nica 48 ag

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okay, so this is not formatted as well on here as it was on micro word, but here is a brief rundown of what we have learned in the past 3 months of training....

NICA 48
AGRICULTURE
TRAINING COMPETENCIES
compiled by Molly Baade Ag 48


Nicaraguan Rural Cultural & Socio-Economic Context:
• LACK OF FOOD DIVERSITY & DESNUTRICION:
--basic grains: corn, beans, rice, and plenty of it!
--limited vegetables or family gardens
--refrescos loaded with sugar
--vitamin deficiencies and malnutrition
--“a tooth per child” & lack of weaning foods awareness
--difficulty adapting to “new” products: marango, broccoli, spinach, etc

• LIMITED NICARAGUAN INFRASTRUCTURE:
--most products exported, packaged, and resold to Nicaraguans
--tobacco, coffee, sugar cane cash crops primarily exported
--migration from campo to cities, Costa Rica, USA for better work opportunities
--deforestation due to use of firewood for cooking
--no regulations of pesticides and herbicides
--communities without electricity, running water
--road maintenance, or lack thereof

• GENDER ROLES & FAMILY VALUES:
--large families under one roof
--girls robared after quincinera, children raising children
--tradition of breast feeding
--alma de casa rarely leaves home/kitchen
--division of labor between genders
--machismo & machista
--lack of importance of education
--hard workers

Integrated Patio Management Techniques:
aparato “A”
biofertilizer
pesticides - organic & other
concentrados
vaccinations
elevated gardens
gallineros
viveros
protein banks
companion planting / intercropping
abono verde
cover crops
legumes & nitrogen
live & dead barriers
lombricultura
biodigestores
huertos escolares
flipped tires
reusing plastic bottles
injertos/grafting
pest control - natural enemies
animal husbandry
natural medicines
composting
drip irrigation
seed banks
Tisey / La Garnacha
improved stove / oven

Food Processing & Agribusiness:
• CECALLI
--food processing: yogurts, jams, candy, soy products, salsas, solar dehydrators,
solar cookers, preservatives
--natural medicine: vapor rubs, cough medicine, poultices, ointments

GOALS: raise nutrition awareness, capture abundance, add value, market local medicinal knowledge, extend shelf life of food, learn about packaging and labeling

• INTECFOR YOUTH GROUPS
--begin and follow through with commercialization project
--add value to a food product

GOALS: work with Nicaraguan youth, utilize market/feasibility studies, PACA tools - matrix, add value, market & process, industrial organization, teamwork, leadership skills

• AGRIBUSINESS IN LA CHINA
--4 P’s of marketing: Product, Place, Price, Promotion
--large scale marketing - papayas, mung bean sprouts, lombricultura, piñatas

GOALS: recognize risk takers in the community who want to try new things, work with artisans in the community for value added products, utilize seasonal calendars

• MERCADO VERDE
--fruits & vegetables
--jams & yogurts
--coffee, honey, wine
--viveros & flores
--foods: tamales, etc
--cooperatives, women’s groups

GOALS: eliminate middle man, capture unexploited market, observe vendors, various marketing & packaging techniques , learn about co-ops and women’s groups, note where vendors are coming from , note marketing of non-traditional crops

Community Organization:
• Youth Groups: value added, commercialization charlas
• Community Bank: savings & credit
• Seed Banks: savings, maintaining heirloom breeds, decreased dependency
• Women’s Groups: value added, commercialization, nutrition, huertos, concentrados
• Silo Project: savings, seed maintenance, insurance
• Huerto Escolare: nutrition, organic influence, commercialization, responsibility
• PACA Tools: resource mapping, needs & assets assessment, seasonal calendars, matrices
• World Map: geography, world and cultural awareness
• Organizations: CPC/Alcadito, INTA, MINED, MINSA, brigadistas, liders, ONG’s MAGFOR, INSFOP

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Comments

[Mom]

Good Work
Well, maybe the format isn't exactly what you'd prefer, but your summary looks great.....lots of work into it! Molly, thank you so much for calling us back. I just LOVE our phone conversations; they make it 'seem' like you're closer. And CONGRATULATIONS on your induction into the Peace Corps as a Volunteer!!!! Big sigh,... si?? We're so proud of you! Stay in touch whenever you can! XO

[wife]

desnutricion?
dude, you so just spanglished out.