Farmer Field School Bana

Farmer Field School Bana

The first group left the hotel very early Monday am as Oussematou wanted to check  resource persons from the Department of Agriculture to be sure the day would run smoothly.  When we arrived, Falimotou had been registering each participant as he/she arrived for the Farm Field School.  Oussematou and Richard were organizing the flip chart materials having taken a blackboard stand from the hotel!  

Twenty two people were waiting for Allan to begin the Farmer Field School.  Oussematou explained that we would break when the dignitaries arrived to officially open the workshops.  IDF’s organization for workshops is second to none.  After prayer, each workshop begins with IDF’s incredible approach in organizing the day, introducing participants to each other, defining objectives, outlining modules and setting up the group to work like a village with a chief (leader), recorder, time keeper and a person to lead a summary of learning.

 

Agriculture Conservation et L'Ecole Dans Le Champ

Barometre D'Humeur

 

 

We are told that it is very special to have the top person, the delegate, who represents the government in this area come.  Oussematou and I went to his office to present him with a letter to legitimize our presence in the area.  That was an experience in itself.  First the secretary unlocked a cupboard to find the file which turned out to be about four inches thick, wrapped in brown paper in a well worn file folder.  When this was located among the stacks of many other files, we were invited into the official office, complete with a picture of President Biya and the flag of Cameroon.  A door bell button behind his desk served to call the next person waiting in line.

We were pleasantly surprised by the delegate coming to open the workshop!  His welcoming speech in French was very comprehensive!   Lydia was not aware of protocol.  She was to present each of the two departments (agriculture and health) with copies of the respective manuals prepared for the workshops.  A combined package was prepared for the person who heads government for the region.  Protocol would have had the head of governrnent’s  package presented first. Oussematou wasn’t long in straightening that out!

Our initial impression excellence of educational levels in respective fields continued as each of our workshops including work in the field was attended by a department person. The two agriculture extensions workers alternated. Jean Woupi, the Extension worker in Bana, did excellent follow up for each of Allan’s slides illustrating the various concepts involved in Conservation Agriculture.  Allan’s diagrams were so clear and each was accompanied by a picture to show the concept in action.  The total presentation by Allan, follow up by Jean and ensuing discussion was in the only language of the area, French. Oussematou is determined to make a Frenchman out of Allan! 

Allan Presenting Conservation Agriculture Principles in French

 

Lively discussion erupted over a number of topics.  We were able to show excellent film footage of Conservation Farming projects ongoing in other countries in Africa.  In one of the movies, a hoe was shown.  This prompted a discussion about whether the angle of the hoe should be 90 degrees from the handle vs 45 degrees, like the women farmers in Bana use.  Since basically all cultivation  is done by using the hoe, this is an important topic.  The women indicated graphically how their backs ache after much hoeing.  The men here do use the 90 degree angled hoe. The women wonder if that design would be easier on their backs.

 

Several of the participants have had trouble with rats, mice and birds.  We asked about using rat poison but people eat rats and if rats were found dead, they might be sold for food.  Lydia suggested cats.  They said cats would get eaten by predators.  Trapping would be good but a very big job as there are many rats.

Another topic that elicited both discussion in the classroom and later trying a new technique in the Farm Field School was ‘how to plant cassava’.  The illustration showed cassava being planted upright.  Cassava, a mainstay in the diet, traditionally has been planted in the Bana area parallel to the ground.  A cassava grower attending the Farm Field School workshop said he had had good success planting the cassava upright.

 In the classroom setting, it was most interesting to see several participants taking pictures of slides that were of special relevance to their farm work.  Classroom interaction was dynamic.  Each day, participants were given an opportunity to tell what they had learned on the previous day.  Most interesting to observe the detail that absorbed.  One woman, third morning, was just beaming.  She said she was so excited by the whole Farm Field School!
 

Allan designed several experiments to bring the practical to the classroom.  At the end of day one, he asked three volunteers to bring in soil samples representing sandy, clay and loam soil.  We provided the plastic bags from Canada to bring the samples back in!  Allan had cut several the tops off of four two liter water bottles.  We brought tap water from the hotel.  Once the soils were mixed with water, they had to settle undisturbed for one hour. 

 

 

 

Phillip, one of the two agriculture extensions workers, arrived in his dapper black suit and white shirt  at a perfect point.  Phillip has a Masters in Soil Science!  Right away he went into action, rating the soils.  The news was somewhat disappointing but not a surprise to the participants that soil fertility is a problem.  The participants were so impressed with the results of the experiment that they thought some chemical had been added to the water!

The Department of Agriculture selected a plot of land for the Farm Field School.  Participants were asked to come prepared for a morning of farming.