were suffering from malnutrition. Part of the malnutrition was due to the fact that their diets were lacking the variety of vegetables and protein needed for children to grow and maintain their health. FUCOHSO is teaching families how to grow a variety of vegetables, using organic fertilizers and pesticides, and how to add the vegetables to their diets. They also help families to build structures to protect the chickens from predators and to provide a place for the chickens to lay eggs.

The other part causing the malnutrition, as I mentioned above, was the lack of clean drinking water. Over the past 30 years many countries and non-government organizations have come to Honduras to help provide community water systems that reduce or eliminate the contamination that was causing many of the illnesses children were suffering from. Most of the water systems I visited were in areas where there was no immediate adjacent source of human or domestic animal contamination. However, due to deforestation and the lack of protection (fencing) around the water source, along with adjacent landowners above the water source cultivating crops, grazing animals or rainfall run-off from nearby roads, contamination potential of the water source is high. Some of the communities had chlorinating systems attached to the water tank to provide potable water but at least one community did not have the knowledge of how to use the system.

The good news is there are opportunities to continue to improve the water sources through education, reforestation efforts, and fencing to protect the water sources from potential contamination from domestic animals and poor agricultural and land use practices. FUCOHSO has the technology and ability available to provide this assistance. However, in some communities the land adjacent to the water source is owned by person(s) living outside of the community. In these cases there are opportunities for FUCOHSO to work with these landowners to improve their agricultural practices or to work with other organizations to buy the land, reforest, fence, and protect the watershed for the long-term benefit of the families living in these communities. FUCOHSO is having a substantial impact with the families that work with them to improve the nutrition and socio-economic well-being of the families while educating them on the importance of protecting the environment and water quality.”-Glen Juergens

Glen Juergens has also volunteered with Partners of the Americas’ Farmer to Farmer Program in the Dominican Republic. Partners is pleased to collaborate with organizations like FUCOHSO who share similar goals of improving agricultural and environmental systems together with rural communities.

Mothers Day in Latin America/Caribbean

2011-05-27T15:12:00.000-04:00

Several of the countries where Partners' Farmer to Farmer Program is active celebrate Mother's Day this coming Sunday. Mothers play a critical role in economic and social development all over the world. Partners of the Americas' Farmer to Farmer Program would like to recognize and honor the tireless efforts of all of the mothers we work with, both local partners and US volunteers.

Young mother in the Dominican Republic. Photo credit: Justin Hackworth

This Week in the Field

2011-05-24T10:33:00.001-04:00

This past week, Partners has had many volunteers in the field working together with local groups on topics ranging from greenhouse integrated pest management to beehive inspection to organic production practices. Here are a few photos we have received from the field.

In the Dominican Republic, volunteers Tom Evans and Wally Pill consult with local technicians for the planning and management of greenhouses. Both Professors at the University of Delaware, this is their third FTF trip to the DR.

In Haiti, Florida Apiary Inspectors Doug Corbin and Rob Horsburgh inspect beehives (hive nucleus in this photo) together with Partners' FTF Field Officer Gerard Michel Joseph (Papy), visiting apiaries belonging to beekeepers who have long participated in the Program as well as apiaries new to the Program. Mr. Corbin remarked that he has seen many improvements in beekeeping in the North of Haiti since his last visit in 2008. The volunteers traveled in collaboration with FAVACA.

In Guyana, FTF Field Officer Ryan Nedd (left) awards a Farmer to Farmer T-shirt and hat to Nicholas Waldron, hydroponics shadehouse operator, to express thanks for his participation in the "Harvesting Green Gold" hydroponics training video. FTF Volunteers Cheryl Diermyer and Pat Fellows, from the University of Wisconsin, recently created this video which is described and embedded below in this FTF Blog.

Andremene Solomon has come a long way

2011-05-18T11:32:00.006-04:00

In the town of Grand Boulage in the mountains of Haiti, Andremene Solomon is the primary caregiver for her entire family. Her husband has a physical disability, and she earns the bulk of the income that supports their family of six. Andremene started receiving training and assistance from the Partners of the Americas' Farmer to Farmer Program and Makouti Agro Enterprise a number of years ago as part of the rabbit production project in her town.

Since her involvement in the program, she has increased her household income by producing and selling rabbits. She has been able to sell enough rabbits to pay for the school tuition for all four of her children, costing 2,500 Haitian dollars (~$61USD) per year, for those in secondary school. She has also used her income for medical fees as well as helping nourishing people back to health by feeding them rabbit meat. Her household food consumption has also increased.

Andremene (pictured above, 2nd from the right, with other producers and FTF and Makouti staff) said the best recommendation she has received from a Farmer to Farmer volunteer was to expand the variety of food she gave her rabbits to include wheat bran, oranges, sweet potato, syrup, and salt powder. This made her rabbits stronger and prevented them from dying. She hopes the Program will continue to get more people involved.

Jamaica: From the Archives, and Toward the Future

2011-05-13T16:22:00.001-04:00

Partners of the Americas' Farmer to Farmer volunteers have been working together with Jamaican producers for more than five years in areas such as vegetable farming, pig farming, and organic production. While the Program peaked in 2007 and 2008, Partners' FTF volunteers continue to maintain professional relationships with their counterparts in Jamaica and travel to provide ongoing assistance. This continued partnership has yielded positive results over the years, such as the Santoy Cooperative becoming a national leader in tropical protected agriculture structures. An interdisciplinary team composed of a plant pathologist, irrigation specialist, and soil scientist will return to Jamaica next month to continue collaboration with partners such as the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA). Below are some photos "from the archives".

Field demonstration, 2005

Organic production training, 2006

Students help with greenhouse construction, 2008

Guyana Videos Demonstrate Hydroponics Success

2011-05-05T16:25:00.001-04:00

Two volunteers from Wisconsin recently traveled to Guyana to assist with producing two videos, the first a training video on the topic of hydroponics, and the other featuring the success story of "Valo", who has received assistance from several FTF volunteers over the years. See below for more information and to watch the videos! The volunteers, Cheryl Diermyer and Patricia Fellows, have also posted to the blog recently, giving more details about their activities in Guyana, and Cheryl's "Si a la Leche Campaign" video from her past visit to Nicaragua is also linked to this blog.

"Green Gold" is a hydroponics training video featuring the stories of two successful shadehouse producers from Guyana. Partners' Farmer to Farmer volunteers have recently begun to support this shadehouse project, which is funded by CASRI and the MIF and implemented by the Guyana Chapter of Partners of the Americas. The project supports both commercial and small-scale (household) vegetable production. The video will be used to train future producers.

"Valo's Journey" tells the story of Mr. Fitzroy "Valo" Valentine, his past struggles with field farming, and his success with shadehouse and hydroponic production of vegetables. In the past 9 or so months, Mr. Valentine has worked with FTF volunteers Drs. Henry Spiller and Alfred Aleguas (Pesticide Safety Specialists), Pete Wotowiec (Greenhouse Specialist), Trevor Hylton (Crop Nursery Management Specialist), and Brian Rosa (Composting Specialist). He and the Cooperative to which he belongs, Marfriends Cooperative Land Society Ltd., has received a great deal of support from Farmer to Farmer over the years.

FTF Volunteer Survey Feedback

2011-05-02T17:19:00.000-04:00

We conducted a survey of FTF volunteers who traveled recently with Partners of the Americas' Farmer to Farmer Program, and we received some good responses. Thanks to all who participated!

When asked if they would volunteer again with Partners' Farmer to Farmer Program, 98% of respondants said yes. 72.4% of our volunteers who responded reported giving group presentations on their trip once they return to the US. More than 57% of volunteers had leveraged some funds or resources such as donated equipment for their trip, and 74% of volunteers remain in touch with their local host after they return home to continue troubleshooting issues and finding solutions to challenges. Below are a selection of comments which show the importance that many of our volunteers attribute to the Farmer to Farmer Program. Thank you to our wonderful volunteers!

“Teaching and research in agriculture at the University of Wisconsin for 25 years, University of Florida for 3 years, and Iowa State University for 4 years has been rewarding, but the 2 weeks in Nicaragua were very special. There is no question that I learned more than I taught during that time. The two-way exchange of ideas was marvelous and in many ways very similar to my experiences with farmers here. Farmer-to-Farmer is a great program.”

“This is an exceedingly important and valuable program to support local capacity building. Please continue.”

“Partners serves a vital function in international agriculture development.”

“I am a big supporter of US soft diplomacy. Also, I believe that the adoption of appropriate technology in agricultural is absolutely necessary for food security and the well being of rural people in the developing world. FTF speaks to both of these.”

“Working with Makouti and Partners on my FtF assignment was a project I will remember for a long time and one that I really enjoyed.”

“Thank you for the opportunity to make believing become reality.”

“Farmer to Farmer is an excellent program that allows the exchange of information at a global level. The program is well organized and the volunteer information is excellent.”

“With each trip to Haiti I become more enthused on future visits. Always look forward to the next opportunity, in Haiti or wherever my expertise is needed.”

