Growing Knowledge & Building Partnerships

F2F volunteers Robert and Sydne Spencer in Chocolá, Guatemala Robert and Sydne Spencer from Tennessee recently traveled to Guatemala from January 24 to February 7 to complete two Farmer-to-Farmer (F2F) assignments on food safety and security in rabbit meat production and nutritional opportunities within rabbit meat processing.  Robert's background in small animal production and extensive experience in goat, sheep, and rabbit meat production originally sparked his participation in the Guatemala F2F program in April 2015. As follow-up, his second assignment was to address good handling practices for rabbit meat production. When Robert identified that host organization Seeds for the Future was also in need of a specialist to address food safety and HACCP within rabbit meat processing and preparation, he was quick to recommend his wife, Sydne. Sydne has experience in quality assurance and in meat rabbit and d...

Cooking demonstrations are an important component of the Haiti Nutrition Security Program . According to evidence from parents participating in the program, the opportunity to contribute and participate actively in the preparation of nutrient-dense meals increases their capacity to more effectively combat malnutrition at home. Below are two recipes used in NSP cooking demonstrations in Haiti. Because it is the International Year of the Pulses , we are highlighting recipes containing beans.  Pulses provide protein, complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals.  Like other plant-based foods, pulses contain no cholesterol and little fat or sodium. They also have a long shelf life and can be stored without losing their nutritional content.  Bouyon Pwa Kase - Pulse Stew   Bouyon Pwa Kase or bean stew is a traditional Haitian dish with many variations. The addition of vitamin- and nutrient-rich carrots, malanga, greens, and moringa powder to this recipe ...

According to F2F volunteer Judson Reid, greenhouse production of fruits and vegetables helps protect the Yaque del Norte river basin in the Dominican Republic in several ways: Higher yields in controlled environments reduce crop pressure on steep slopes, thereby reducing erosion and maintaining surface water quality. Proper management in controlled environments decreases pesticide use. Diversification into fruit and vegetable crops provide an alternative for coffee growers who currently face unprecedented disease pressure from coffee rust ( Hemileia vastatrix ) Higher quality products from controlled environments, such as greenhouses, are also suitable for export markets. As a result, farmers are able to generate more income, increase their standard of living, and create employment opportunities in their community. Despite these benefits, greenhouse production in the Jarabacoa region faces numerous critical challenges and an uncertain future. Pests, poor market conditions, ...

Partners Farmer-to-Farmer (F2F) volunteers have been out working all over Latin America and the Caribbean, helping to improve agricultural production, processing, marketing, and environmental management. Below are some recent photos from the field...  In Nicaragua, F2F volunteer Janet Hernandez holds organizational development workshops with smallholder farmers and UNAG members in Nueva Guinea.  Dr. Myriam Kaplan-Pasternak spent several weeks working with farmers to help improve goat and rabbit management in Haiti.  F2F volunteer Ariga Grigoryan conducts a training on the importance of problem solving, working together, and general organizational development to greenhouse producers. Greenhouse producers who are members of the Jarabacoa Greenhouse Cluster generally tend to work individually rather than resolve problems collectively. The Cluster reached out to Farmer-to-Farmer for assistance in helping individuals learn how to work more efficiently and effecti...

F2F Volunteer Diane Twete leading a peanut butter-making demonstration in Guatemala Agricultural value-added products are typically defined as a crop or raw product whose value has been increased by changing its physical state through activities including  washing, processing, packaging, etc. Common examples of value-added products include jams, cheeses, canned produce, roasted coffee, soaps, chocolate, breads, cured meats—you name it. Many F2F hosts - often small farmers - want to shift towards selling value-added agricultural products because they know that such products can typically be sold at much higher prices than their raw materials. The desire stems from a seemingly straightforward logical thought process— higher price means higher profit. However, higher sale price does not always mean higher profit. There are a multitude of factors that determine whether that logic holds true and those factors differ for every particular case.  ...

Partners has some exciting volunteer opportunities! If you are interested in volunteering with the Farmer-to-Farmer program, please send your resume and all program inquiries to Orli Handmaker at ohandmaker@partners.net   or call (202) 524-6295. GUATEMALA Greenhouse Production Expert (Ornamental Plants, Flowers, and Foliage) (Guatemala, March-May 2016: 2-3 weeks) F2F is seeking a professional with experience in greenhouse production and management, new greenhouse production techniques for ornamental plants, and foliage and flower farms. Experience with tropical and subtropical crops is desired. It is important that the selected volunteer is aware of innovative methods in greenhouse management and production for small and large producers of ornamental plants, foliage and flowers. The goal of this assignment is to teach ornamental plant producers about new greenhouse production and management methods. The methods currently used are out of date and do not take into consideration t...

Thomas "Rip" Winkel recently returned from a F2F assignment near Puyo, Ecuador working with smallholder cacao farmers in the Amazon Basin. Below he shares his experience: Once again I was privileged to work with Partners of the Americas on a Farmer-to-Farmer assignment funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). This time the volunteer assignment I completed was in Ecuador, South America – an old stomping ground of mine when I served in the Peace Corps. A unique aspect of this assignment, however, is that it lasted for six weeks compared to the standard two- to four-week assignment in order to have more follow-up on trainings and maximize impact. The main goal of this assignment was to train Arajuno Road Project (ARP) – a local NGO – extension agents and leaders from several communities in sustainable agricultural practices and cacao best management practices. This included facilitating workshops/training sessions on sustainable cacao production (prun...