Growing Knowledge & Building Partnerships

Robert Spencer, Alabama Cooperative Extension staff and Farmer to Farmer volunteer currently in Haiti, sent us some comments for the blog! Below are some excerpts with some highlights from his trip so far: During my past discussions with other Farmer to Farmer (FTF) colleagues, and based upon my visits to many rabbit and small animal farms, I have come of the opinion that my role as an educator is currently best served by helping the target audiences better understand the essentials and benefits of proper animal care as it relates to productivity.  Producer in Sibert shows her production practices February 18: I arrived in Port Aux Prince, Haiti late Sat. afternoon, embraced by warm temperatures which were a welcome relief after leaving temps of 50 degrees back in North Alabama. ... all five of us [FTF volunteers and field staff] then headed to an exploratory meeting with the Haiti Chapter of Partners of the Americas. This initial meeting involved finding out what project...

Youth at PIO XII helping to construct solar food dryer Farmer to Farmer volunteer, Ralph Bucca,  recently returned from Nicaragua where he worked with four different horticultural host organizations which included Pio XII and El Portio. These local organizations have previously hosted other  Farmer to Farmer  volunteers that provided their technical assistance in the areas of organic food practices and pest management. Mr. Bucca's assignment used the healthy crops being produced to create low cost solar food dryers and workshops on food safety. The host organizations were enthusiastic about building the dryers and were quite anxious to use them. Following is an excerpt of Mr. Bucca's day to day accounts of his assigment in Nicaragua: Sunday, January 22, 2012 Left DCA bound for Houston, 2pm on a drizzly day. Arrived in Managua at 9:30 PM. It’s good to be back in Central America on a warm January night. Elisa and ...

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 Col...

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 turn...

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 volunt...

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...