“Thank you for the opportunity, and privilege to assist in a small way.”

“I think [the DC staff is] doing a fantastic job in recruiting volunteers, orientation, and providing the comforting words to new volunteers. They have great teams to work with in country as well.”

“Overall a great experience and the program has much potential to make a difference.”

“I think Farmer to Farmer is a very good program. The farmers have benefited from it tremendously.”

“It has had a positive impact on me personally and professionally.”

“Keep up the good work!”

Harvesting Green Gold in Guyana

2011-04-28T15:59:00.020-04:00

Partners of the Americas, Farmer-to-Farmer volunteers, Cheryl Diermyer and Pat Fellows of Wisconsin, have been working with staff at the Guyana Hydroponic Shadehouse Production and Marketing Project on the production of a hydroponic gardening training video, “Harvesting Green Gold.” The video will support the Hydroponic Shadehouse Project extension officers’ face-to-face training activities. The Shadehouse Project is managed by the Guyana Chapter of Partners of the Americas.

Planning for the video began in February when four individuals in three different time zones and two different countries met via Skype to discuss the video design. Meghan Olivier, the project coordinator in Washington D.C.; Cheryl Diermyer, a humanitarian media producer in Wisconsin; and Kelvin Craig and Ryan Nedd of the Shadehouse Project in Guyana discussed the approach to the video and began a rough draft of an outline.

The training manual produced by the Shadehouse Production and Marketing Project staff guided the initial phases of developing the rough draft and provided invaluable information to Cheryl and Pat on the steps to a successful hydroponic garden.

Stakeholders in the Shadehouse Production and Marketing project gathered at the Guyana office to watch the preview of the video and give their feedback to the video producers.

“I knew we had a good video, but one never really knows how it will be received until you show it. We made some last minute changes, and I was just really hoping they would like it,” said Pat.

The shadehouse project stakeholders commented on the effectiveness of the personal story approach, where farmers are learning from other farmers through a sharing of personal experiences.

“The goal was to show the rich personal stories of Guyanese farmers and balance that with just enough technical information to inspire in viewers a desire to want to learn more about hydroponic gardening. By the comments we received at today’s meeting, I’m very pleased to say that I think we met that goal.” said Cheryl.

Dr. Bernard Denison, an information technology consultant to the shadehouse project, appreciated that the video engages the viewer and sets the space for them to ask follow-up questions. This will help to generate discussion during the face-to-face training sessions. After viewing the video training participants can immediately ask the extension officer the questions they most want answered.

Several individuals at the meeting mentioned that they were happy that the video was not filled with too much technical information, but just enough to wet the appetite.

Gavin Gounga, the extension officer working on the project, said, referring to his upcoming training sessions, “The video is the appetizer, wait for the main course.”

John Woolford, a network development consultant to the shadehouse project, said, “In addition to a training video, the video has public appeal for all ages to promote shadehouse gardening.”

Attendees at the meeting wanted to see the video a second time. At the end of the viewing everyone applauded.

Cheryl and Pat bring a unique set of skills to support the good agricultural work being done in Guyana. Cheryl says, “I’m a media producer, not a farmer. I’m just glad that the skills I have to offer can support the great work being done here. The individuals we’ve worked with at the Partners of the America’s Guyana Chapter have been terrific, including the farmers and their families. It’s been a good partnership. The goals for the training video were successfully met due to everyone involved.”

Wisconsin Volunteers Travel to Guyana

2011-04-27T16:42:00.010-04:00

On April 17^th, two volunteers from Wisconsin traveled to Georgetown, Guyana to fill a “non-traditional” Farmer-to-Farmer volunteer assignment: video production. This is the second volunteer assignment for video producer, Cheryl Diermyer, and the first for Pat Fellows. Their assignment the first week is to produce a training video on Hydroponic Shadehouse Gardening.

Over the past few years the unpredictable weather patterns, long periods of drought and especially rain and flooding, have made traditional gardening challenging and not profitable for many gardeners in Guyana. A new method of gardening is being introduced to the Guyanese, Hydroponic Shadehouse Gardening. While it is beginning to catch on among some gardeners/farmers, it is hoped this video will assist Hydroponic Shadehouse staff with training. The video will also help to introduce Hydroponic Shadehouse gardening to farmers, assist those who have already built their Shadehouses, make improvements to their structures as they expand, and better manage pests.

During the first week in Guyana, Cheryl and Pat interviewed and videotaped two Hydroponic Shadehouse owners who shared information that will be used in the training video. Over 200 photographs and approximately 2 hours of video was shot of the Shadehouses, the owners, and their yield.

This past weekend, Easter weekend, a huge holiday in Guyana, was celebrated. In addition to the traditions of attending church on Good Friday and Easter Sunday, the Guyanese eat hot cross buns on Holy Thursday and have a huge celebration on Easter Monday where everyone gathers near the seawall to fly kites, celebrating the Resurrection. This was quite an amazing sight, hundreds of kites in the air at one time.

The first week here was very productive, as well as very fulfilling for us. Getting to know the families we spent time with during recording and learning more about the Easter customs of Guyana has given us a wonderful glimpse into the lives of the Guyanese people as we continue our work here.

Happy Earth Day!

2011-04-22T12:46:00.001-04:00

The Farmer to Farmer team wishes all our volunteers, collaborators and friends a Happy Earth Day!

Partners' approach is to promote economic growth in an environmentally sustainable way. Many Farmer to Farmer assignments focus specifically on the environment, such as training in greenhouse gas emissions and carbon auditing, natural resource and forest management, bird preservation or water conservation. Others focus on organic production, integrated pest management, biogas and responsible waste use/management, and more.

Visit the rest of our blog to see more stories about Partners' work in agriculture and environment!

Qualities of Effective FTF Volunteers

2011-04-19T16:04:00.002-04:00

Partners of the Americas' Farmer to Farmer Program recently benefited from a thorough qualitative evaluation conducted by a specialized team from the University of Wisconsin-Extension Program Evaluation Unit. We are eager to share results once the full report is complete. For now here are some excerpts that we thought our readers would find interesting: responses from field staff and beneficiaries (or "hosts") on the common qualities of effective volunteers.

Qualities of effective volunteers

Hosts were extremely pleased with the volunteer support they had received to date. Host and staff alike agreed on a number of qualities that made volunteer assignments successful, including: simple; flexible; patient; professional; interactive; encouraging; participatory; skilled to work with ‘ordinary’ people; open-minded; does not “direct” or “order”; good communicator; good listener; someone who does not bring “old thoughts” or out-dated approaches; and able to respond to the needs on the ground. One host talked about FTF volunteers as people who can “come down to this level”.

...FTF volunteers are unique in that they “really listen” to the people, and explain to them why they need to make specific changes in their practices; a necessary approach for transferring knowledge in a contextually relevant and sustainable way.

...being specialized in their field of work (i.e. “experts”); able to articulate information in a language that rural farmers can understand (using simple, less technical terms); friendly and open to sharing their skills; flexible (e.g. someone who doesn’t complain about not having air conditioning in his hotel room); culturally sensitive; able to transfer knowledge in a contextually relevant way; previous international experience; and having Spanish language skills [for Spanish speaking countries].

These excerpts come from our different country programs. Recurring themes are flexibility, value of the repeat volunteer who is already familiar with the local context, value of volunteers who remain in touch with beneficiaries after returning home and helping make linkages to resources or materials, local language skills, and good interpersonal/intercultural skills.

Thank you to all our wonderful volunteers!

Update from the Field: Soil Conservation in the Dominican Republic

2011-04-14T10:41:00.002-04:00

Farmer to Farmer volunteer, Ira "Buck" Richards, traveled to the Dominican Republic in March to support producers with soil conservation techniques. Mr. Richards worked with producers and gave them technical assistance on how to conserve soils while producing avocados on hillsides that are prone to erosion.

Mr. Richards showing producers how to use soil conservation and land surveying equipment.

Mr. Richards giving a practical demonstration.

A group of 30 producers in the community of La China-los Guanos in San Jose de Ocoa were trained by the volunteer on how to use soil conservation equipment. Mr. Richards recommended the use of mucuna and canavalia as a way to recuperate eroding soils on the hillsides. Also, Mr. Richards recommended that the live and dead barriers should be built following the slope of the area. The producers acknowledged that this was useful training and that if they want to prevent erosion they have to take in consideration the slopes of the land and utilize contour barriers. Contour barriers are contour strips which intercept down slope flowing water and soil particles. The barriers slow down the water movement and reduce erosion. They also trap many of the suspended soil particles, keeping them from being washed out of the field. A long term advantage of barriers is that soil tends to build up behind them, creating a terrace effect and is more beneficial for planting trees and crops. Barriers can be classified as live (strips of living plants), dead (rocks, crop residues), or mixed (a combination of the previous two). Erosion has been a challenge for producers and a real threat to the environment so these soil conservation techniques are much appreciated.

Field day to work with Mr. Richards, a Farmer to Farmer volunteer and specialist in soils.

