By American standards, farming is primitive in Senegal. Much of the fieldwork there is done by hand, or with small implements. Kansas Farmers Union President Donn Teske recently returned from Africa, where he worked with local farmers who are working together to improve their agricultural practices and income. Working through the Farmer-to-Farmer Program, Teske observed tillage and fertilization practices, some of which would not boost production but would lead to erosion.
The goal of this Farmer-to-Farmer project is to help farmers in developing countries in other areas of the world learn to make the most of their resources by tapping the knowledge of American farmers. In Senegal, the farmers group in the village of Keur Ali Gueye are learning to double their production of millet and process it into a food staple known as couscous and sell it in the nearby town of Nioro.
Teske believes the Farmer-to-Farmer program is an excellent way for American farmers to both teach and learn from farmers in other nations. He says farmers often share much more in common than they realize, once they are able to meet face-to-face. This is true whether they are talking across a fence or in a field half a world away. The Farmer-to-Farmer program is sponsored by the U.S. Agency for International Development, the National Cooperative Business Association and National Farmers Union.
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