The Farmer-to-Farmer Program turned 35 years old! The USAID-funded John Ogonowski and Doug Bereuter F2F Program is one of the reasons Common Pastures has been able to connect with farmers in Mali and promote a sustainable future through viable farming practices, marketing and other techniques. 

The main objectives through the F2F Program are to:

– Increase agricultural sector productivity and profitability;

– Improve conservation and sustainable use of environmental and natural resources;

– Expand agricultural sector access to financial services; and

-Strengthen agricultural sector institutions.

Since 1985, volunteers have completed more than 19,000 assignments in more than 115. The assignments depend on the location and their personal goals as well as follow up workshops that will cover topics students might have had in previous classes. 

Check out their 35th anniversary video recorded in December to hear from volunteers and other impactful organizations that are providing their expertise to people around the world. 

In Mali, where Common Pastures focuses our training, we strive for rural livelihood development through a wide array of topics including business marketing, sustainable feeding practices and many more. One of the many things that’s exciting about volunteering is to see the excitement of learning new things and to be able to pass it onto others. 

Our journey with communities around the world doesn’t stop when we leave a country, it’s only the beginning. Being able to follow-up and build relationships with a community is greatly cherished to pass valuable information for generations. 

If you want to learn more about volunteering with Farmer-to-Farmer, check out these videos and also visit their implementing partner websites to start today.