Jamaica Vegetable Production Project

2011-04-12T18:20:00.001-04:00

Partners’ Farmer to Farmer Program has been providing Santoy Cooperative in Jamaica with volunteer technical assistance since 2003. A range of volunteers have helped the vegetable producers, from plant pathologists and irrigation engineers to graphic designers and marketing specialists. One team of volunteers has been especially invested in supporting Santoy and helping them to improve the quantity and quality of their production. The team members are the following: Dr. Tom Evans, Professor of Plant Pathology at University of Delaware; Dr. Wallace Pill, Professor Emeritus of Horticulture at University of Delaware; Dr. Cliff Keil, Professor of Entomology at Pontificia Universidad Catolica in Ecuador and Dr. Ian McCann, Agricultural Engineering Consultant. Partners’ Farmer to Farmer Program is extremely gracious and proud of the work that has been accomplished between the volunteers and Santoy.

Farmer to Farmer volunteers with Jamaican counterparts.

Please read below the latest update on the Jamaica Vegetable Production Project (written by Dr. Evans, Dr. Keil and Dr. Pill):

The Santoy Cooperative (hereafter Santoy) is one of the best producers of a wide range of field and greenhouse grown vegetables in Jamaica. However, there are several impediments to direct sales of vegetables by Santoy to resorts and high-end restaurants in Jamaica. We believe that the lack of unique, high quality products grown locally and available continuously throughout the year has been one of these impediments. Without such products Santoy has not yet penetrated this direct sales market which is much more lucrative than the secondary market; that being, selling to brokers or supermarkets. Our approach over the past year has been to support the development of a production system to deliver such products; microgreens and sprouts.

In January 2011, we re-started the microgreens and sprouts project and determined its feasibility. Additionally, we re-branded Santoy as a custom grower of vegetables and tropical fruits and supported their sales and marketing program. During this trip, Drs. Evans and Keil carried out much of the initial work for pesticide evaluation field-trial in scotch bonnet peppers and did initial assessment of Santoy’s ability to move forward on the production and marketing of microgreens and sprouts. Over the five years we have been working in Jamaica we have routinely attempted to make linkages with Jamaican researchers both in academia (University of the West Indies-Kingston) and government (Ministry of Agriculture) to further the objectives of the Farmer to Farmer vegetable production and marketing project. During our trip in January, Drs. Evans and Keil held the first such meeting. We met with most of the researchers working in areas related to agricultural plant health (plant pathology, entomology, horticulture). This meeting took place at the Ministry of Agricultures Bodles Research Station near Spanish Town in St. Catherine Parish. The meeting resulted in an agreement by all to collaborate on a number of projects of mutual interest and importance to the researchers and to Jamaican agriculture and to seek funds to support this work. This is a significant accomplishment for the team and the FTF program in that it ensures future collaborations with Jamaican scientists.

By the end of our trip in January, Santoy was extremely close to a breakthrough in accessing the direct sales market. However, much work was left undone with regard to the scale-up of microgreens and sprouts. A request was made to FTF to support the trip of Dr. Pill once Santoy had substantially completed the needed infrastructure improvements for a new specialty crops production facility. During late January and early February Drs. Evans and Pill stayed in close contact with Mr. Murdock and Santoy by phone and e-mail and continued to support his planning and development efforts. We made initial production cost estimates for a wide range of microgreens, sprouts and edible flowers. We also produced a modified logo for Santoy that included Mr. Murdock’s name and phone number. Sticky labels printed with this logo were produced in two sizes for use on packaging. Business cards using this logo were also designed and produced (see attachments at end of report). These were transported to Mr. Murdock on the subsequent trip by Dr. Pill. At the request of Santoy, we facilitated their purchase of seed for many of these crops from U.S. sources. In late February, Dr. Pill traveled to Hanover, Jamaica to support the new specialty crop production facility at Santoy.”

Building Friendships and Life-Long Collaboration

Update from the Field: Avocado Production in the Dominican Republic

2011-04-05T16:47:00.003-04:00

Farmer to Farmer volunteer Dr. Jonathan Crane, a specialist in green skin avocados from the University of Florida, traveled to the Dominican Republic to provide assistance to avocado producers. The producers and local extension agents were thrilled to receive this support because the green skin avocados make up the majority of avocados produced in the DR and require different care than other varieties.

Farmer to Farmer volunteer, Dr. Crane shows producers how to identify pests on their avocado trees.

Dr. Crane gave various workshops for producers and extension agents and made field visits to the orchards of individual producers. At one of the workshops with 25 people in Sabana Larga, San Jose de Ocoa the volunteer spent the morning training on good pruning practices, production processes and pest management. In the afternoon they went to the orchard of a producer to do a hands-on training in pruning, pest identification and pest control. The volunteer was well recieved because he gave recommendations that were economical and practical. For example, the volunteer suggested using sulfur as a way to control mildew pests and demonstrated the proper way to put organic compost or manure around the base of the avocado tree so that it does not touch the trunk at all and cause more harm than good. The training was useful, practical and so relevant the producers ended up staying out with the volunteer until it was too dark out. Jose Armando Bautista, an extension agent with ADESJO claims he learned new technical concepts for avocado production and especially the proper fertilization for green skin avocados and enjoyed working with the Farmer to Farmer volunteer.

Feedback from a Farmer to Farmer Volunteer!

2011-04-04T20:53:00.008-04:00

Volunteer Dr. Karen Jacobsen with dairy producers.

Farmer to Farmer volunteer Dr. Karen Jacobsen recently returned from an assignment in Nicaragua working with cattle nutrition. Dr. Jacobsen provided technical assistance and shared her professional expertise with dairy producers in regards to their feed rations and forage quality. Additionally, Dr. Jacobsen had feed samples analyzed at Dairy One Laboratory in New York so the producers can have an exact understanding of their cattle's nutrition.

Dr. Karen Jacobsen on her work with the Farmer to Farmer Program in Nicaragua:

"This is my 5th Farmer-to-Farmer assignment, and the 1st time in Nicaragua. I have been 3 times to the Republic of Georgia, and once to Malawi. This has been, by far, the most successful and effective of the 5 FtF assignments I have completed, partly because I know the language, but especially because my hosts with Partners of the Americas organized my time extremely well, enabling me to reach as many dairymen as possible during my stay."

"In the time here, I visited 4 dairy farms near Leon, 2 dairy farms and 2 beef cattle ranches near Chinandega. On the average, we spent ½ day per farm. Thus, my understanding of the dairy & beef farms is greatest for these 2 hot & dry, Coastal Plains regions. I also analyzed rations for a dairyman in Boaco who was involved with an artisan cheese factory."

"I also delivered 5 formal presentations (with PowerPoint & computer projector), one each at the 10th National Dairy Conference in Managua (X Congreso Nicaragüense del sector Lácteo) and at the Universidad Nacional Agraria to animal science and veterinary students, and one each to producers in Leon, Rio Blanco, and Camoapa."

¨Sweet Prospects¨ For Guyana Business

2011-04-02T09:49:00.007-04:00

The country of Guyana is approximately the size of the State of Idaho and has a total population of well under 1 million. That combined with the fact that most of the country is undeveloped, boasts one of the highest levels of plant and animal biodiversity in the world, has an extraordinary network of massive rivers, and warm temperatures year around, opens up some ¨sweet prospects¨ for commercial honey production.

While visiting Guyana (March 12-26) I had the opportunity to visit with 2 Guyanese honey producers, Kingdom Apiaries and Rajkumar Apiaries. Both are long time beekeepers with Rajkumar Apiaries spanning 3 generations. The owners confirm that Guyana honey producers are still a long way off from meeting domestic demand for honey. The beverage company, Banks Beer which uses large volumes of imported honey, alone would be a sizable contract for any honey producer. Not to mention the fact that most grocery stores throughout Georgetown are selling imported honey. The reason? Not enough domestic production as of yet. Additionally, nearby neighbors like Trinidad/Tobago and Barbados have a healthy appetite for honey and also rely heavily on imported honey.

After spending time with both Apiaries, several recommendations of action were made to assist them increase honey production efforts and begin to reap the benefits of developing the Guyanese honey market.

If developed properly while taking advantage of 2 key issues, proximity to the USA and Western Europe and fluency in English, Guyana could play a significant role exporting industrial quantities of honey worldwide. Just 10 years ago, Brazil was not a honey exporter and today, they are an important supplier of bulk honey worldwide, exporting USD $43.7M to the USA alone in 2008 (Source-National Honey Board/USDA).

-Submitted by: Daniel Shaneyfelt

The volunteer assignment was facilitated through a partnership arrangement between Partners of the Americas' FTF Program and EMPRETEC Guyana - an institution that is involved in promoting the development of small and medium enterprises by means of various capacity building initiatives.

In the News

2011-04-01T15:14:00.000-04:00

The Alabama Cooperative Extension System has published an online article featuring FTF Volunteer Robert Spencer's recent trip to Haiti, where he worked with Makouti Agro Enterprise to give trainings in food safety and meat quality assurance. We, along with the farmers in Haiti who participate in these projects, are thankful for the US institutions such as the ACES who value the professional development opportunities that FTF trips can bring to their employees. To view the article, click here.

