Ag training Yields more than a Bumper Crop

May 2015 held an 8 day trip with Craig Scott, Ramsdell and the Babb family from France: Joel Babb, Pam Bohl, and their son Jacob.

The 8 day trip took a hard look at the progress at the Somoto farming and irrigation projects. This was the first time we were able to see if the investment in fertilizer, crops, seeds, agricultural clinics and training in barrels of compost would yield significant gains for the community.

We traveled there one month prior to corn harvest. Our first glimpse of farming methods revealed yields 12-15 bushel had increased to 80-90 bushel and acre on irrigated land. Many more families were going to have food to eat. The 1.74 acre irrigated field would sustain and feed approximately 25 families.

Most notable was the realization by the Nicaraguan farmers that they would be able to predict yield. Scott Ramsdell continued to educate the Somoto farmers on the practices needed to obtain 12 foot tall corn and a lengthy of ear, reviewing the benefits of irrigation and planting practices. It was clear that the agricultural clinics had been extremely significant in a country we didn’t know very well yet. Advice and training and investment money benefited local agronomists as well as farmers.

Baseball equipment was donated again in Somoto area. Showing the Babb family what we do has since resulted in donations to Solliete and Sergio for much needed community projects. Their son Jacob became good friends with a boy his age and now are tied into Nicaragua.

This trip was primarily farming in nature with baseball equipment distribution but marked the real start of organizing the shipment of hospital equipment donated by Madison Hospital, with Dr. Solliete. Who agreed to be our medical supply liason with MINSA.