The Master Farmer Program is a Peace Corps Senegal country
wide initiative which provides technical support and resources for exceptional
local farmers. These farmers along with their local PCVs maintain a 1 hectare
plot of land on which they demonstrate a variety of improved agricultural
techniques. Myself and Agroforestry volunteer, Sarah Ferguson, work with one of
these Master Farmers, Fatou Willane. Throughout the year we have assisted her
in implementing best agricultural practices from market garden plots to field
crop systems, and agroforestry techniques. At the farm I have gained experience
in implementing as well as educating others in almost all of the agricultural
activities.
Upon arrival here, at the tail end of rainy season 2011, I
assisted with vegetable nursery creation and maintenance followed by
transplanting. This included soil nutrient management, proper spacing and
watering, and chemical and non-chemical pest control. This was followed by tree
nursery activities in which we planted multiple species of trees for live
fencing, fruit production, and soil improvement. When the rains began I helped
with the out-planting of these trees, including education on spacing and soil
preparation techniques. Trees were planted along the chain link fence enclosing
the field to be managed as a ‘live fence’. Others were planted in rows and
interspersed in the field to demonstrate the value of fruit production and
keeping roots and leaf litter in one’s growing space.
The rainy season commenced soil preparation for our field
crop demonstrations Here we set up plots comparing the performance of corn,
millet, and sorghum under high organic matter inputs plus fertilizer versus
only broadcast fertilizer. We also laid peanut shells into our corn plot as a
layer of mulch to demonstrate the water holding benefits of soil cover. A
series of four plots of beans compares three pest management techniques, plus a
control; neem oil (organic pesticide), chemical pesticide, and insect traps. A
rice demonstration compared machine seeded rice to a plot hand seeded and
thinned to one plant per hill, some SRI techniques. It is now time to begin dry season vegetable
production again, as when I first arrived.
The field is a place for the entire community to view these
techniques and learn from the Master Farmer. This year we held an event to
present our field crop demonstrations and a description of the even can be
found here.
I visit the farm at least once per week to answer questions
of the Master Farmer and her family as well as community members. I assist in
implementing gardening or field crop protocols and I manage the budget funded
to the farm by the USAID Food Security Initiative.
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