On The Edge of Civilization and Success

2011-03-30T17:10:00.013-04:00

If you take a look at a map of Guyana (many confuse it with Ghana, Africa) and locate the little town of Charity (west of Georgetown), you will see that there pretty much isn´t anything else west of there...or south of there either. Charity is on the frontier of civilization and in fact is found at the end of the highway from Georgetown. Although somewhat remote and challenged with some economic issues common to developing nations, this little town is not without several signs of economic success. One of them I was honored to meet during my volunteer visit to Guyana between March 12- March 26. I was accompanied by FTF Field Officer, Mr. Ryan Nedd, of Georgetown.

In 2001 a group of women from the Pomeroon River Region, of which Charity is a part, decided to create an all-women, agro-processing association to (in their own words) ¨create meaningful employment for women in our community, improving their skills, knowledge and income to alleviate poverty.¨ I was sent to this all-women´s association to assist them with their continued marketing efforts, and shortly after speaking with the Association Leadership, we decided that some additional business plan development would be very helpful as well.

In 2007, with the help of various donor agencies, the 14 member Association built a modern facility which is sufficiently equipped to produce 5 products under sanitary conditions governed by strict GMP standards. Their product line includes a Hot Pepper Sauce, a spicy Mango Achar, Coconut Oil, Fruit Mix, and Season Sauce which is largely a by-product of the Fruit Mix. Mr. Nedd and I had the pleasure of sampling all products, however, he balked at tasting the Hot Pepper Sauce; and maybe for good reason. Before trying the pepper sauce, we asked a visiting consultant from India if he thought it was hot. He replied that it is the hottest sauce he had ever tasted. I think that´s when Mr. Nedd decided. In spite of the rather intense heat, the pepper sauce has an excellent flavor array, which would compliment pretty much any food that needs a little ¨heating¨ up.

These ladies indeed have a gift for producing excellent quality food products which come from locally grown farms. I found that The Association not only has great prospects for solid distribution in Guyana but also, within a short period of time, specific Caribbean island nations, like Trinidad/Tobago, St. Kitts, Antigua, Jamaica and St. Lucia.

Before leaving the Pomeroon Women´s Agroprocessors Association, I left them with a detailed, 3 phase plan that is a combined Business and Marketing Plan to assist them in realizing greater penetration within the Guyanese market and later on how to enter the select markets within the Caribbean. The Plan also gives specific recommendations for criteria which should be met before moving to Phase 3 of the Plan which includes details about how to begin developing distribution into the USA.

The coordinated efforts of FTF and EMPRETEC and the hard work of the Women of Pomeroon, create a powerful team of success on ¨The Edge of Civilization¨.

The volunteer assignment was facilitated through a partnership arrangement between the FTF Program and EMPRETEC Guyana - an institution that is involved in promoting the development of small and medium enterprises by means of various capacity building initiatives.

Submitted by: Daniel Shaneyfelt

Update from the Field: Marketing and Horticulture in Guyana

2011-03-29T10:50:00.001-04:00

Daniel Shaneyfelt just finished his trip to Guyana, having provided expert assistance in marketing to help small processors position themse access international markets. They produce products such as hot sauces, honey, and jams. Mr. Shaneyfelt collaborated closely with EMRETEC-Guyana, which supports local micro-enterprises and entrepreneurs.

Dr. Buckner (left) and Garner (2nd from left) meet with the KKFCLA

Currently in Guyana are Drs. James Garner and Steven Buckner, who have traveled to Guyana to support local groups, including the Kuru Kururu Farmers' Crop and Livestock Association, in eddo (taro) production and soil fertility, and water quality management and testing, respectively.

Dr. Garner maintains a longstanding collaboration between the University of Arkansas - Pine Bluff and the local groups participating in the FTF-Guyana Program, especially the KKFCLA.

Consulting a map of the surrounding farms and waterways

Members of the KKFCLA discuss ideas with Dr. Garner

Farmer to Farmer Honors the Life and Dedication of John Malcheski

2011-03-24T17:03:00.000-04:00

John Malcheski pauses for a photo during a 2005 FTF Trip to Haiti

The Farmer to Farmer Team at Partners of the Americas would like to share our appreciation for the support, dedication, and friendship of volunteer John Malcheski. John passed away in his home on the evening of March 22, 2011, at the age of 78, after a brave battle with cancer. Click here if you would like to read the obituary. We continue to appreciate and benefit from his guidance and his keen sense of humor.

Benito and John, 2007

John completed 7 trips to Haiti with the FTF Program between the years of 2005 - 2009 and became an important adviser to "Makage", now Makouti Agro Enterprise, during its early years and beyond. He first traveled after a tumultuous time in Haiti's history in 2004, shortly after the creation of a vegetable producers' cooperative, Makage.

John and Benito build rabbit nest boxes in Grand Boulage

Through the years John has supported its leaders and members, especially founder Benito Jasmin who is almost like family to John. He also established a productive partnership between Partners' FTF Program and the Friends of Haiti in Green Bay, WI. Six years later, Makage is now Makouti Agro Enterprise, a diversified agribusiness providing goods and services throughout Haiti in the areas of animal production, vegetable production, nursery development, beekeeping, processing, marketing, and technical assistance.

With his humor and direct way of speaking, we have always found John to be very quotable. We thought you would enjoy some quotes from his trip reports over the years, which show both how far Makouti has come with his support, and how much he cared for his friends and work in Haiti.

Checking the progress of the garden

"Despite being down during the revolution, there has been significant progress in developing this model of production and marketing. The future of Makage is very positive, with some additional help. In some 22 assignments I’ve worked on over the years, this one is going to succeed and benefit its members. It has given members about 3 times more for their product than they used to get." -2005

"Makage, with an influx of capital, can build strong rural communities. They know what the market needs. We volunteers and U.S. groups must try to increase our efforts to meet the needs of this model co-op." -2007

Sampling some good Haitian cooking

"Benito and I spent 2 days in a mountain village, Grand Boulage, where Makage would like to introduce rabbit production to that area...It can give these people an excellent chance to increase their income." - 2007

"The rabbits are growing and doing very well and are being expanded to many different areas. Those that do it well are starting to sell rabbits and rabbit meat." -2008


John meets the schoolchildren in Grand Boulage

"Makouti brings so much education in the form of training. This helps thousands of people who are in animal productions, bees, vegetables, tree planting and food processing. The training centers for the rabbits is coming into full bloom with plans to expand the teaching area and even provide food & lodging to future participants who come from greater distances." -2009

John was able to see his hard work pay off. As of early 2011, Grand Boulage now has 3 commercial-sized rabbitries which bring in US$1,537/yr, a good sum in Haiti. The rabbitries greatly enhance the income of the community, and at least one of the rabbitry owners has used the money to pay for a tutor and fulfill her dream to learn to read and write.

"The work of POA and Benito Jasmin is absolutely outstanding. POA and FOH have been good for each other in the common effort to improve people's lives in Haiti." -2008

"I truly enjoyed working with such dynamic people who are trying to improve Haiti." -2005

"As i leave this project, I can say that i learned a lot. I’m sure there are other efforts that are successful, but this one, is a grass roots effort with minimal outside help. It is building pride and confidence in a group of producers. It gives them positive hope to improve their lives and help this country." -2005

The video below was shot during the first few years of John's travels to Haiti. The children of Grand Boulage are singing and celebrating, to the delight of their guests who are present, including John on the right.

Nicaragua: Mark your Forage Calender!

2011-03-21T12:54:00.000-04:00

Partners of the Americas' Farmer to Farmer Program printed 2011 forage calenders for dairy producers in Nicaragua. The photos and forage information can be accredited to Farmer to Farmer volunteer, Yoana Newman, an Extension Forage Specialist at the University of Florida. Dr. Newman traveled to Nicaragua with the Farmer to Farmer Program in June of last year and during that trip Dr. Newman recognized the importance of distributing forage calenders to the producers to improve pasture management. The calenders were designed and printed in a way so each month of the calender has a photo of forages and pastures in Nicaragua and the page also indicates "things to consider" for that month, including tips on dividing pastures, cutting forages, weed control, the frequency of grazing and other useful and practical instructions. Dr. Newman designed the forage calender in collaboration with FAVACA, University of Florida, UNA (Universidad Nacional Agraria), INTA (Instituto Nicaraguense de Technologia Agropecuaria), CONAGAN and Camoapan.

Front Cover with a view of beautiful Nicaragua!

The month of March (please note on the right side the useful tips in Spanish for pasture management)

Before and After: Organic Farming in St. Kitts

2011-03-16T15:22:00.002-04:00

Three months after FTF Volunteer Tom Syverud traveled from Wisconsin to St. Kitts to assist the Community Achievers Project's (CAP) Riches of the Earth Farm in implementing organic production practices, the fruits of their labor are beginning to show. Thanks go to Victoria Baucom of CAP for sharing these photos and stories.

