This week’s blog post comes from Mike Frinsko, an aquaculture expert from North Carolina State University, who has volunteered three times with Winrock’s USAID-funded Farmer-to-Farmer (F2F) program. His most recent F2F assignment was focused on improving water quality management in fish ponds in Bangladesh. Below, he shares his impressions of the country and thoughts about his assignment: (more…)

This article is a contribution to a week-long blog carnival on USAID’s John Ogonowski and Doug Bereuter Farmer-to-Farmer (F2F) Program. From July 14-18, F2F program partners and American volunteers are sharing their knowledge and experience of providing technical assistance to farmers, farm groups, agribusinesses, service providers, and other agriculture sector institutions in developing and transitional countries. This blog carnival aims to capture and share this program experience. You can find all contributions on Agrilinks.

We loved volunteer Joe Sullivan’s statement below. Let’s start the day inspired! (more…)

Dr. Hugh Thomforde recently finished his three week assignment with Farmer-to-Farmer in Burma (also known as Myanmar), where he conducted workshops for 101 farmers in four townships on water quality monitoring for freshwater fish and prawn farmers. While writing his end-of-assignment report he reflected on his time there, noting: (more…)

This just in from volunteer Chantel Welch:

“In the past week I have seen some amazing work done by local farmers, people who attended relatively short trainings (generally 3-5 days), took the information that they were given and not walked, but ran with it. One group of friends started a monosex tilapia hatchery; they will soon supply neighboring farmers with high-demand stock. Another man created an improved aquaponic system using locally available materials and a combination of solar, electric, and foot pumps; prepared for any circumstance. He has spent the past year improving his system, adapting it for his unique circumstances, and is beginning to generate sales of fish and vegetables in his local community. This same man trained a group of people in a western coastal village on aquaponics – in their area vegetables are unavailable in the summer season and all fresh produce is trucked in from 8-10 hours away. Extension services at work. I spend more time now thinking back on my days in 4-H, marveling at the amazing cooperative extension service that we have in the United States, one that I took for granted as a young farmer-in-training.”

U Saw Hei Moo at his aquaponic farm near Yangon, Burma

Dr. John Woiwode, Fisheries Scientist, chronicles his latest volunteer assignment in Bangladesh

“I returned to Bangladesh [as a volunteer] this December to address a critical problem for the country: the exhaustive use of groundwater for fish hatcheries. The hatchery industry has evolved in very concentrated areas of Bangladesh, and their water requirements are massive: a typical hatchery uses up to 1500 liter per minute during peak spawning/production cycles. In the area around Jessore, for example, there are 44 such hatcheries. The water table was dropping dramatically. WorldFish, a worldwide non-profit with a large presence in Bangladesh, was my partner in this endeavor.

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