Sewalanka Foundation is participating in ecological farmer-to-farmer exchanges with the United States as part of a program to promote experiential training and cross-cultural opportunities for aspiring agriculturists.

Five Sri Lankans have joined young people from around the world to participate in agriculture training in the USA

A group of aspiring and enthusiastic young development workers with agricultural backgrounds, leadership qualities and a strong desire to promote sustainable agriculture in Sri Lanka recently headed to the USA to gain hands-on sustainable agricultural experience.

As part of a new and exciting training opportunity, Sewalanka Foundation has partnered with Multinational Exchange for Sustainable Agriculture (MESA) of Berkeley, California to send five young Sri Lankans to the USA for eight months. These representatives are currently serving as interns on market-oriented organic farms.

Saranga from Sewalanka headquarters in Colombo, Indika from Sewalanka's Hambantota office, Kalaivanen from Sewalanka's Jaffna office, Renuka from the Department of Agriculture in Polonnaruwa and Manathunga from Sewalanka in Ampara began their placements in March and will work in the USA for the entire growing season. Sewalanka's Program Director and Sustainable Agriculture Advisor Ms Amanda Kiessel explained that the program emphasises experiential learning through a hands-on approach.

"The trainees will have an opportunity to improve their English through daily communication and will be exposed to new organic agricultural techniques and marketing strategies. They will work with the MESA representatives and their host farms to develop a plan for adapting these ideas to their home communities," Ms Kiessel said.

Sewalanka Sustainable Agriculture Coordinator Ms Chamari Lakmali said that the MESA participants have been sending regular updates in English. "During the first month, they had difficulty adjusting to the climate, but now they say the weather is like Sri Lanka. Sometimes they use the fresh vegetables on their farms to prepare Sri Lankan curries for their new friends."

"The interns are being kept very busy, working an average of 48 hours a week until the end of the season. They are working on four farms across the USA," she said.

MESA is covering living expenses, visa support, orientation and exit seminars, a monthly stipend, medical insurance and domestic travel. The host farms often coordinate visits to neighbouring farms and encourage the interns to participate in relevant conferences and training.

MESA has been coordinating farmer-to-farmer exchanges for the past ten years. Sewalanka became a Global Partner in 2006 and is currently working closely with MESA to select the next intake and identify potential funding partners for future programs.

Intern profiles

 

Intern:	Manathunga
Sewalanka office:	Ampara
Age:	32
Host farm:	Coleman Family Farm
Location:	Carpenteria, California
Farm description:	Coleman Family Farm is an eight-acre market garden in Carpenteria. The farm cultivates mixed specialty crops including 190 types of vegetables, herbs, fruits and flowers. Carpenteria grows organic herbs and lettuce varieties from around the world.
Training:	Manathunga's training is focused on the intensive production of diversified fruit and vegetable crops. Since Coleman Family Farm is small by US standards, they place a strong emphasis on farm design and market-oriented production. Many of the varieties that Manathunga is growing at his host farm could be produced in Sri Lankan conditions. Coleman Family Farm grows primarily for local retail markets and encourages consumers to 'buy locally' to ensure freshness, sustainability, and local food security. Manathunga is receiving instruction in customer awareness, post-harvest techniques, efficient transactions, attractive display management, and consumer education strategies.

 

Intern:	Renuka
Sewalanka office:	Polonnaruwa
Age:	32
Host farm:	Terry's Berries and Veggies
Location:	Tacoma, Washington State
Farm description:	Terry's Berries is a 20-acre market farm located in the urban fringe of Tacoma, Washington State. The farm maintains eight acres of berries and seven acres of vegetable crops, culinary herbs and cut flowers. Terry's Berries sell most of their crops through community-supported agriculture (CSA) systems.
Training:	Renuka's training at Terry's Berries is providing an introduction to the horticultural skills necessary for managing a bio-intensive market farm that includes berries, garden vegetables and poultry. She is learning about bed layout and irrigation, crop planning and rotation, effective record-keeping, field fertility and mulching systems, crop spacings and timings, and post-harvest handling techniques. These organic techniques are well-suited to her extension work in Polonnaruwa, where she promotes organic homegarden cultivation and diversified production to improve household nutrition. Renuka is also learning about direct marketing strategies through the farm's Community Supported Agriculture scheme and on-site retail shop.

 

Intern:	Indika
Sewalanka office:	Hambantota
Age:	33
Host farm:	Next Step Produce
Location:	Charles County, Maryland
Farm description:	Next Step Produce is located just south of Washington DC. Of its 80 certified organic acres, about 15 are devoted to vegetables. The farm's bounty is sold at a farmers' market and to local restaurants. Next Step is aiming for a sustainable farming system with minimal outside inputs.
Training:	Indika and Kalaivanen's training at Next Step has a particularly strong emphasis on organic soil fertility management. They are learning about mulching and cover crops for soil building, windrow composting, crop rotation for humus formation and soil health, and the preparation of Effective Microoganism solutions and worm-casting extracts. Indika and Kalaivanen are getting more experience with tractor implements for transplanting, weeding, and harvesting. Since Next Step markets its produce at a popular farmers' market in Washington DC, they are also learning how to sort, bunch, wash, pack, and store vegetables for market. The farm adds value through the quality and appearance of its products.

 

Intern:	Kalaivanen
Sewalanka office:	Jaffna
Age:	32
Host farm:	Next Step Produce
Location:	Charles County, Maryland
Farm description:	Next Step Produce is located just south of Washington DC. Of its 80 certified organic acres, about 15 are devoted to vegetables. The farm's bounty is sold at a farmers' market and to local restaurants. Next Step is aiming for a sustainable farming system with minimal outside inputs.
Training:	Indika and Kalaivanen's training at Next Step has a particularly strong emphasis on organic soil fertility management. They are learning about mulching and cover crops for soil building, windrow composting, crop rotation for humus formation and soil health, and the preparation of Effective Microoganism solutions and worm-casting extracts. Indika and Kalaivanen are getting more experience with tractor implements for transplanting, weeding, and harvesting. Since Next Step markets its produce at a popular farmers' market in Washington DC, they are also learning how to sort, bunch, wash, pack, and store vegetables for market. The farm adds value through the quality and appearance of its products.

 

Intern:	Saranga
Sewalanka office:	Headquarters (Colombo)
Age:	29
Host farm:	New Morning Farm
Location:	stontown, Pennsylvania
Farm description:	The 95-acre New Morning Farm has 30 acres of crops in the mountains of rural south-central Pennsylvania. The farm grows 50 different crops, including garden favourites, berries and culinary herbs. Products are sold at farmers' markets in Washington DC. The farm is certified organic, with a crew of six live-in apprentices and six to 12-hourly workers in season.
Training:	Since New Morning accepts a number of American apprentices each season in addition to its MESA intern, Saranga has a more structured training program that includes morning meetings and weekly 2-hour seminars on a chosen topic. She is learning about all aspects of diversified production systems with an emphasis on organic techniques for weed and pest control. Saranga is also getting hands-on marketing experience. New Morning sells most of its produce directly at highly competitive farmers markets.