Before:

These youth are receiving vocational training through CAP to allow them to go back to high school with the hopes of graduating and having a better future.

The farm was not currently producing, so Tom (right) and Sydney Berkeley (Riches of the Earth farm manager, pictured with colorful hat) taught the participating youth about composting and how to set up their own individual gardens. Nine square meter gardens were established.

They also taught the younger kids about cultivating the land, while planting seeds together.

Conducting soil tests provided instruction on the necessary soil nutrients.

3 Months Later:

Quotes below are from Victoria Baucom, CAP Coordinator:

"We have expanded our farm and are now growing peppers, squash and watermelons. On Friday, Sydney has broccoli, bananas, papayas, and greens to sell."

"We just harvested the broccoli and greens and we are waiting for the tomatoes to ripen. The students from 5 A Ganar [Partners of the Americas' Sport for Development Program in St. Kitts] are harvesting their crops today."

"We have started our program with our little ones (about 19) who come from Basseterre and they come from the country every Tuesday after school. They are cleaning the area where they will start their square meter garden and another project."

"Sydney is grateful for the lessons he learned from Tom. As a result we are experiencing success in further teaching our youth about agriculture. Our young children are simply fantastic and the older ones are slowly becoming more serious. They realize they will be on their own soon and that the economy is suffering here in St. Kitts. As unemployment rises and the cost of living increases, our youth are now feeling the effects. Whereas before, it was a struggle, they are now working with Sydney learning how to graft trees, reproduce banana trees, making organic pesticides, identifying pest and adding carbons and nitrogen to the compost piles."

"Thank you for selecting CAP to participate in the USAID Farmer to Farmer program. Just learning a few new techniques have strengthened our program. In fact, several other programs in St. Kitts are now asking CAP to send them our youth to participate in their programs. Tom's visit was a success for CAP in St. Kitts. The knowledge we have acquired will certainly be passed down to the youth. Youth in St. Kitts will determine if agriculture will become a viable industry in St. Kitts."

Farmer to Farmer "Reading List"

2011-03-14T14:38:00.002-04:00

If you are interested in farming systems in the US and abroad, you may be interested in reading one or both of these books: A Farmer for the World: A Biography of Richard Clarence Waybright, and Where the Road Ends: A Home in the Brazilian Rainforest. Both are related to Partners' Farmer to Farmer Program in one way or another.

The first follows the interesting life of Dick Waybright (2010 FTF volunteer to Brazil) in his quest to grow the now-cutting-edge Mason Dixon Farms in Pennsylvania, plus his many agricultural and other adventures abroad.

The second follows the travel adventure of Binka Le Breton and her husband Robin as they move their life to Brazil to set up a farm and home, and eventually create the Iracambi Research Center (2011 FTF host organization) to help conserve Brazil's Atlantic Rainforest.

"...One of the Richest Experiences a Volunteer Can Have"

2011-03-10T18:29:00.001-05:00

When Robert Spencer reflects on his recent Farmer to Farmer trip to Haiti, he says it just may be his best yet. Spencer, a volunteer from Alabama who has just returned from his trip focusing on meat quality and safety, always appreciates the genuine interest and thirst for knowledge shown by those who attend his presentations in Haiti, not to mention the delicious food and coffee!

To learn more about his trip, visit this article published by the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. Also, below are some excerpts and photos from his trip report.

"The focus of this trip was to present advanced training of food safety and meat quality. Additional concepts addressed included: zoonotic and biologic issues, process improvement for rabbit processing, and consumer options for purchasing meats. Programmatic efforts to serve north and south regions of Haiti. All the aforementioned issues are a serious issue for producers and consumers in Haiti, while the problems do exist in a small-scale; the biggest problem is misconceptions by consumers, lack of knowledge on causes, management, and options. Using a fundamental outreach approach is essential to helping the people understand causal relationships, prevention, and options. Otherwise they assume bad food is just a part of living in Haiti. The heartwarming aspect about these seminars is the interaction, the comments, questions, and discussions that are generated; which helps a presenter to realize the people grasp and accept these ideas."

All get a laugh when Robert proves the food was safely prepared!

"Things are not as bleak as some might consider, there are plenty of food options, choosing bad meats is not an option once consumers know what causes problems with meats, how to manage against it, and they do have powers such as spending (or not) power, and power of their voice. The people of Haiti have lots of valid questions, some misconceptions, and a sincere desire to see things improve. This was probably my most successful visit with many rewarding seminars. The additional week and opportunity to participate in additional workshops really seemed to work efficiently. The faces seen at these seminars were new, they were very receptive to the idea of food safety and meat quality, now have an understanding how the whole concept works (from farm to table), and see potential for these programs in Haiti. If each of the seminar attendees will take this concept to home, family, and friends, the concept and practice of food safety and meat quality will spread. At each seminar the consensus was this whole concept has great potential. Knowing this I feel like my efforts were a success, my mission was accomplished!"

"[I] Am always humbled to serve the people of Haiti and sincerely want to see them and their children experience long-term success with food safety, meat quality, industrial development, and a booming tourism."

"To laugh with the Haitians is one of the richest experiences a volunteer can have."

Crossing Boundaries for Food’s Sake

2011-03-08T10:44:00.000-05:00

Please see below a piece written by Farmer to Farmer Volunteer, Dr. Julie Keown-Bomar. The volunteer traveled as part of a horticulture team to Nicaragua and the article reflects her observations and findings on the local food systems.

Learning about food systems in poor communities is an important step to address nutritional deficiencies, generate family income, develop local economies and promote better health. Three UW-Extension educators recently spent time in Central America asking people about their food situation and the barriers they face securing a healthy diet and a sufficient income for their families.

University of Wisconsin Extension educators, Rob Burke (Door County), Arlen Albrecht (Taylor County) and Julie Keown-Bomar (Eau Claire County) spent time in Nicaragua with the Farmer to Farmer program, a United States Agency for International Development (USAID) program implemented by Partners of the Americas. Burke, Albrecht and Keown-Bomar volunteered to work with non-profits, cooperatives and neighborhood organizations and troubleshoot problems with local food systems. They taught workshops and spent many hours talking with people about their ability to cultivate, process and sell vegetables and fruits. In evaluating the food value chain, they surveyed all stages of the system, from sowing seeds to putting food on the family table and/or in the market place. What they learned was both daunting and inspiring.

Many Nicaraguan adults earn only three to four dollars a day. Family diets are composed primarily of rice, corn and beans and few social support systems exist to help families who lack basic necessities. Neighbors, churches and family help when possible, but most people the educators interviewed expressed serious concerns about access to nutritious food in their communities. Rural families may have excess crops like mangos or tomatoes during peak harvest times, but they have very little access to nutritious food at other times of the year. People mourned the loss of thousands of pounds of vitamin-rich mangos that they could not consume or sell all at once and they had no way to preserve the fruit. Most families have no refrigerators or freezers; canning equipment is not to be found; and people do not have the knowledge and resources to dehydrate the food.

Keown-Bomar solicited donations from local garden supply businesses before her trip. Chippewa Valley Growers and the Potting Shed contributed greatly to this project by donating packets of seeds. Hundreds of gardeners and their families will benefit from their contributions. Tools, seeds and hoses are very expensive for Nicaraguan consumers to purchase on their limited incomes and this financial barrier prevents many people from attempting to grow their own food.

UW-Extension has offered people in Wisconsin research based classes, one-to-one assistance, recipes and tips on growing and putting up food for over 80 years, but Nicaragua presents even the most seasoned gardener or food preserver numerous challenges. Few homes have electricity, transportation is difficult, families have little money to buy seeds if they can find them and food safety is a big concern in communities with unsafe drinking water.

What the educators did find in some of the Nicaraguan communities they visited were enthusiastic learners, hard scrabble gardeners, and foodies— people who simply love food for consumption, study, preparation, and sharing. Porfidio Campos Muñoz from the village of Pio XII, for example, is a gardening enthusiast and an expert in composting. He manages to grow an amazing quantity and variety of food in his mother’s urban garden and on his own plot of land very close to the city dump. He is the Pied Piper for vegetable consumption in his community. He not only cultivates a wide variety of vegetables unfamiliar to the Nicaraguan palate, but he earnestly seeks out new ways to prepare the food he grows and gives away.

When the UW-Extensionists appeared in town ready for a food preparation workshop, Porfidio was waiting with cornucopia of foods unfamiliar to him and a whole lot more ready for the picking in his family garden. Kohlrabi, Swiss chard and kale are chock full of vitamins to supplement the Nicaraguan daily diet, but if people don’t know when to harvest the vegetables and how to prepare them so they are appetizing, they won’t be added to anyone’s diet. In the workshop, twenty five participants tried two vegetable salads with produce from Porfidio’s gardens, learned about the nutritional benefits of eating “a rainbow of vegetables,” discussed how to get children to eat vegetables, and taste-tested kohlrabi to determine ideal harvest size.

