By RICHARD SITLER
Indiana Correspondent WASHINGTON, D.C. — According to Frank X. Higdon, who is a Peace Corps recruiter seeking volunteers with farm skills, volunteers will serve overseas for 27 months and return home as global citizens. Higdon added that volunteers will forge strong relationships in the communities where they serve. He said they will empower farmers to engage in modern and commercial practices that will improve the quality of life for their families and communities.
Agriculture volunteers work closely with farmers to introduce effective crop and soil conservation techniques and develop small business projects to increase market opportunities.
This work may include:
•Initiating soil conservation techniques such as cover crops, composting and contour planting
•Promoting agroforestry techniques such as integrating timber and fruit trees on farms
•Conducting field trials to increase crop production
•Teaching new and intensive gardening techniques
•Promoting small animal husbandry
•Helping establish community banks
•Working with farm groups and co-ops to improve organizational and business practices
Volunteers are given flexibility in their assignments to allow them to respond the needs of their community. In the Peace Corps, the needs of the local community come first, Higdon said.
A volunteer from Illinois
Volunteer Matthew Fornoff graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a degree in ag communications as well as experience with the Washington and Perry County Farm Bureaus in southern Illinois.
He served in Malawi, Africa.
Fornoff was involved in many farm and environmental projects during his two years in Malawi, including: organizing soil fertility and natural medicine programs, helping farmers acquire equipment to extract oil from peanuts, and hosting an environmental education camp for area students.
One of his endeavors was to help plan, design and raise funds for a reservoir that would provide fresh water to 2,000 people in 10 different villages.
Benefits of service
In addition to the overseas leadership experience, the Peace Corps provides a stipend to cover daily living expenses, travel to and from the post, and a bonus of $7,400 for those who complete a 27-month tour. Volunteers receive medical and dental coverage while serving; can take advantage of Peace Corps career services; and may qualify for graduate school opportunities, advantages in federal employment, and student loan deferment and cancellation.
Higdon said his service opened many doors and created lifelong friends and connections from the people he served to the people he served with. “The Peace Corps opened my eyes to a lot of things,” he said. “It set into motion a career path I’ve been pursuing ever since.
“The world is getting smaller, and we are realizing that global problems demand local solutions. The Peace Corps is one way to be part of the solution to the challenges facing our world.”
He said this agricultural experience is valued by many organizations including the U.S. Forest Service, USAID, the National Park Service, the U.S. Food and Nutrition Service and many private corporations and public agencies wanting employees with commercial farming skills and international experience.
Higdon added that the Peace Corps is expanding, and many positions are open. For more about volunteer service in agricultural science, agro-forestry, farm management and agribusiness, e-mail Higdon at fhigdon@peacecorps.gov or visit www.peacecorps.gov |
