Improving Soil Health in Northern Dominican Republic

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Soil conservation practices are essential for farmers. They reduce soil erosion and preserve water quality, helping farmers yield more crops. However, farmers may not have the resources for these practices. That is where the Famer-to-Farmer (F2F) program comes in. F2F Volunteer Jorge Lugo Camacho supported farmers in the Yaque del Norte region of the Dominican Republic to improve their soil health.

As a Soil Conservation Specialist, Lugo Camacho provided soil health evaluations to farms under Caritas Dominicanas, a non-governmental organization that F2F has partnered with. He traveled to the communities of Ceiba de Boné, La Vega and Sonador de Yaroa to demonstrate basic soil health practices and give recommendations to red bean, banana, plantain, and peanut farmers.




Lugo Camacho taught farmers the four basic soil health principles:
  1. Minimum tillage or no-tillage
  2. Crop residue cover all year long
  3. Crop diversity and crop rotation
  4. Use of cover crops. 

He presented these principles at a conference for the farmers.

For Lugo Camacho, this assignment was very rewarding because he could see that the farmers took to heart his advice and recommendations to better their farms. It proved to him that F2F is making a difference in the Dominican Republic, and around the world.



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