Porfidio took this culinary information and experimented on his extended family the next weekend. At his nephew’s graduation party he served fresh vegetable salads, kohlrabi and meat empanadas (very similar to fried pocket pies), and other unexpected dishes. People had never tried these vegetables before but he said they were sold on the new concepts and the food was, “really, really delicious.” In fact, he had to go back to his home garden to pick more produce because his family members wanted to take these new veggies home.

The next week, Julie Keown-Bomar led the group in a hands-on workshop focused on dehydrating different kinds of fruits, vegetables and herbs using an oven. Rob Burke led a discussion focused on the value chain, problems, gaps and barriers. Keown-Bomar said it was challenging to find appropriate technologies that would be available to the participants. She and the workshop participants worked over wood fires to blanch vegetables and she used a wood stove oven for the first time. She said it was “absolutely one of my most treasured experiences in a kitchen, learning and sharing with others.”

The two-way process of cultivating foods and minds at the same time is an experience these Wisconsin educators won’t forget for some time. Food, is indeed, a common ground and a universal experience.

Vanishing of the Bees Screening: Fundraiser for Haiti

2011-03-04T13:37:00.001-05:00

Partners of the Americas is screening the new documentary film Vanishing of the Bees on March 17 in Washington, DC, as a fundraiser for the beekeepers in Haiti. This is a captivating and educational new documentary about Colony Collapse Disorder. See below to view the trailer, or visit vanishingbees.com.

Although the film is not about the FTF Program, one of our beekeeping volunteers, Dennis van Engelsdorp, is interviewed in the film and we plan to show previously unreleased footage of him working with the bees in Haiti. We will also have copies of the film and Haitian honey and jam for sale. The screening is free; proceeds from the products will benefit the beekeepers who collaborate with our Farmer to Farmer Program in Haiti.

We hope you can attend! Please RSVP to bees@partners.net.

Vanishing of the Bees - Trailer from Bee The Change on Vimeo.

Nicaragua: Farmer to Farmer Volunteer Team Helps the Dairy Sector

2011-03-02T17:28:00.000-05:00

A team of Farmer to Farmer volunteers traveled to Nicaragua to provide assistance to the dairy industry. Each volunteer had a separate assignment but they were in constant collaboration and took a real team approach to the issues at hand. The volunteers worked with dairy producers, extension agents from dairy cooperatives, and university faculty.The volunteers were: Dr. Jerry Doll - Assignment in Weed Control;

Dr. Gerald Nolte - Assignment in Animal Nutrition; and Dr. Anthony Jilek - Assignment in Animal Reproduction and Health. Please see below photos and excerpts from their trip report.

Left to Right: Jerry Nolte, Daniel (FTF field officer), and Tony Jilek talk with a producer about his forages.

Visiting a pasture in the Camoapa area. The grass is Brachiaria, an improved grass but showing a lack of nitrogen.


Jerry Doll (right) speaks with Carlos Ruiz, an agronomy professor about the quality of the grass and the weed pressure.


Jerry Doll and Freddy Alemam, a key agronomist at UNA (an agricultural university) exchange ideas about weed management for forages in Nicaragua. Apparently, Freddy was impressed to meet Dr. Doll since he had been using his published works for years.


A new cacao garden! The hardwood trees provide the main shade and the bananas the secondary shade. The ground cover is forage peanut, a legume, grown to capture nitrogen to feed the cacao plants.

In Nicaragua, this is advanced technology. A lot of milk still gets brought to the collection and processing plants by horseback. Farm bulk tanks are still in the future here.

On a side note - big thanks to University of Wisconsin River Falls and Wisconsin-Nicaragua Partners for donating and shipping computers to UNA.

Photos from the Field: A Volunteer in Action!

2011-02-25T17:24:00.000-05:00

Farmer to Farmer volunteer, Ralph Bucca, shared some photos from his work in Guyana. The volunteer constructed solar dryers for the preservation and dehydration of fruit and vegetables.

Farmer to Farmer volunteer, Ralph Bucca with the newly constructed solar dryer in Mainstay.

Farmer to Farmer volunteer with 2 carpenters and FTF field officer, Ryan Nedd (on right).

A FTF volunteer hard at work!

And the solar dryer gets put to the test...

Call for Volunteers!

2011-02-17T18:13:00.000-05:00

Nutrition volunteer from Wisconsin in Nicaragua

We are recruiting for volunteers in various areas! See our list of open assignments by clicking on "Open FTF Volunteer Assignments" to the right under Related Links. We update the list periodically and we are always collecting resumes of interested individuals for our database for future assignments that come available.

Who are FTF volunteers? FTF Volunteers come from a wide variety of backgrounds. Many are involved in agriculture education through extension or university systems, whereas others are farmers, consultants, veterinarians, beekeepers, graphic or web designers, or business people. Some are retired and some are PhD students. All are interested in sharing their time and skills with communities abroad and getting to know a different part of the world. We look forward to hearing from you!

Meat Quality Assurance in Haiti

2011-02-14T17:32:00.000-05:00

For the past week, volunteer Robert Spencer has been in Haiti training and learning together with Makouti Agro Enterprise and the Haiti FTF Team. Robert is a farm owner and employee of the Alabama Cooperative Extension, and he has garnered the support of his colleagues at the USDA FSIS who have generously supported his trip by donating meat thermometers which will be distributed to restaurants and supermarkets to improve food safety.

This past week Robert has begun conducting a second level training in meat quality assurance, building on the knowledge base presented during his 2010 trip, as well as experimenting with changes in processing and packaging of meat products which have already improved the appearance and safety of the product. He is also having a great time trying his hand at rooftop beekeeping, drinking Haitian coffee, and eating delicious Haitian food. Thank you Robert for sending in these photos and we hope to have more updates on your trip as it progresses!

Volunteer Robert Spencer poses with Makouti AgroEnterprise workshop participants

Enjoying the delicious rice, beans, vegetables, and rabbit prepared by Makouti staff Jojo and Wilnese

Robert poses with a frame from the Makouti rooftop hive

A Day in the Life of a FTF-Guyana Volunteer

2011-02-11T17:12:00.001-05:00

FTF Volunteers discuss the pesticide-safety chart at Hauraruni

The Guyana Farmer to Farmer Program has three volunteers in country now, all of whom are returning to follow up after their first visits years ago. Below are some photos and an informal "day to day" commentary which sheds light on the activities and adventures of a FTF volunteer.

Volunteer Ralph Bucca is focusing on food preservation, through drying fruit in solar dryers and preserving fruit in locally-made wine. He snagged some time at a computer with an internet connection to write:

"Spent Sunday thru Tuesday getting orientated and preparing for building a solar food dryer (SFD) at the Guyana School of Agriculture. It’s hot here so I got a haircut and shave, and bought a Yucatan styled shirt. I priced out the materials for the sfd and met with the carpenter to explain it. Will build it next week when I return from the west coast. There are 2 other volunteers here, Toxicology experts, who created and built a flip chart listing all the chemicals the farmers use and their danger levels, scary stuff."

"Got up yesterday at 5am to head to the west coast. It involved crossing one river on a floating bridge to get to Parika on the Escibuque [Essequibo] River. Waited till 7am for the first speed boat to fill up with 16 passengers and stuff. We are given a life jacket and a thick yellow tarp to hold over us for the exciting 45 minute ride to Supernam, cruising thru mangrove jungle. Was picked up by Garvin, my coordinator in a cab. Went to the Mainstay resort, where I met with the Amerindian captain to explain the assignment, to return later."

"We then went to Charity, where the road ends on the Pomeroon River, a funky jungle port town. I was here 4 years ago and created a training DVD of the winemaking process. Met with the two groups I worked with before to check their progress, they need some wine making tweaking, and will build sfds when I return at the end of the week. Got driven back to Mainstay, which is at the end of a dirt sandy 7 mile trail. We took a refreshing swim in the lake. We are the only guests here now, getting special attention. Ate dinner and shot pool till 9pm. Rained during the night and into the morn. Gavin left, I’m it now. Will have first winemaking training session at 1pm. TBC."

Region 10 Farmers Association are trained on safe handling of chemicals

Fred Aleguas and Henry Spiller are conducting trainings on the safe use of chemicals and symptoms of their effects. On their first assignment years ago they conducted surveys to determine which chemicals farmers are using and what protective gear they employ, if any, and symptoms they may have experienced. Since then they have developed a durable, color-coded flip chart which summarizes the risks, recommended protection, and other information for each chemical.

Nicaragua: Farmer to Farmer volunteer assists with Packaging and Labeling

2011-02-10T18:07:00.000-05:00

Farmer to Farmer volunteer, Jeff Neville, provided technical assistance to dairy cooperatives in the areas of packaging and labeling. Some excerpts from his trip report provide useful information regarding designing good and effective labels.

"Designing a good label involves the combined work of the manager in charge of marketing and a professional designer. The manager in charge of marketing provides the basic direction of the design and the professional designer has the artistic talent and the capability of working with a computer design program to produce the finished design. The marketing manager’s role in label design is to make sure the final design satisfies the marketing goal of gaining the consumer’s attention, making a good impression on her and finally getting her to buy the product. A good label results from the efforts of both of these key people. The professional designer provides the artistic talent and ensures good aesthetics of the design and the marketing manager sees that the design will maximize the possibility of making a sale."

