Dear supporter,

AgriCorps continues to refine its mission of connecting American agriculture volunteers to the demand for school-based, agricultural education in the developing world.  With our seven corps members in Ghana, we have learned that this mission produces three outcomes.  First, we develop globally minded American agriculture professionals with experience living abroad.  Through the AgriCorps Training Institute and extended international experience, corps members develop their professional skills that set them apart from their peers for careers in agricultural education, extension, agribusiness, farming, or development.  Second, we produce young leaders in developing countries committed to farming as a science and a business.  Through the agricultural education model, AgriCorps shifts the paradigms of young people from farmer equals peasant to farmer equals businessperson.  This paradigm shift is critical to produce our third outcome: enhancing food security in developing countries through improved agriculture production and value chains.  Not only do we train future farmers, our corps members work with current farmers to expand market access and increase production yields.  I hope you will continue to support the impact of AgriCorps as we move into 2015! 

Cheers,
Trent McKnight
Founder

RECRUITMENT UPDATE
Audrey Denney
Director of Recruitment & Marketing

We are thrilled to announce that we have selected 19 fantastic AgriCorps members to serve the 2015-16 academic year.  They represent 16 different universities from coast to coast. Six have completed masters degrees, and the rest have bachelors degrees in diverse agricultural fields. We are also thrilled to have two high school agriculture teachers joining us and one returning corps member who will serve as a team leader.  To meet the new team, make sure to follow us on Facebook!

Make sure to check out our re-designed website!
https://agricorps.org

GIVE TO AGRICORPS

It costs $30,000 to fund the work of one AgriCorps Member (ACM). This money not only supports the individual ACM, but it also supports their work with 4-H Ghana and the thousands of students in that organization studying agriculture.

AgriCorps depends on contributions from people like you.  To support the mission of AgriCorps, you can make a charitable contribution by clicking here to visit our “Give” Page!

Success Stories from Ghana!

The Adarkwa Junior High School’s abundance of land and resources presented an opportunity to begin a new entrepreneurial project. Forty-five overgrown palm trees, previously used to produce palm oil, were sold to a local businessman from a neighboring community. The funds acquired through the sale provided enough money to paint the school, invest in 300 new oil palm tree seeds, and start a cocoa nursery of approximately 1000 seeds. The profit obtained will be managed by the 4-H Club with the supervision of the 4-H advisor and school staff to make sure that the enterprise projects are a continuous part of the school’s education.

4-H Saviour embarked on a new project this past term. With the help of some community donations and a small loan, the club was able to construct a 4-room swine rearing structure to house two 4-month piglets that were donated by a local pig farmer. The club hopes to find at least one other gilt to supplement the project and produce more litters of piglets within the next year. The 4-H Saviour Piggery Enterprise project is a just another opportunity for 4-H youth to demonstrate entrepreneurial skills, develop husbandry skills, and connect to their local community through collaboration and donations.

SEDACOE 4-H was started last fall and is the first Collegiate 4-H club in Ghana!  The club has accomplished many things in their first semester. The club did an arts and culture tie and dye project, planted a vegetable garden, and gave a presentation to the entire school on leadership, just to name a few. This semester they are planting a maize farm, starting a 4-H club in the SHS (senior high school) on campus, going on an excursion, and maybe even starting a mushroom project!

Click here to see the video used for the school-wide presentation.