Growing Knowledge & Building Partnerships

Partners of the Americas' Agriculture and Food Security team wishes you Happy Holidays! 2017 has been a busy year, with lots of stories from our  USAID-funded Farmer-to-Farmer (F2F) Program and other activities. In January volunteers  helped improve Dominican coffee , in February they  empowered youth in Paraguay through 4-H , March assignments  evaluated onion growing practices in Guatemala , volunteers in April  helped prevent deforestation in Ecuador , in May a team of volunteers trained farmers on rotational grazing and crop management in Nicaragua , in June F2F highlighted the achievements of a long-time Haiti volunteer , in July a F2F host from Colombia started selling their products in Whole Foods , in August volunteers helped improve goat milk production and processing in Guatemala , in September F2F put the spotlight on two Nicaragua hosts - Fabretto and FADCANIC , an October volunteer helped analyze the meat processing industry in the DR , sweet potato and dragon fru

By Julie Heifetz, F2F Nicaragua Volunteer August 13-27, 2017 I had the opportunity to work with the Farmer to Farmer program (F2F) in Nicaragua in August 2017. The purpose of the F2F assignment titled: Women and Youth in Agriculture Specialist in Market Research (Artisanal Coconut Oil) was to conduct a preliminary market study to explore the potential of coconut oil in the Nicaraguan marketplace. The assignment objectives included: a look at consumer trends and preferences, nutritional/health aspects of the oil, domestic and international competition and market feasibility. This technical assistance opportunity involved meeting in Managua with The Foundation for the Autonomy and Development of the Atlantic Coast (FADCANIC) to provide input and recommendations regarding the marketing of their agricultural products from Wawashang in the Atlantic Coastal region. FADCANIC is a civil society, non-governmental organization working as a major implementer of development and infrastructur

On this International Volunteer Day, Partners' F2F program would like to highlight a previous team assignment in Guatemala. We would also like to express our sincerest gratitude and appreciation for all of our F2F volunteers, past and present, who have exemplified the true meaning of volunteerism. Dr. Lindsey du Toit assessing onion crops at a field Earlier this year, Lindsey du Toit, Professor of Plant Pathology at the Washington State University, and Bill Buhrig, Extension Educator at the Oregon State University, traveled to the Sacapulas region of Quiche in Guatemala to provide training and assistance to the Association Sacapulteca (ASPROCE), a collective of onion growers in the region. Combining their respective expertise in plant pathology, and crop fertility and post-harvest management, Lindsey and Bill were able to develop a comprehensive analysis of current onion production practices and recommend ways in which the producers could improve the quality and quantity of