FTF volunteer, Jeff Neville, comparing label options with the Marketing Manager for Lacteos Nicarao.

The volunteer gave specific recommendations on the information needed for labels in an excellent, detailed report. The front label should have the following information: brand name, product name, catchy photo, weight and a phrase. The back label should have the following information: ingredient statement, nutritional information, UPC code, and company name, address and sanitary registration.

The simple green font on a white label does not attract the customer's attention. The previous label was a simple sticker that was not good enough to withstand refrigeration.


The new label is more colorful and the brand (Lacteos Nicarao) and the product (Queso Mozzarella) are more clear and the photo of the cheese makes it more enticing to the potential buyer.

A glimpse of how all the labels for different products now compliment each other.

In the news: FTF volunteers featured in New Mexico State University's News Center

2011-02-09T16:08:00.001-05:00

Farmer to Farmer volunteers, Nancy Flores, an Extension Food Safety Specialist and Del Jimenez, an Extension Agricultural Specialist, both with New Mexico State University were highlighted in the University's News Center. The volunteers gave trainings in Good Manufacturing Practices and Good Agricultural Practices to students and professors at Instituto Superior de Agricultura in Santiago, Dominican Republic.

To read more, please visit the article.

FTF volunteer, Nancy Flores working with students in a food technology class.

Beekeeping Update from Haiti

2011-02-07T16:48:00.000-05:00

This update on the beekeeping project in Haiti comes from our Farmer to Farmer Field Staff. They wished to share a few photos and information with previous FTF-Haiti volunteers and blog readers.

Inspection of modern hive

Our Haiti coordinator was quick to point out that in this photo above, you have several people working in the hive but none have any protective gear. Still, they are working with confidence in the hive. Fear of bees is an obstacle to many would-be beekeepers in Haiti, and some people who keep bees remain afraid of them. Farmer to Farmer volunteers provide training in improving hive management skills, resulting in better beekeepers and less aggressive behavior in bee colonies.

Top bar heavy with honey

Some Haitian beekeepers have begun to experiment with the Kenya Top Bar Hive, or Long Hive, over the past few years. This type of hive is cheaper and easier to construct locally compared to modern Langstroth-type hive. Several beekeepers now have a KTBH alongside their modern hives and, as the photo indicates, many have been successfully yielding honey. This photo also shows that while it was a good idea, the practice of using paint stirrers as top bars is not ideal because they bend under the weight of the honey and risk breaking.

Our Haiti Coordinator also happens to be a talented photographer, resulting in photos like this one above.

Nicaragua: Dairy Farming and Farmer to Farmer

2011-02-04T17:02:00.000-05:00

Partners of the Americas' Farmer to Farmer Program continues to bring best practices and technical expertise to the dairy industry in Nicaragua. In collaboration with FAVACA, highly skilled volunteers have been recruited and traveled to Nicaragua. To read more about the work of volunteers please see recent updates.

Video Clip Shows FTF Assistance in Haitian Coffee Industry

2011-02-01T15:11:00.000-05:00

Two Farmer to Farmer - Haiti Volunteers describe challenges and opportunities in the Haitian coffee industry in this news video clip from KGO-TV San Francisco, which aired on the one-year anniversary of the earthquake in Haiti. Myriam Kaplan-Pasternak and Yves Gourdet's efforts to help Haitian farmers improve and market their coffee abroad did not stop when their Farmer to Farmer assignments ended. Click below to view the video!

"Live" Update from the Brazilian Rainforest

2011-01-28T18:22:00.000-05:00

While he's not busy writing notes toward improving the strategic plan of the Iracambi Atlantic Rainforest Reasearch and Conservation Center, FTF Volunteer Dale Beckmann is enjoying the great outdoors in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Through the Flex program, Dale is assisting Iracambi's leadership in building and improving rainforest conservation efforts for the future. Here are a few photos from his visit so far.

FTF Volunteer Dale Beckmann

View of the rainforest canopy from below

FTF Volunteer Assistance Featured in St. Kitts-Nevis Observer

2011-01-26T19:18:00.001-05:00

The St.Kitts-Nevis Observer has published an article featuring Farmer to Farmer Volunteer Tom Syverud's take on the potential for organic production in this Caribbean nation. Tom has served previously as a FTF Volunteer with Partners of the Americas in Haiti and Nicaragua, and this was his first visit to St. Kitts. You can read more about his trip here. Thank you, Tom, for your continued volunteer efforts through Partners and the Farmer to Farmer Program.

Mr. Syverud training high school students in organic production

Farmer to Farmer featured in Nicaraguan Dairy Magazine!

2011-01-24T12:09:00.000-05:00

The Farmer to Farmer Program was featured in the December 2010 edition of El Ganadero, a magazine publication of the Nicaraguan National Livestock Association. The 2-page article (see below) discusses the contributions that Farmer to Farmer volunteers made to the Nicaraguan dairy value chain in 2010. The article highlights the components of the dairy value chain and the important recommendations volunteers have made to the different sectors. There was a strong emphasis on primary production with improved forages and pastures and on milk processing with food safety and Good Manufacturing Practices trainings and workshops. Towards the end of 2010, volunteers started addressing the marketing and sales levels of the value chain. Farmer to Farmer volunteers worked with dairy cooperatives to carry out market studies, create marketing strategies and revitalize their milk and cheese packages and labels. The Farmer to Farmer Program looks forward to more volunteers and more host collaboration in 2011 and a continued dedication to the dairy industry.


El Ganadero magazine features photos of the following volunteers: Carlos Gonzalez (left, top), Josh Peissig (left, bottom), Ken Albrecht (right, top) and Jeff Neville (right, bottom).

Greetings from Partners' FTF Staff

2011-01-20T16:29:00.001-05:00

This past week, all of Partners' Farmer to Farmer Program staff met in the Dominican Republic to share best practices in volunteer program management, monitoring and evaluation tools, and much more. It was a great opportunity for field staff to compare notes between countries, and to receive further M&E training from specialists from the University of Wisconsin Extension. We also shared our success stories and a lot of laughs. We wish to send our greetings and thanks to all of our colleagues, partners, and friends that we have made over the past TWENTY years of implementing the FTF Program (1991 - 2011).

From left to right, starting in the back: Anderson (Haiti), Gerard (Haiti), Juan (DR), Kelvin (Guyana), Arlen (FTF Volunteer and Wisconsin Chapter member), Ryan (Guyana), Ronald (Nicaragua), Benito (Haiti), Daniel (Nicaragua), Rafael (DR), Peggy (Wash. DC), Elisa (Nicaragua), Meghan (Wash. DC), Ellen (U of Wisconsin), Jessie (Wash. DC), and Kerry (U of Wisconsin)

Integrated Farming in Guyana

2011-01-06T18:39:00.000-05:00

A team of 3 volunteer specialists - Louis Landesman, Tamra Fakhoorian, and Vance Haugen - recently completed an assignment focusing on Integrated Farming Systems in Guyana, in collaboration with IPED- Guyana and FAVACA. Excerpts from Dr. Landesman's trip report, below, give and introduction to the ways that aquatic plant production, animal farming, and biogas activities can compliment one another in a productive partnership both for rural farmers in Guyana and farmers in the United States. You can also listen to this new radio interview on Sustainable Living, through blogtalkradio, to hear the volunteers present information on this topic. All three volunteers participate around minute 25.

Duckweed covering pond

The purpose of my visit was to assess operations of integrated farming systems (IFS) with a view to recommending improved techniques for growing duckweed in integrated farming systems producing food and energy. This effort was supported with the help of two other team members: algae and integrated agriculture specialist Tamara Fakhoorian and biogas specialist, Vance Haugen. Our group visited approximately 30 farms near Georgetown, Linden, East and West Berbice and Santa Rosa in the Maruca area of Guyana.

An integrated farm is a combination of several farming activities that take place on small farms and rural households. Most rural households in Guyana keep chickens, a popular source of protein in other Caribbean nations as well as Guyana. Many households also have ducks. Both forms of poultry are fed with rice bran and other cheap ingredients such as kitchen scraps and broken rice. Some households also raise pigs as well using rice bran, broken rice, copra and surplus fruits and vegetables. Finally a few households had small fish ponds stocked with tilapia.

Manure from these farm animals is collected, mixed with water and added to an enclosed 10 to 20ft long plastic bag in which anaerobic digestion takes place. This biodigester provides methane gas for cooking. The remaining effluent from this biodigester can be used to fertilize vegetable gardens and duckweed ponds.

A key component of the integrated farm model is the duckweed pond. Duckweed, a floating vascular plant of the Lemnaceae family, grows very quickly and provides an easily digested protein supplement for poultry, livestock and fish. Duckweed can replace up to one third of the feed requirements of poultry and this would mean a significant savings for the householder.

Please contact Meghan Olivier, molivier@partners.net, or Louis Landesman if you would like a complete copy of the report.

