Growing Knowledge & Building Partnerships

Ralph Bucca, an Agro-Processing Specialist with several volunteer assignments with the Farmer to Farmer Program in the past, was in Nicaragua this January doing what he does best: assisting and training small producers in low-technology and hands-on solutions that inexpensively improve food processing and, consequently, farmers’ livelihoods. For approximately two weeks, Mr. Bucca worked with Nicaraguan host organizations and conducted technical workshops on the construction, use and management of solar food dryers, for the purpose of food preservation and value added products. The tasks were fulfilling not only for Mr. Bucca but also for those local producers, many of them women, who were assisted. As he remarked while he was helping building these solar ovens to a group of eight women in Esteli, Nicaragua: “[these] women might not have ever used a saw, hammer, measuring tape, staple gun or screw driver… but they all seem to have a good time and are proud when it is done .“ ...

Combine an organization with an innovative new technology perfect for Haiti's situation, with a dynamic Haitian agribusiness, and mix in the support of the Farmer to Farmer Program. The result? A great partnership spreading micro-enterprise and soil improvement opportunities throughout numerous communities in Haiti. For Haiti, biochar production means not only improved soils and greater plant yields, but also reduced deforestation due to creating cooking charcoal with "green" charcoal (produced with biochar) rather than from trees. Carbon Roots International is championing this technology in Haiti. With the help of Makouti Agro Enterprise, they have refined the process and introduced the technology to an ever-increasing number of communities in Makouti's and Farmer to Farmer 's network. Check out some of CRI's photos from their recent Farmer to Farmer trip: Anderson (right), F2F Field Officer, discussing deforestation and biochar with community membe...

The completed drying house For nearly 3 weeks this past November, Matthias Reisen of Healing Spirits Herb Farm & Education Center in Avoca, NY, worked alongside staff and interns at Amazon World Ecological Park ( Parque Ecologico Mundo Amazonico)   in the municipality of Leticia, Colombia. Rafael Clavijo, owner of the 29-hectare park that is home to over 300 native plant species, requested training from Mr. Reisen in herb and fruit dehydration techniques for producing teas, as well as advice on tea packaging. Mr. Clavijo's goal is to produce dried teas and other herbal products from fruits and aromatic plants grown within the park grounds, and to sell them to park visitors who have expressed interest. After discussing various options for drying in such a humid, rainy environment and confirming an appropriate placement for a drying structure, the team sourced and purchased the necessary construction materials and got to work assembling the structure. The result: a 2-si...

Corinne observes shadehouse-grown lettuce in Guyana Last month Corinne Kolm, Oregon volunteer from the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI), traveled to Guyana to follow up on the work of her colleague who developed a natural pesticide to be used for shadehouse production. The request for technical assistance was generated from the producers' and technicians' concerns over the safety and cost of using synthetic insecticides. Derived mainly from neem, garlic, and hot peppers, the pesticide has been used by shadehouse vegetable producers since its formulation and testing in September 2012. It has proven to have a shelf-life of around 3 months and has been effective upon direct contact with pests. Corinne's assignment focused on improving the efficacy of the pesticide, establishing standard dilution rates and frequency of application, extraction methods, and ease of spray. As an organic inspector and gardener, Corinne has a great deal of experience with organic inse...

Jenifer Perry, an Instructor from Paul Smith's College, has recently participated as a Farmer to Farmer (F2F) volunteer building strong bonds with different sustainable development stakeholders in Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic (DR). As part of her activities, she was able to give technical assistance to young Dominican women to improve their community garden plots in an eco-club project hosted by a Peace Corp volunteer in Jarabacoa. Jen Perry working with local Eco-Club on community garden Jeniffer's initial assigned activities were to instruct students at the Natural Resource Management School (NRMS) in Jarabacoa on renewable energy and to assist them in their production classes. She was able to accomplish this exceptionally, while also helping these students with their English classes. Additionally, soon after she was introduced to a Peace Corps volunteer working at the village level with young women eco-club members, she recognized the potential that encouraging t...

