Steven Luna recently completed a volunteer assignment with the Agriculture Education and Market Improvement Program in Guinea. He shares his thoughts on the experience in today’s volunteer blog entry:

“Before arriving to Guinea, I had my expectations about the assignment and the country itself. I had calls with the program director and technical assistance manager regarding the assignment. I read country reports on Guinea from the World Bank, the African Development Bank, and the Economist Intelligence Unit to get a better idea of the current environment in Guinea. I even tried to learn a little French. Even with all my pre-departure preparations, my expectations were not aligned with my experience. Now, that’s not to say that this is bad, rather, it is a wonderful lesson; you don’t know what you don’t know until you experience it.

For example, I expected to have a pretty significant language barrier as I did not know French but to my surprise, quite a few Guineans speak Spanish. After I learned more about the history, I gained a better understanding of the current culture in Guinea; the hierarchical structure, the high power distance, and the local business etiquette. Because of this, I was able to adjust my communication style to gain influence and trust among various stakeholders. Cultural immersion is a very rewarding experience that cannot be gained from reading country reports. (more…)

Happy International Volunteer Day! -A perfect complement to our F2F 3oth anniversary celebrations.

Winrock is proud and grateful to have implemented the Farmer-to-Farmer program for 24 of the program’s 30 years.

We end this celebratory week with thoughts from Winrock’s two F2F Program Directors.

“The United States is known for our volunteerism across many walks of life. Farmer-to-Farmer has brought together people from all 50 U.S. states and more than 100 countries to grow healthier food while protecting the environment. I’ve seen tremendous service and personal sacrifices by dedicated volunteers, F2F staff, hosts, and partners. There’s a saying in sports, ‘leave it all on the field.’ This means don’t hold anything back, give all the effort you can, and at the end of the competition you won’t have any regrets. Thank you to so many inspiring volunteers and supporters for leaving it all on the field….which in most cases is a farm field!”  —Nona Fisher

“Working closely with F2F over the last 15 years, many of our volunteers and country staff have become like extended family. I’ve been fortunate to come to know many of them socially over the years. I know the same is true of the relationship between volunteers, F2F country staff, and hosts. Thinking back over my experience with the program, I often remember stories which illustrate the importance of these relationships, those which represent the true impact of F2F, but are hard to quantify in terms of reporting program performance. I fondly remember stories of volunteers serving as surrogate family members for children of hosts in the US; volunteers continuing to provide technical and/or financial support to hosts many years after their assignments ended; hosts or field staff naming children after volunteers, or bestowing local names upon volunteers as a sign of admiration and belonging; and witnessing the ripple of healing thoughts and prayers for peace sent around the world when one of our extended F2F family was in need. This aspect of the program – building connection and fostering cooperation between individuals from different countries, cultures, races, religious traditions, and socioeconomic statuses – is the true measure of the F2F program, and is, perhaps, needed more today than ever.” —DeAnn McGrew

Come join the F2F family! -Check out our current volunteer opportunities at www.winrock.org/volunteer.

The Farmer-to-Farmer field staff are the core of the program, working tirelessly to deliver quality technical assistance to local host organizations and take good care of each volunteer that sets foot in their country. Without them, the program could not succeed.

In today’s blog post, three Winrock F2F field staff reflect on their experience with the program. Be prepared to be inspired!

F2F Nigeria Country Director, Mike Bassey:

“Meeting and working with F2F volunteers has been the best privilege I have enjoyed so far. In my nearly five years with the Farmer-to-Farmer program, I have met, spoken to, shaken hands, and travelled, eaten, and shared laughter and memorable experiences with over 100 F2F volunteers from nearly every state of the United States. Never in my entire life have I met people from such diverse backgrounds yet so homogeneously down to earth, sincere, and with a strong passion to help.

One memorable experience was with Dr. Mathew Baker, a professor of Agricultural Education and Communications at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. During Dr. Baker’s assignments, apart from discussing the assignment during our routine evening walks, we also discussed leadership issues, among other things. He provided a lot of insights into the many leadership topics; most of which I have found very useful. This friendship has been so strong that Baker and his family lodged me for four days in their home in Lubbock and hosted friends and colleagues to a dinner in my honor during my visit to the US in the fall of 2014. This is particularly important to me because it came at a time when no one would go near a Nigerian because of the Ebola epidemic ravaging a number countries in the west African region at the time.

