Growing Knowledge & Building Partnerships

Partners' Farmer-to-Farmer program is currently recruiting volunteers for several dairy and livestock related assignments in Nicaragua, as well as marketing and tropical fruit specialists in Guatemala. Take a look at the list of volunteer opportunities below! Nicaragua Cattle feed specialist (April - May 2015: 2 - 3 weeks) A volunteer with specific knowledge in forage is needed to support a local cooperative in analyzing their current feed and developing a new low-cost feed mixture that meets the nutritional needs of different categories of livestock. Guidelines and instructions on how to create high-quality feed are required deliverables. Meat science expert (April - May 2015: 2 - 3 weeks) An expert is needed to conduct an analysis of cattle carcasses at 4 slaughterhouses to measure beef quality. The volunteer will analyze fat content, pH levels, color, texture, and morphometry, among other things. A few deliverables include presenting the findings to local beef stakehold

Today marks the 22nd annual World Water Day - a day to celebrate one of life's most basic elements: water. Every year on this day, the UN World Water Development Report is launched and starts conversations about how best to manage our world’s most abundant natural resource, especially for those members of the global population who suffer the most from water scarcity and related issues. This year’s theme is ‘Water and Sustainable Development’. According to UN Water , “the current growth rates of agricultural demands on the world’s freshwater resources are unsustainable. Inefficient use of water for crop production depletes aquifers, reduces river flows, degrades wildlife habitats, and has caused salinization of 20% of the global irrigated land area. To increase efficiency in the use of water, agriculture can reduce water losses and, most importantly, increase crop productivity with respect to water.” Water is essential for agriculture of any kind and always in demand. Without

Oyster mushrooms, so called that for their odd resemblance in sight, taste, and smell to the seafood, and other specialty mushrooms have been increasingly in demand.  In Central Guatemala, Asociación Visión Maya, or the Maya Vision Association has been successfully producing these mushrooms for ten years, but asked Farmer-to-Farmer to help them develop their skills and create recommendations for better practices.  Participants testing, preparing, and inoculating spawn Starting on February 3 rd , F2F volunteers Dr. Khalid Hameed, Professor of Plant Pathology at Duke University and Dr. Henry Van Cotter, a visiting professor in the Mycology Lab at Duke, began a series of training sessions designed to increase the productivity of Maya Vision’s farmers.  Without the proper supplies, Guatemala’s mushroom farmers have been industrious and inventive in their efforts- for example, without petri dishes readily available, they use old baby food jars instead.  Maya Vision Association

A woman packaging bananas for export Since June 2014, we have had 21 Farmer-to-Farmer volunteers travel to the Dominican Republic under the new strategy to "increase the resilience of vulnerable populations to the unpredictable impacts of global climate change". This strategy is the first of its kind in the worldwide Farmer-to-Farmer program, as its primary focus is on climate change rather than a specific agricultural value chain. As a result, it has been a great opportunity to engage new volunteers who bring diverse expertise outside of agriculture. Over the past year, our volunteers' work has focused on agroforestry, irrigation technology, water and soil quality and conservation, plastic and solid waste management, environmental education, and disaster risk mitigation. Below are some highlights of their work. Soil Conservation Hillside in Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic "The area around Jarabacoa   has suffered from extensive deforestation on very

This past Sunday, March 8th, was International Women’s Day . For over 100 years, this day has and continues to represent an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of women, marked by thousands of events thrown by organizations, governments, charities, educational institutions, women's groups, corporations and the media to acknowledge the political, economic, and social achievements of women. The theme this year was Make It Happen, encouraging effective action for advancing and recognizing women. All over the world, women are making it happen as teachers, leaders, businesswomen, artists, and activists, as well as one more very important role. In Haiti, mothers Make It Happen. In the North of Haiti, more than 460 Mother Leaders are preparing to graduate from Partners of the Americas Nutrition Security Program (NSP), which is focused on improving maternal and child health through educating women about proper nutrition and empowering them to go into their communities and pass

Partners’ Farmer-to-Farmer (F2F) program focuses on expanding opportunities and providing technical assistance to groups who historically have had little access to such resources. These groups include indigenous groups, small-scale farmers, and women. Our F2F volunteers help promote gender equality by encouraging women to participate in workshops and trainings. Female F2F volunteers also play a key role in reinforcing the value and knowledge that women provide in agricultural production and income-generation. Approximately 30% of our F2F volunteers and 50% of our beneficiaries are women. F2F Program Officer, Courtney Dunham, with cooperative members of Cuatro Pinos, the first all-women's cooperative in Guatemala In preparation for International Women's Day on Sunday, March 8, 2015, please enjoy a few of our blog stories on  Women in Agriculture: http://farmertofarmer.blogspot.com/2014/04/women-and-agriculture.html http://farmertofarmer.blogspot.com/2014/07/thr