Volunteer Post
Sharing the Knowledge of Farmer-to-Farmer Programs
Winrock International’s Volunteer Program Recruiters participated in the Annual Meeting and Professional Improvement Conference (AMPIC) of the National Association of County Agricultural Agents (NACAA) held recently in Little Rock. The NACAA have been holding their yearly conference since 1916. 
This year’s conference was attended by more than 1,000 people and allowed the recruiting staff to share with these agents, and other industry actors, information on current volunteer programs in West Africa and Asia. Winrock implements Farmer-to- Farmer(F2F) programs in Nigeria, Guinea, Senegal, Nepal, Bangladesh and Burma. We send volunteers on short term assignments to provide technical assistance to farmers, agribusinesses, and public and private education and extension providers in order to promote sustainable improvements in the agriculture sector. Our Program Recruiters share their thoughts and experiences about the conference below.
Darla – “It is an amazing experience to get to visit with people who have dedicated their lives to helping others to increase their knowledge of a wide variety of endeavors from agriculture, horticulture, livestock, forestry and aquaculture. Just like Winrock International, they believe in education to empower people. To help match their dedication to hosts overseas is heartwarming.”
Jennifer – “Having the opportunity to meet with individuals who have never even heard of Farmer-to-Farmer along-side those who are veteran volunteers for the program at one event was exciting. I find that the best proponents of our work are people who’ve given their time as volunteers before. There was a great balance of newly interested and experienced volunteers at the NACAA conference.”
Abby – “This event was a great way to meet extension agents from all over the U.S. The depth and breadth of knowledge that the agents possess would be invaluable to the F2F program. I am excited to have found so many interested potential volunteers in one place! I look forward to seeing who we field in the near future from this event.”
Samantha – “As a new recruiter for Winrock, it was both enlightening and encouraging to see first-hand the far-reaching impact of the F2F program. Although there were many people who had not heard of F2F, there were just as many who were familiar with the program and in some cases, shared fond memories of their own assignments with Winrock. F2F’s longevity over the past 30 years is in large part due to the word-of-mouth promotion that comes from past volunteers.
At Winrock, we work tirelessly to ensure our volunteers have a positive F2F experience because we recognize that they are the key to a meaningful program that touches the lives of people all over the world for years to come.”
Interested in volunteering? Please visit our webpage at https://winrock.org/join-us/volunteer/ to find updates and new volunteer opportunities, read through our volunteer FAQ and PDF, and to register in Winrock’s volunteer database.