GIs Teach Farming in Afghanistan

Published Aug. 8, 2010
By By U.S. Air Force 2nd Lt. Jason Smith
Provincial Reconstruction Team Panjshir

PANJSHIR PROVINCE, Afghanistan -- PANJSHIR PROVINCE, Afghanistan (July 8, 2010) - Two Guardsman from Kentucky and their U.S. Department of Agriculture counterpart are trying to make Afghanistan a better place by teaching farming.

U.S. Army Lt. Col. Jeffrey Casada, Kentucky National Guard Agri-Business Development Team leader with Provincial Reconstruction Team Panjshir, U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Joshua Hancock, Kentucky ADT, and Jim Hoffman, U.S. Department of Agriculture advisor to PRT Panjshir, oversee the Astana Demonstration Farm in the Panjshir Province.

The farm, initially established in 2008, is a way for the American experts in agriculture to share their knowledge of farming with Afghans. In addition, the farm allows the workers to experiment with crops that may or may not grow in the soil here without incurring any personal cost.

"Right now we have nine workers and a manager," said Casada. "We pay the workers $6 per day and the manager makes $10 per day. We come out at least weekly to make sure the workers are doing a good job. We also handle any problems with pay, irrigation or other issues."

The three-man team had multiple things to do on their July 8 mission to the farm. Among them were showing the workers how to use newly-purchased hoes, checking on contract warranty work, evaluating some of the crops and counting the total number of grape plants.

"We need to figure out how many grape plants there are because Roots of Peace will teach the workers how to set up grape trellis systems," said Hancock. "We'll purchase the posts and wire, Roots of Peace will set up one row to demonstrate how it's done. Then, Roots of Peace will observe while the workers finish the rest of the grape vines."

Roots of Peace is a non-profit organization that works to remove landmines and build crops in war-torn countries, according to their Web site.

There were 624 grape vines at the farm. Hancock said that means 312 posts, one per every two vines, will be needed.

Although funded through the ADT Commander's Emergency Response Program, the farm is scheduled to be handed over to either the Panjshir Director of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock or the Afghanistan Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock in February 2011 to become part of the nation's research farm. Even after the handover, Hoffman said he expects to have a partnership at the farm.

"There are still things we're working on here," said Hoffman. "We're experimenting with forage for livestock. We're looking for animal feed that can be stored and fed to animals during the winter."

Hoffman said that better feed in the winter will make for better lactation for cows and bigger, stronger calves in the long run.

Currently, the farm grows grapes, apricots, cherries, almonds, walnuts, hybrid poplars and other plants. The fruits of their yield aren't significant at the moment, but Shafe Makli, farm manager, said he has big plans for the future.

"If it's a lot of fruit, we'll eat some and send most of it to the bazaar to sell," said Makli through an interpreter. "Then bring the money back from the bazaar and put it back into the farm."

Makli was a farmer prior to taking the job as the manager here. He said he knew how to grow crops before, but he has learned things at the farm that will help him be an independent farmer in the future.

"There are some new techniques I tell people about," said Makli. "For example, planting trees in one line 2-3 meters apart instead of other methods."

The soil conditions are far from perfect and some of the techniques are primitive. Regardless, Casada calls the demonstration farm a successful venture between Coalition Forces and their Afghan partners in Panjshir.