First Impressions

One of the rewarding things about our jobs as Farmer-to-Farmer staff is to facilitate and witness volunteers’ journeys to unknown territories. Farmer-to-Farmer volunteer Howard Prussack beautifully describes his first impressions of El Salvador below:

This was the first volunteer assignment in Central America that I have participated in. I really knew nothing about this country except what I gleaned from the news. It is very much different from what I thought, both geologically and personally. Traveling thru El Salvador has been an eye opening experience for me. The landscape is beautiful and breath-taking. The farmers and staff I have met, and the everyday people I have interacted with, have been warm, friendly, and as helpful as they can be. The openness of the people I have met has warmed my heart and made me feel at home, although I was so far away. Varied in many ways, the farmers and their families should take pride that their fields and their crops look wonderful, and reflect the incredible hard work and determination that they have applied – without the use of tractors and most other mechanical farm equipment!

I see great potential and willingness among the farmers to improve their practices and to grow their businesses by increasing production and implementing new organic techniques. I expect to see more use of greenhouses and other crop protection methods in the future. I hope I can return to see the changes.

What were your first impressions of your last trip abroad?