Conservation Farming Capacity Building In Cameroon, Africa

Part One: Bana/West Region

ByAllan & Lydia SorflatenIn Collaboration With

Integrated Development Foundation (IDF)Bamenda, Cameroon

Oct.- Dec./2012

- Pre-Departure -Meet In Winnipeg With Canada Food Grains Bank

(October 2012)

OVERVIEW OF CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE

Conservation Agriculture

Minimum Soil Disturbance

Permanent Soil Cover Crop Rotations

“Canada Food Grains Bank Is Advocate For Conservation Agriculture in Africa”

Develop Conservation Agriculture Study Guide for Farmer Field Schools (Pre-Departure Research)

From Nova Scotia, Canada to Cameroon, Africa

Nova Scotia

Cameroon

Oct. 29- Dec. 15, 2012

. Befang/Wum

. Bana

Headquartered in Bamenda With

Projects in Villages of Bana &

Befang/Wum

Lydia - Monitor Completion of GS Illum School Improvement (Truro Rotary Club) Near Wum.- Health and Nutrition Workshop Seminars at Bana and Bamenda.

Allan – Conservation Farming Workshop Seminars and Farmer Field Schools at Bana (in Western Region) and Befang (in Northwestern Region).

Mme. Oussematou of IDFDynamic & Determined/Caring & Compassionate

----- A Powerful Personality Who Gets Things Done ----- !

Strategic PlanningMme. Oussematou Knows Importance

of Covering All Her Bases

---- Networking With Government Ministry of Agriculture and Other Officials -----

Our Hotel in Bana (Bafang)

Bana Hospital Administrator (To Lydia’s Right) andMinistry of Agriculture Representative to Left

The Administrator is a Qualified Nurse and Excellently Assisted With Lydia’s Two Day Nutrition Workshop Here In Bana.

Networking With Pastor Moses of Cameroon Baptist Convention in Bana

Pastor Moses Trained in Veterinary Science in Nigeria

Pastor Moses Arrives at First Meeting of Young Farmers Group to Select Workshop Participants in Bana

Young Farmers’ Group Selects Participants To Attend Farmer

Field School

These Four Are Selected By the Group

The Young Farmers Group From Bana

Participants Also Selected From Womens’ Community Group at Bana

Two Workshop Participants Selected From Pastor Moses’ Church Group In Bana

The Integrated Development Foundation (IDF) 4th Floor North West Co-op Building, Bamenda

Doing Further Workshop Preparations at IDF Bamenda Office

Le Domaine de la Containment Externe

Le Domaine de la Containment de l’Eau

Muraille de la Roche

Domaine de la Culture

Including Preparation of 75 CA Laminated Display Posters For Workshop Use

Le Contrôle d’Erosion au Cameroun(containment de l’eau avec un muraille des roches)“Along With Posters, Sequence of Applicable Photos From Internet”

Other Preparations/Photocopy,Collate, Bind 35 Copies Each of 2 Handbooks

Assisted by IDF Staff/Terrence and Falimatou

In Both English and French

This is Late Sat. Evening/We Leave For Bana EarlyTomorrow

M“May We LeaveSoon -Matou?”

PPPpp

“Plus TardMon Homme

Français.”

It’s 10:30 p.m. and We’re Out of Here!

---and off we go to the Sister Rose Restaurant ---

Facilities For Washing Up Are Quite Basic

Tired and Satisfied!(“But We’ve Only Just Begun”)

Next Morning Car is Packed For Bana By 9:30

Car Donated to IDF By Oussematou’s Sister in Paris

By Late Sunday Evening We Finally Arrive at the Workshop Venue in Bana

Workshop Venue

A Power InterruptionThere Is

So, Guess What HappensTo This Voltage Regulator?

“It Fries of Course”!

Then a Surge of Current From the Generator

Food Supply Is Precarious Around Bana

Dinner Time at Hotel Bana(Due to Available Food Supply, Menu is One Item Only)

This Corn Crop in Bana is Stunted and The Yellowing Shows Nutrient Deficiencies

Highly Leached Tropical SoilsVulnerable to Effects of Long Term Erosion and

Poor Cropping Practices

Besides Corn Other Affected Crops Are Legumes (Peas, Beans and Groundnuts Or Peanuts)

Gate to Palace Grounds of Traditional Chief or King (Facing the Bana Market)

Inadequate Supplies of Food at the Bana Market

Provides Custom Service to a Few Vendors

Production Volumes of Ground Nuts (Peanuts) Especially Has Declined in Recent Years

Marie-Claire is Workshop Participant From Bana

Conservation Agriculture and Farm Field School Workshop (Village of Bana)

First Morning of Three Day Conservation Farming Workshop

Participants Appreciate the CF Study Guides

Participants Also Appreciate the Notebooks and Pen Handouts

Jean Waoupi From Division of Agriculture Translates Into Local Dialect

Participants Make Good Use of Digital Technology

Practical Demonstrations Introduce Basic Principles

Show Differences Btw. Various Soil Types

Philip From Agriculture Delegation Trained in Soil

Science. Knows His Stuff!

--- And Now --- to the Farm Field School

Planting and Other Materials

Laying Out the Site

Marking the Spots For Planting Holes (les Trous)(Emphasis on Leaving Previous Crop Residue Btw. Rows)

Digging Planting Holes With the Hoe

Applying Fertilizer (Dried Poultry Manure)From Bafoussam

Why the Mask?

Cassava Stems Selected For Planting

Participants Discuss Whether to Plant Cassava Stems Vertically or Horizontal?

---- and Roger Recommends ----

“Plant the Cassava Stems Vertical”

Workshop Rules Call For the Group to Appoint a Reporter and Summarize Each Day’s Proceedings

Bana Farm Field School Participants

Marie-Claire Brings Special Treat (Roast Corn)

Signing Completion Certificates

Certificates of Completion Are Proudly Displayed

Special Acknowledgments & Good ByeCelebrations at Bana (Dec. 2012)

The 1st and 2nd Gentlemen Front Row Left and the Two Ladies 2nd Row Right (2nd and 3rd in from Oussematou who is in Green Dress) Are Special Guests of IDF at this Event. They Certainly Represent and Testify to the Humanitarian Role Played By IDF in the Cameroon.

Time to Say Goodbye

CAMEROON

CONSERVATION FARMING

END OF PART ONE