Farmer support studies have a very interesting program of adopting a farmer or community of farmers. We work with you to identify a farmer of your interest or liking, then we connect you to that farmer or community of farmers. When you are connected to the farmer or set of farmers, you adopt them and they adopt you. Adopting a farmer or community of farmers means creating a relationship, through which you exchange knowledge with each other. The relationship is symbiotic and mutually beneficial, in that you share with the farmers what you know and they also share with you what they know. The final outcome is that you all become better farmers, richer in knowledge and experiences.k
Why adopting a farmer or community of farmers is critical
There are so many farmers in Uganda, and yes, the world over, who struggle daily to get the basic instruments and tools they need for their trade. Poverty is real and it hits rural farmers hardest. Obtaining quality seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, and other inputs can be such a hustle. A little help for these farmers can go a long way in alleviating their challenges. The timely acquisition of inputs for farmers is very important. By adopting a farmer or community of farmers, you may assist them to acquire these inputs in a timely manner. That way, farm yields can increase. You will develop a direct relationship with your adopted farmer or community of farmers, from where you can discuss additional productivity-enhancing projects.
How adopting a farmer or community of farmers works
Step One
You spell out the type of farmer or community of farmers you would like to adopt. These could be, for example, agronomists or crop farmers. Even among these, you may be interested in cash crop or food crop producers. This category can be subdivided further into either perennial or annual crop producers. With help from the World Bank, Uganda has clustered its agricultural regions into 12 clusters, depending on contextual appropriateness. You could also elect to work with livestock farmers. These could be cattle keepers, bee farmers, fish farmers, poultry, rabbit, or pig farmers. Please note, however, that most farmers in Uganda are mixed farmers, which means they keep livestock and grow crops. Even for the crops, they generally mix them.
Step Two
Once you have determined the type of farmer or community of farmers that you would like to work with, FSS will give you options. You will receive detailed information about the farmer or community of farmers, including their location, what type of farming they practice, etc. We shall then work out a common set of expectations between you and the farmers.
Step Three
We then introduce you to your farmers or community or farmers and the relationship begins. From the moment we introduce you to your farmers, FSS takes back-stage and only monitors your relationship through progress reports. In the event of a misunderstanding, which normally arises due to accountability challenges, FSS steps in to arbitrate and make sure that we arrive at an amicable solution. So do not delay, please sign up and you get rolling with your farmer or community of farmers. In addition to adopting a farmer or community of farmers, FSS has many other exciting programs, through which farmers educate farmers.
You can make a difference in someone’s life, by lending a helping hand.
“Give someone a fish today, and they will have a meal for today, but they will be hungry again tomorrow. Teach them how to fish, and they will feed themselves for a season. Work with them to grow their own fish and they will prosper for generations”.
After adopting a farmer or community of farmers
After the parties have agreed to adopt and be adopted, they sign an MOU to guide the relationship outlining terms and expectations. FSS is a 3rd party to the MOU playing a supportive role in the implementation and monitoring of progress. Periodically the 3 parties shall conduct reviews of the plans and progress.