Happy New Year!

2010-12-30T17:51:00.001-05:00

The Farmer to Farmer team would like to recognize all the hard work of the volunteers, staff and host organizations as we look back on the year. In 2010 (calendar year) we had 89 Farmer to Farmer volunteers travel to the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Nicaragua, Guyana, Ecuador, Jamaica, Brazil, and Bolivia! As we move into 2011, we are excited for even more volunteer assignments and more project success and accomplishments.

Cheers to a very Happy New Year!

100 New Beehives: A Gift to the Beekeepers of Haiti

2010-12-27T09:52:00.002-05:00

We are happy to share that Partners of the Americas' Farmer to Farmer Team, with the invaluable support of our volunteers and partner organizations, has arranged the donation of 100 new beehives to be shipped to Haiti. The donation will benefit the beekeepers collaborating with our apiculture project as well as others in the industry. The hive boxes will be assembled in Haiti and have several uses such as demonstration hives and for training purposes at local agriculture universities.

Typical Haitian Apiary

The donation also includes the frames, nails, and foundation for the hives. These activities will be managed by Makouti Agro Enterprise, a dynamic local agribusiness, key partner, and beneficiary of Partners' Farmer to Farmer Program in Haiti. The Haiti FTF Program provides hive box and equipment construction training, however due to widespread deforestation, the type of wood necessary for a quality, durable hive is not locally available nor is the right type of nails and sufficient wax for foundation. Sending new hives, rather than used ones, limits the spread of pest and disease. These hives will serve as an example for beekeepers, students, carpenters, and agriculturalists in Haiti, and will help to maximize training as well as income from honey and hive products.

We are pleased that the order has gone through just in time for this season of giving. The sea container is due to arrive in Haiti in the coming months after being processed and clearing customs. The donation is a culmination of the time, energy, and donations of several groups and individuals over the past months who have responded with generosity to this specific request from Haiti. Special recognition goes to the following:

Virginia Webb giving a workshop in Haiti, 2006

Beekeeper and FTF Volunteer Virginia Webb, of Mtn Honey in Georgia, who has provided a great deal of advice and funding. Her beekeeping association, NE Georgia Beekeeping Association, also contributed to this cause.

Leo Blumle, partner to the Program and resourceful coordinator for such projects in Haiti, for offering storage, logistical support, and space in his sea container free of charge.

Dadant and Sons, Inc. beekeeping equipment supplier, notably Mark Bennett in the Virginia office, who have generously provided free shipping within the US as well as a discounted rate on the foundation. We are grateful for the support of Dadant, for their contribution to the improvement of the beekeeping industry in Haiti.

We continue to raise remaining funds for this project. If you or your organization is interested in making a donation, please visit our donations page or contact us. (please note "Haiti Beekeeping" on the check or form) We will be providing shipment updates on this blog in the future.

Happy Holidays from the Farmer to Farmer Team!

2010-12-23T13:06:00.000-05:00

Dominican Republic: Good Agricultural Practices

2010-12-21T12:08:00.003-05:00

Partners of the Americas' Farmer to Farmer volunteer, Dr. Obadiah Mugambi Njue, provided trainings and technical assistance in the areas of Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) and vegetable production in protected greenhouse environments.

Information from Dr. Njue's Farmer to Farmer trip report:

"Greenhouses can be a means to economically maintain optimum growing conditions at times of the year when production in the field is not conducive and when market prices for the vegetable crops are highest. Production practices need to carefully address the Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs). Food contamination can occur at any level of food handling, from production through transporting the product to the consumer. A GAPs program is a first step to ensure food safety. Production practices (both in greenhouses and in open fields) should emphasize on prevention of microbial contamination of farm produce during production and through post-harvest handling. Greenhouses visited in the Dominican Republic were designed to incorporate a GAPs program with a footbath and hand wash station installed at the entrance of each greenhouse. However, women producers and technicians had not received a formal training on GAPs and this was evidenced by some of the practices observed.

Production of vegetables under protected (controlled) environments offer many advantages compared to those planted in the open fields. However, the advantages can only be realized if the controlled environmental factors (example, temperature, water, nutrients and soil borne diseases and other pests) are properly managed. Lack of proper management can result in many challenges, including poor quality products, low yields and sometimes loss of crop.

Several greenhouses were visited in Padre de las Casas, Jarabacoa, Constanza, San Jose de Ocoa and Santiago. Workshops (training sessions) on GAPs and Management of Crops in Protected Environments were conducted for women producers and technicians. The training sessions followed greenhouse visits. Analysis results (suggestions and recommendations) were discussed with participants during the training sessions."

Dr. Njue conducting a training for the USAID/RED beneficiaries in Jarabacoa.

Dr. Njue observing reduced fruit set due to flower abortion in one of the greenhouses.

Cilantro and peppers growing in the same greenhouse - Dr. Njue identified this as a an unsustainable practice.

The woman's group in Las la Gunas - Arriba diversified their greenhouse production by growing Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum) along with peppers. Diversification is a recommended practice for small scale fruit and vegetable production both in greenhouses and open field. However, the volunteer noted that GAPs need to be incorporated into the planning of crop combination and rotation. Growing the two crops together was not recommended by the volunteer for future practices. Chemicals sprayed on the pepper crop can easily get on Cilantro and Cilantro is sometimes used in salads and this practice does not meet GAP standards. The volunteer advised the growing of Cilantro after the peppers completed their production cycle and only if the rotation was profitable. Another practice that had GAPs concern was failure to have a recorded chemical spray schedule and types of chemicals used in the greenhouse. Dr.Njue presented these recommendations during the trainings and in his trip report and the woman's group was pleased to receive this assistance.

St. Kitts Gears Up for Farmer to Farmer Volunteer

2010-12-20T15:20:00.000-05:00

In collaboration with Partners of the Americas' A Ganar Program on the islands of St. Kitts and Nevis, the Farmer to Farmer Program is sending veteran FTF Volunteer Tom Syverud, a specialist in organic production and outreach, to provide training to the farm managers and youth members of the Community Achievers Project (CAP) in St. Kitts. Through the "flexible assignments" in the FTF Program, it is possible for volunteers to assist local agriculture and environment organizations in many countries throughout the world. Check out the press release published on SKNList.com to read more about the upcoming visit!

Nicaragua: Rural Community Tourism

2010-12-16T12:20:00.000-05:00

Waterfall in San Jose de los Remates

Farmer to Farmer volunteer, Alan Robinson recently traveled to Nicaragua to assess the feasibility and do the preliminary planning for rural community tourism in the municipality of San Jose de los Remates. This was the first community tourism assignment, as the Farmer to Farmer Program in Nicaragua has been working primarily on improving the dairy value chain. Rural Tourism (sometimes described as agritourism, rural community tourism, community-based ecotourism and adventure tourism) on a small scale is already quite common in Nicaragua, however not in San Jose de los Remates. The volunteer worked with the San Jose de los Remates Mayor's office and Tourism Association to help them put together tourism strategies and to make it clear that whatever programs they develop they will be in competition with other rural tourism in Nicaragua and to some extent in neighboring countries like Honduras and Costa Rica. It was discussed that to be competitive, the products and services they offer must be carefully developed to attract the kind of tourists they want, and must be marketed in ways that will reach that group of potential tourists and convince them to come to San Jose de los Remates. The volunteer found that the highest potential for tourism lies in the coffee and dairy farms, La Chorrea waterfall, and Cerro Cumaica / Cerro Allegre Natural Reserve. Tourist related businesses would bring in supplement incomes and diversify the local economy away from just purely dairy and coffee farming.

FTF volunteer, Alan Robinson, getting some tourism tips from a little helper.

The FTF volunteer maps out possible walking and hiking trails.

Mrs. Robinson sharing some gallo pinto during the homestay. Mrs. Robinson was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Nicaragua 30 years ago so she accompanied her husband during his assignment.

FTF Volunteers in the News

2010-12-15T11:42:00.001-05:00

Two of Partners' Farmer to Farmer Volunteers have been in the news recently:

USAID's official blog, IMPACT, has published a blog post written by FTF volunteer Myriam Kaplan-Pasternak. Originally posted to the Devils Gulch Educational Services blog, in this article Myriam comments on her trip to Washington, DC, where she was presented with her Presidential Volunteer Service Award, as well as her experience with and recommendations for the Farmer to Farmer Program. The Marin Independent Journal also recently published a news article on her efforts in Haiti through the FTF Program.

Tamra Fakhoorian conducted a radio interview on algae as a biofuel source and the merits of integrated farming (biogas, duckweed, and aquaculture) after having completed a team assignment to Guyana in November. Ms. Fakhoorian traveled as an algae industry specialist, along with duckweed specialist Louis Landesman and biogas specialist Vance Haugen. The trip was a collaborative effort between Partners of the Americas, FAVACA, and IPED, and the volunteers traveled to various regions of Guyana to consult with farmers engaged in integrated farming systems. Click here to listen to the interview, What's New in the World of Alternative Fuels, through blogtalkradio.com.