I learned in agriculture school how to help individuals become model farmers in their local communities. We would reward the model farmers at the annual agriculture awards banquet hosted by the county and everyone would strive to be like him or her the next year. This worked well where I grew up. The basic idea, […]

I used to underestimate what people can do when they’re motivated. I probably still do. I remember learning to work with the poorest of the poor when we first went overseas. I confess to having somewhat of a “savior” mentality in that I believed people in need were pretty helpless and somehow needed me to […]

I spent a decade and a half working with poor, marginalized upland farmers in the Philippines, as well as several other areas in Asia. Hunger with its accompanying friend poverty was a constant threat in this area. It was here that I met Salis.   Salis was a local farmer and a through the years […]

We’re winding down our posts regarding agriculture and farming systems. In no way have we been comprehensive on this topic and will return to it by and by. But before we go, I want to talk about a word of concept that is many times overlooked by those of us from the west trying work […]

We’ve discussed briefly the changes that we can help a farm family make to increase their production of food and income mainly through cropping. But a very popular and potentially quicker way to boost a farmer’s overall worth is through animal systems. An example would be raising a small herd of goats that could exist […]

Many people and communities around the world still produce their own food or derive their income from agriculture practices- read our introduction (Are Agriculture Strategies still Relevant?) for more information. It is common for families to grow their food and produce a lot of the goods they need (fiber for clothing, wood for building materials, etc.). They […]

Contrary to a common saying, one of the true oldest professions in the world is agriculture or farming. While our forefathers and foremothers depended on hunting and gathering, some of the earliest records of humanity point to sedentary societies engaged in domestication of animals and propagation of plants – hence agriculture. Today’s world is urbanizing […]