Growing Knowledge & Building Partnerships

Producers ready for training Bill Nichols, a Boston-based marketing strategy consultant traveled to Haiti as a Farmer to Farmer volunteer in March 2013. For two weeks he trained more than 40 Haitian farmers and producers in basic business topics focusing on marketing, sales, and negotiating skills. After determining the business training needs of Makouti members, Bill was able to design and deliver tools and training, such as conducting customer needs assessments. He also drafted a business plan in conjunction with Makouti and three leading poultry producers. Bill found the assignment "highly satisfying", explaining that "the Makouti team is strong and was very supportive of my work. [...] I was impressed at the loyalty Makouti members gave to the organization. Clearly they appreciate the development the organization has provided them."

Dr. Scott Haskell, Director of the Veterinary Technology Program at Yuba College in Marysville, California, recently traveled to Guyana, South America, where he provided training in topics related to herd health management and biosecurity.  Dr. Haskell was tasked with leading continuing education sessions for members of the Guyana Veterinary Association (GVA), the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA), the Guyana School of Agriculture (GSA), and the Public Health Section of the Ministry of Health, focusing on the following subjects, among others: • Cattle and Ruminant Production & Clinical Examination • Proper Use of Antibiotics in Veterinary Medicine • Livestock Disease Control & Reporting • Epidemiologic Surveillance and Disease Outbreak Investigation • Global Climate Change & its Potential Impact on Disease Transmission • Career & Training Opportunities Within the Veterinary Profession Dr. Scott Haskell heads up Guyana's Berbice River In addi...

Farmer-to-Farmer recently sent two volunteers to work with horticulture project hosts in Nicaragua with the goal of improving the standard of living of vegetable producers. Historically, the production of vegetables is limited by low levels of agricultural technology, inadequate use of natural resources, low production value, and low budget in the production sector, as well as issues associated with agricultural methods and techniques, pest control, sickness, and poor post-management of crops. By helping producers make efficient use of the natural resources on their farms and providing specialized technical assistance, Farmer-to-Farmer aims to ensure food security and protect the health of producers and their families. For two weeks in May, professor of community development Arlen Albrecht worked with producers, offering assistance in the areas of organic vegetable production, disease and insect control, square foot gardens, drip irrigation, jet stove making, and water harvesting...

Prompted by a lack of economic opportunities for women, Asociación María Trinidad Sánchez was founded more than thirty years ago in San José de Ocoa, Dominican Republic. As one of the first of its kind in the province, the association provides women with a chance to improve their lives through pepper production. The female greenhouse producers receive support from Asociación para el Desarrollo de San José de Ocoa (ADESJO), a local organization of agricultural technicians who regularly visit and consult the women as they face challenges with the greenhouse. Farmer to Farmer volunteers have worked with both the women of Asociación María Trinidad Sánchez and the technicians of ADESJO, assisting with record keeping, organic pesticide production, and providing training in greenhouse safety and hygiene. Greenhouse production has helped the women of the association become more financially independent, allowing them to contribute to their household income and invest in their families. Th...

Farmer-to-Farmer volunteer Patrick Goggin worked with a team of Nicaraguan partners to implement a long-term water quality monitoring and conservation program for Lake Nicaragua. Goggin primarily worked with the partner organization, Fundación para el desarrollo, or FUPADE, which seeks to promote development for the people of Nicaragua through various means and with several focuses, from social inclusion to poverty reduction to sustainable economic development. Through the exchange of information and experience in the management of water resources and lakes, the sharing of ideas and effective models, field visits to potential pilot water quality monitoring stations, and by identifying the future Lake Nicaragua observatory, educational, and environmental monitoring center, Goggin's April 2013 trip created substantial progress. Goggin (far left) and members of his team meet with local official Mr. Mykel Morales Ruiz, in the town of Carden...