LOCAL farmers involved in producing vegetables using hydroponics and shade-house /greenhouse production methods are getting a boost for their operations as they receive training from a specialist under an Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)-financed Hydroponic Vegetable Production and Marketing Project. The training has been organized to run over the period May 16 to 30 by the Partners of the Americas’ Farmer-to-Farmer Programme, and the main specialist in its conduct is Dr. Robin Brumfeld, a Professor from Rutgers University.
Besides Dr. Brumfield, Partners of the Americas’ Farmer-to-Farmer Programme is supporting the visits of Mr. Michael Driver, a graduate of the Veterans Sustainable Agriculture Training (VSAT) Programme at Archie’s Acres Farm in Valley Center, California; and Mr. Michael Harker, a former Peace Corps volunteer with years of experience in business management and consulting services relative to the agricultural production industry.
Mr. Harker’s visit began yesterday and will last until May 27. Mr. Michael Driver, a successful greenhouse operator in Montana, USA, has been in Guyana since April 18, and will end his stint on May 17.
The Partners of the Americas’ Farmer-to-Farmer Programme aims at improving economic opportunities in rural areas of Latin America and the Caribbean, by increasing food production and distribution, promoting better farm and marketing operations, and conserving natural resources.
In Guyana, hydrophonics — soilless agriculture — as a method of food production has been gaining in popularity in both urban and rural areas, particularly in the Hilly Sand and Clay Belt, and especially in and around Linden, in the Region Ten (Upper Demerara/ Upper Berbice) area.
The technique is said to be growing in popularity largely because it makes possible the production of fresh, healthy vegetables throughout the year, regardless of weather conditions.

The Partners of the Americas has sponsored the visit of the U.S-based Dr. Robin Brumfeld to help these farmers to be more efficient in their production, thereby enhancing profitability of their operations.

Professor Dr. Robin Brumfield is a specialist in farm financial management and greenhouse production.
Partners of the Americas said that Dr. Brumfield will share her expertise with shadehouse operators in Region 2 (Pomeroon/Supenaam), Region 3 (West Demerara/Essequibo Islands) and Region 4 (Demerara/Mahaica) through a combination of field visits and classroom training, which will expose participants and project staff to vegetable cost analysis, the development of enterprise budgets for vegetable crops, and business planning.
Peggy Carlson, Farmer-to-Farmer Programme Director, said: “The shadehouse training provides important information for small-scale vegetable producers, to monitor costs of their operations and relevant tools on how to take advantage of niche markets.”
The Partners of the Americas release quoted Dr. Brumfeld as saying: “I am honoured to be able to help shadehouse producers in Guyana better understand and manage their costs, so that they can be more profitable.”
Partners of the Americas said that support for Dr. Brumfield’s training programme in Guyana is facilitated by the Florida Association for Volunteer Action in the Caribbean and the Americas, Inc. (FAVACA.)

Chris Beyer, FAVACA programme manager, said: “FAVACA is thrilled to be partnering with Partners in Guyana with the joint goal to further increase the food security in the region. Dr. Brumfield’s skills and expertise are a terrific match for the request to hold trainings on financial management.”
The programme is supported by the U.S. Congress and USAID as part of the U.S. foreign assistance program.
The specialist Mr. Harker will provide training in marketing hydroponic vegetables. He will assist local hydroponic vegetable producers in identifying key markets for their produce, and will recommend strategies for marketing these goods to supermarkets, hotels, restaurants, and individual households.
Mr. Michael Driver, a successful greenhouse operator in Montana, is setting up a pilot drip irrigation/fertigation system.
He will also provide guidance on the use of organic pesticides, and will set up a model Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) system.

Partners of the Americas is a private, non-profit, non-partisan organization with international offices in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1964, it links U.S. states with Latin American and Caribbean countries, in partnerships that use the energy and skills of citizen volunteers, their institutions and communities to address shared concerns of social, economic and cultural development.
Farmer-to-Farmer brings together agricultural professionals and practitioners from the U.S. and the Caribbean, who serve as volunteers, working with farmers and agribusiness owners in Guyana, Haiti and Jamaica, to identify local needs and design projects to address them.