The summary of my experience with the F2F program over the years is that, for one: the volunteers are ever willing to learn, adaptable to the people and their cultures, and ever ready to give their best. As a program, F2F has removed the dichotomy created by colonialism between the elite scholar and the poor peasant farmer. It has taught leaders to have a listening ear for the followers.”

F2F Nepal Assistant Country Manager and M&E Specialist, Chhan B. Bhattachan:

“The day that I joined F2F program in January 2014 seems like yesterday. Since then, I have experienced many memorable moments working with volunteers, hosts and project activities.

I remember a full class of 70, attended by mostly female students, at Uttarpani Technical School during volunteer Anil Shrestha’s presentation on food security issues and farming practices in US. The participants (not only the students but also faculty members) were so attentive. It was great exposure for them.

During the F2F assignment on youth facilitation and entrepreneurial skills development withvolunteer Jeremy Elliot-Angel, the last day of training was very hectic, as the trainees waited to be elected as the ‘best entrepreneur team.’ The day was allocated for teams to prepare business concepts, including a mission, company slogan, promotion strategy, and a minute of television advertisement enacted by all members of the team. The eight different groups prepared their  business ideas and television advertisements. Each team was given five minutes to present their business concept, and the remaining groups asked questions and gave feedback. After all groups finished their presentations, each business was judged by individual members. That really was an entrepreneurial election!

From volunteer James Faber, I learned why and how shifting people’s paradigm is crucial.

I am enjoying collecting and documenting achievements from the program, as well as working with diverse host organizations, highly experienced volunteers, and a motivated team!”

Ricardo Auerbach, F2F El Salvador Country Director from 2003-2013:

“99% of my experiences with F2F are memorable! I learned a lot from so many diverse topics that we trained farmers; we traveled around the whole country and other parts of the Central American region to support farmers and bring innovative but applicable ideas to improve their family incomes. And we could share our culture with American volunteers that enjoyed their time in country, living nice relaxing moments after long days of work.

This means that one blog entry could not be enough to highlight our great moments implementing F2F!

I will choose one subsector as an example: Dairy. Between 2003-2013, nearly 40 F2F volunteers introduced food quality and safety standards to 12 dairy processors, which, in turn, modernized their facilities and increased their sales by producing higher quality cheese. Representing more than six thousand farmers, their sales are now more than 9 million dollars.

I’m proud to have been part of the USAID F2F program for ten years! It was a ‘school’ for me, not just to learn scientific and technical concepts, but to develop friendships with American volunteers, local partners, and farmers. My huge lesson learned is that sustainable rural development is like a puzzle. I learned to identify the weak links in the value chain and find the correct puzzle pieces to engage it, and after a while, look for the complete picture.“

When we asked F2F staff — past and present — to share their thoughts about their fondest memories from their years of working with the Farmer-to-Farmer program, nearly everyone said “there are too many memories to choose!”

Reflecting on his time with the program, Winrock’s former F2F director and vice president, David Norman, narrates his most memorable volunteer story:

“Aside from my family, my involvement with the Farmer-to-Farmer Program is the most important thing I have ever done. My experience with the F2F program comes from many roles. I was first a volunteer, then a manager, then a program leader, then a promoter/cheerleader. One central theme I have always focused on in talking about the program is the determination, heart, and commitment that volunteers have to their host and the sector they worked in. It is a powerful drive in most volunteers to ‘give back’ and to do it with what they have to offer that has the most value: their expertise, their experience, and their time. They often remain connected for life to their projects and the people.

There are so memorable events. If I have to pick just one, I will have to go with dairy farmer John Rodgers, owner of Plum Bottom Ayrshires in Belleville, Pennsylvania.

John had completed a large number of volunteer assignments in Kazakhstan (I think 8) focused on dairy production in the mid to late 90s. To recall John’s description of his work there, he felt that his work in feed, management could only accomplish so much. In his estimation, a key constraint was genetics; in other words, the cows were only capable of so much, and better, more productive cows were needed.

Now this is where the story gets interesting.

