Presented bySequoia Ireland

Farmer-to-FarmerFebruary 13, 2019

• Over 65 years of international and co-op development in 89 countries

• $230 million portfolio of international programs in 21 countries, presently

International Development Program

In 2017/2018…

• 31 Projects in 21 Countries

• 3 million lives impacted

• Over 400,000 farmers, including 150,000 women

• Over 95,000 households

Our Practice Areas Define Our Expertise

• Nutrition Led Agriculture

• Climate Smart Agriculture

• Natural Resource Management

• Social Behavior Change Communication

• WASH

• Value Chain Development

• Agribusiness and Enterprise Development

• Marketing

• Financial Services

• Agriculture Production Technologies

• Youth Entrepreneurship

• Producer Groups

• Association/Cooperative Training

• Cooperative Business Management

• Cooperative Governance

• Coop-to-Coop Trade

• Cooperative Legal Frameworks and

• Advocacy

Farmer-to-Farmer ProgramOct 2018 – Oct 2023

Program Focus: Coffee Systems• Improve sustainable

practices in the coffee/cacao value chain

• Strengthen cooperatives, producer organizations (POs) and small agribusiness

• Promote horticulture enterprises

Volunteer Criteria• US citizen or green card holder• Technical skills and experience• 2 to 4 weeks availability in-country• Availability to virtually meet with field staff and/or host organization as

well as prepare training materials prior to the in-country assignment• Flexibility to work through unforeseen circumstances• Willingness to provide technical assistance in rudimentary conditions• Interest in cultural exchange in addition to technical exchange• Write a final report and provide host organization with recommendations

Types of Volunteer AssignmentsAgricultural Production and processing

techniques

Engineering Solar roaster, coffee waste water

Business skills Marketing, finance, business plans, etc.

Organizational development Governance, board training, member responsibilities, etc.

Flex Various countries/sectors

My Farmer-to-Farmer Experience

Koalack Region VillagesThiamene Gapakh

Kakothie Nguindor

Trainings

• Composting

• Irrigation

• Soil Fertility

• Crop Rotation

• Recordkeeping

• Water management

• Mulching

Training

• Companion planting

• Based on plant family

• Organic pest control-

nematodes, spider mites,

“jaar,” neem

• Chili peppers paired

with tomatoes to

prevent nematodes

• Marigolds rotated for

tomatoes

Gapakh• Growing eggplant,

chili pepper, green pepper, cassava

Thiamene• Men are more

involved in this region; Madou

• Constructed a market to sell their products.

• Growing eggplant, mint, pumpkin, okra, tomato, cabbage, onion, cassava, dhimbu

• Rap, skit, sister scarf

Thiamene Village

Kakothie

• Growing tomato, cabbage, cassava, pumpkin

• Solar pump attached to the well is broken

• Children are helping with duties in the garden

Nguindor

• Growing papaya, cashews,

chili pepper, pumpkin,

cucumber

• Well maintained garden,

trees to prevent wind erosion

Entrance to Nguindor garden

Cola Nut

Things I Learned

Village women are trying to marry you off and offer up their land

No shortage of men trying to be husbands

Storytelling is key

Open heart/mind is important

An American Abroad (AAA)

Thank You!

Sequoia IrelandFarmer-to-Farmer Recruiter

Sireland@ncba.coop

International Agriculture

Research and Extension at the

University of Maryland

Presentation by: Taryn Devereux

Faculty Specialist, College of Agriculture & Natural Resources

Overview

• Land Grant University, and Beyond

• Global Research in Agriculture

• Extension in a Global Context

• Future Opportunities

Land Grant University System

Created by the federal Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890,

establishing a network of colleges and universities

dedicated to providing educational opportunity for all

through innovative scientific research and community-

minded programs.

Cooperative Extension

Extension provides non-formal education and learning activities to farmers and other residents of rural communities

as well as to people living in urban areas. It emphasizes taking knowledge gained through research and

education and bringing it directly to the people to create positive changes.

AGNR Strategic Initiatives

As the University's cornerstone college, we embody the land-grant

mission with a commitment to

eliminate hunger, preserve our natural resources, improve quality of life, and empower the next

generation through world-class education.

Transition to Global Presence

• Existing expertise, partnerships, programs and geographical location place UMD in a unique position to assess needs, provide solutions and have an impact on a global scale.

• Goal: Expand upon international programs that address needs in developing countries.

• Global Challenges: Building Healthy Food SystemsFeeding a growing global population with less arable land demands commitment and action at all levels

Global Research on Agriculture

AGNR faculty work on every continent addressing the most pressing global issues related to agriculture and food security.

• In Lebanon, Nadine Sahyoun(NFSC) conducted a survey of Palestinian and Iraqi refugees on socioeconomic status and food security.

• In Tanzania, Taryn Devereux (UME) conducted survey research of tomato-growers to better understand market value chains.

Extension in a Global Context

• One of the United States' best exports is our

cooperative extension model.

• UMD has extension activities in 29 countries, most

recently in partnership with the Chinese-U.S.

Agriculture Extension Alliance.

• AGNR International Activities

WIA Approach

Objective: Seeks to prepare women

extension educators and leaders to work

with poor or vulnerable women so as to improve family

food security.

1. Demonstration Gardens

2. Farmer Field Schools

3. Women to Women: Teaching and Learning Networks

Afghanistan Agriculture Extension

Project (AAEP)

AAEP-I, managed by

USDA, funded by USAID

(2011-2014)

AAEP-II, managed and

funded by USAID

(2014-2017)

Consortium of Land

Grand Universities,

led by UC-Davis

UMD-AGNR led the

Women’s Program

• Overall AAEP Mission:

Build capacity of the Afghanistan

Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and

Irrigation to improve extension

services around the country.

• Women’s Program

• 2,558 received Train-the-Trainer

workshops

• 227 women led trainings at 303

FFSs, for a total of 2,544 trainings

that reached 5,470 women

farmers.

• Active in 11 provinces

Afghanistan Agricultural Extension

Project (AAEP)

WIA Ethiopia

WIA

Ethiopia

Activities

Campus

horticulture and

livestock

demonstration plots

and trainings

Community

demonstration sites

Farmer Field

Schools

School Gardening

Programs

Integrating

Extension, Academics & Research

Global

Classroom

Initiative

AREC 360:

Global

Agriculture -

Developing

Extension

Education &

Agriculture

Technologies in

Africa

Global Classroom: Partnering with the

Liberian International Christian College

• Maryland’s historical relationship to Liberia.

• AREC 360 supported by over 15 research and extension specialists at

AGNR and beyond.

• Project-based, experiential learning opportunities for students and faculty

who want to work in Africa.

Research Project: Global Classroom

The purpose: Assess the implementation of the AREC 360 Global Classroom in spring 2019 as a model for integrating academics with extension at universities in the U.S. and in Liberia.

How can we strengthen institutional capacity at universities around the world to better integrate the 3

pillars of Agriculture: Research, Extension & Student Learning?

More Opportunities

• Partnering with “Farmer-to-Farmer”

• AGNR Africa Team

• IPAN – International Programming in Agriculture and

Natural Resources

• Hosting Visiting Scholars

Taryn Devereux

2200 Symons Hall, College Park, MD 20742

301.405.0077 – taryndev@umd.edu