Please pray for our upcoming farming training. We're hosting a 3-day practical seminar teaching the basics, followed by a 3-day "Farmer Field School" training that equips government agricultural extension workers to coach farmers throughout the year out in the villages.
As a Vineyard, we're wanting to provide this government training for 3 villages (Loiborsoit, Emboret and Terat), as well as put 2 faculty members through from the local colleges.
This late-development is well outside our budget but too good an opportunity to miss. If you feel led to help, let me know and I can fill you in.
Training dates are:
Sept 12th-14th "Farming God's Way" (Basics)
Sept 17th-19th "Farmer Field School" (ToT)
With the country being approx 85% agricultural, the adoption of alternative farming methods is not a luxury but literally a life and death issue in some rural areas.
The biblical angle used in "Farming God's Way" (FGW) is particularly effective in these parts as it captures the imagination of pastors, who, with other religious leaders in the country, have the real voice and ear of the populace.
Not only that but, in Zambia for example, some farmers were accused of witchcraft because they produced 300-400% greater return than those using conventional methods. As a result, they reverted to old habits, preferring the risk of total crop loss in drought, than the risk of being stigmatized.
Pictures from last year's training...
Early days of comparative plot by church entrance
Hungry wild stock can be problematic!
Good looking beans in foreground ... conventional ones did not survive.
Sceptics...?
Getting started...
Moisture containment and soil erosion demo...
Resulting run-off
A happy class ... ready to go home and do the stuff!
As a Vineyard, we're wanting to provide this government training for 3 villages (Loiborsoit, Emboret and Terat), as well as put 2 faculty members through from the local colleges.
This late-development is well outside our budget but too good an opportunity to miss. If you feel led to help, let me know and I can fill you in.
Training dates are:
Sept 12th-14th "Farming God's Way" (Basics)
Sept 17th-19th "Farmer Field School" (ToT)
With the country being approx 85% agricultural, the adoption of alternative farming methods is not a luxury but literally a life and death issue in some rural areas.
The biblical angle used in "Farming God's Way" (FGW) is particularly effective in these parts as it captures the imagination of pastors, who, with other religious leaders in the country, have the real voice and ear of the populace.
Not only that but, in Zambia for example, some farmers were accused of witchcraft because they produced 300-400% greater return than those using conventional methods. As a result, they reverted to old habits, preferring the risk of total crop loss in drought, than the risk of being stigmatized.
Pictures from last year's training...
Early days of comparative plot by church entrance
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