John called me one day to tell me what needed to be done. He began describing a project idea to introduce new genetics to Kazakhstan through the introduction of embryo transfer which is superior to artificial insemination in that a completely whole new genetic animal would be born to Kazakh cow with all appropriate immunities in place. To all that, I took a deep breath and asked John, ‘So how would we do all that?’ — fully prepared to hear a great volunteer out before I would diplomatically respond with all my development experience why that just wasn’t feasible.  John then described that this was how it was done on his farm and that we just had to buy 250 high quality frozen embryos, a cryo tank in which to store and ship them to Kazakhstan, and then implant them in 250 cows perfectly scheduled to receive these frozen embryo. I was about to launch into my diplomatic explanation of the financial limitations of the program and the slim chances of being able to ship a contraption like a cryo tank full of frozen embryos into a country that was recently a part of the Soviet Union. He then quickly continued to explain that he had managed to get the funding from USDA for $30,000 — which was enough for the embryos and a cryo tank, he found the right embryos, and he recruited two volunteers with the expertise to actually do and provide training on the implant process. He also managed to identify the processes needed for permits to bring all this into Kazakhstan.

I recall that I just sat there with my mouth open, in disbelief as to what this volunteer had managed to get done. I am fairly sure that had John called me with this idea before beginning the process, I would have been fairly pessimistic about the chances to do something like this.

I also had the very good fortune to coincidentally be in Kazakhstan while John’s project was being carried out. 250 cows on four farms were implanted with high quality embryos, and approximately 200 calves were born.  All in all, it was a lesson that I learned about what can be accomplished by a determined volunteer. I have told this story often and am sure I will again. I am very happy to have the opportunity to share what I think was a remarkable F2F volunteer.”

This article is a contribution to a four-week blog series celebrating 30 years of USAID’s John Ogonowski and Doug Bereuter Farmer-to-Farmer (F2F) Program.

30 years of Farmer-to-Farmer! For a program so rich in diversity, personal and professional exchanges, and lasting impacts, there is so much we could share!

We asked current and former Winrock Farmer-to-Farmer staff to think about their favorite memories and most impactful moments over the years implementing this unique program. Their stories are inspiring and a testimony to why the program still continues three decades after it began.

Over the next four days, we will feature stories from some of these staff, in honor of both the F2F anniversary as well as International Volunteer Day on December 5^th.

To kick us off today, Winrock’s former director of volunteer technical assistance, Demetria Arvanitis, shares how F2F is like a family:

“Two weeks ago, as I was texting a former colleague traveling across Europe to alert her to the attack in Paris, I realized that even though I have left Winrock and F2F after 19 years, I will be connected for life to the F2F team, volunteers, and host organizations worldwide.

The F2F project was designed to provide practical agricultural support to farmers all over the world and also to expose American farmers to the world of international development. The deep relationships that have resulted are far beyond what could have been anticipated. Starting with the team in the US that support the recruitment and fielding of volunteers, to the country team who meets the volunteers upon arrival and takes care of their every need, to the hosts who open their homes and hearts, the commitment and loving care is the common thread.

This consideration for the safety and well-being is a core value of the relationships that developed between all members of the F2F family; and it is a family. Also part of this family are the USAID staff who have guided implementers over the years, ensuring that the quality and values of the program remain intact regardless of political changes.

The inspiration behind all of this passion and commitment is the local farmers, cooperative members, youth, and business owners struggling to provide a better life for their families. Their initiative and perseverance are so inspiring that the only option is to jump in with both feet and give it your all. From the women in Nepal who demanded support for organic agriculture years before this was popular, to the farmers in Myanmar desperate for information from the outside to help them improve their yields, our farmer family worldwide is innovative and open to change.

The global community that has resulted from the F2F program is an example of how to make the world more connected by very simple acts of kindness and connectedness. One memory that exemplifies this to me is the act of kindness by a volunteer from Maine, Pixie Day. After a very productive volunteer assignment outside of Moscow supporting goat production with Alexander Bodorov, Pixie returned home and months later drove Buck the stud goat in her beat up Chevy to Boston Logan airport to ship him to Russia to the Bodorov farm. Of course this was a surprise to the Winrock Moscow office and Alexander, but this act of selfless kindness will forever be engrained in my memory and Alexander’s!

Thanks to the full F2F Family for your big hearted efforts and commitment to creating community worldwide!”

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From November 16-December 11, F2F program partners are sharing their knowledge and experience providing technical assistance to farmers, farm groups, agribusinesses, service providers, and other agriculture sector institutions in developing and transitional countries. As aligned with Feed the Future, the U.S. Government’s global hunger and food security initiative, F2F works to support inclusive agriculture sector growth, facilitate private sector engagement in the agriculture sector, enhance development of local capacity and promote climate-smart development. Volunteer assignments address host-led priorities to expand economic growth that increases incomes and improves access to nutritious food. This blog series aims to capture and share this program experience.

Read more articles celebrating 30 years of F2F on Agrilinks