Wisconsin Nicaragua Partners' ( WNP) chapter invited Farmer to Farmer (F2F) Country Director, Ronald Blandon, to  attend their annual meeting at Stevens Point, Wisconsin this past December.  Dr. Blandon discussed the progress made by the Farmer to Farmer horticulture and dairy beneficiaries in Nicaragua.  Much of the program's success has been due to the technical expertise provided by the large number of  volunteers from Wisconsin.    At WNP chapter meeting Wisconsin/Nicaragua Partners of the Americas, Inc. is a not-for-profit, non-political organization working to enhance the quality of life in both Wisconsin and Nicaragua through people-to-people programs promoting cultural awareness and sustainable community development. It is one of the most active partnerships in the network of Partners of the Americas.  Many of the chapter members have volunteered and have recruited within their networks for experts ...

Update from F2F volunteers in the field in Colombia… Femke and Matt discuss the benefits of small-scale vegetable gardening to a group of small inn owners We only have one week left here on San Andres Island and are humming along with our assignment. One highlight has been meeting the staff and consultants working for our host organization the Providence Foundation. This nonprofit organization is dedicated to addressing social and environmental concerns on the archipelago of San Andres, Providence and Santa Catalina islands. The Providence Foundation was the group that initially encouraged and supported the posadas nativas (native inns) to form an association, which is now called the Caribbean Paradise Lodging Association (CPLA). The members of CPLA have been our target audience. Matt measures the footprint of an inn to determine the roof catchment size Providence Foundation executive director June Marie Mow and ecologist Laura Valderrama helped advise us as we prep...

Below are some excerpts from the Devils Gulch Ranch blog , where Myriam Kaplan Pasternak - veterinarian and development practitioner volunteering in Haiti this month - shares her reflections of progress in Haiti, and challenges and successes in the rabbit project. Dr. Kaplan-Pasternak has been volunteering in Haiti with Partners of the Americas' Farmer to Farmer Program for six years. F2F Field Officer Gerard Michel Joseph ("Papy") gives thumbs up ...So how is Haiti after 6 years of observation? A place of extremes, confined to an island divided, spilling over to a global reality, hanging on to tradition while flooded by international generosity. A micro reflection of a global future attempting to redirect history so as to not repeat itself. If any country can change fate it is Haiti. Is that what draws global giving or is it the rain of coins traveling the rivers of NGO cash flow? Cash flow, cash flow, that is the key to what the Haitians want. They want jobs m...

Matt and Femke with Raizal farmer, Miss Theresa, on Providence Island. Update from the field - F2F Volunteers in Colombia! Hello again from Femke and Matt on San Andres Island, Colombia. We are almost one third of the way through our trip and can barely believe how many wonderful characters we have met, and the amount of information we have gathered, over the past week on Old Providence Island and here on San Andres. While on Providence, we visited half a dozen organic farms that are run by native islanders and also met with representatives from the National Parks office and the local farming and fishing cooperative. Our goal was to gather as much information as possible about crops and farming practices that have been successful in this Caribbean island environment. Though the soil here on San Andres is different than on Providence (here it is mostly rocky or red clay while Providence is mostly volcanic), the native culture and farming/food traditions are quite similar. ...

Update from F2F Volunteers in Colombia!  Note: "We wrote this post about a week ago, but have not had internet access until today. We will be sharing more updates and photos soon!" View from plane ride to Old Providence Greetings from Old Providence Island, Colombia. We finally arrived yesterday morning after four flights and nearly 24 hours of travel time. The most eventful plane ride was certainly the final flight from San Andres Island to Old Providence (or Providencia). We didn’t anticipate that the airport would close down during our middle-of-the-night layover on San Andres Island, and, after a few fitful hours of sleep on the pavement outside the front gate, the security guards finally opened the airport at 6am. We were the first two people to check in for our 25-minute flight on a small prop plane over the textured turquoise waters of the southwest Caribbean Sea. We quickly realized the long journey was well worth it when we arrived to this vibrant jewel of a...