Combat Farming
August 9, 2013 3:49 PM Subscribe
"Through my business, I worked in Afghanistan on agriculture projects designed to assist with stabilization efforts in the region. I want to share with you some of the lessons learned along with some photos. I hope these are beneficial to those of you looking into or already working on low tech, sustainable farming/gardening projects here in the states." A first-person account of working with the locals to reconnect them with the land.
"In Afghanistan many people lost their knowledge of farming due to 30-years of war. Many cannot read or write so in the past they learned from their elders passing on knowledge. This chain of information was deeply impacted by war...loss of life, being displaced from their homes and/or living in refugee camps has all but wiped out the current population's knowledge of farming." Combat Farmer went to Afghanistan as part of a team dedicated to tackling this problem. He came back with great photos and interesting observations about his experiences there.
Some background:
* Afghans Expanding Pomegranate Exports (2007): "Talk to an Indian fruit seller and he'll instinctively know that (Afghan pomegranates) are the best in the world."
* Creating Afghan Pomegranate ‘Farm-to-Market’ Linkages (2007): "Three days after harvest, six metric tons of pomegranates were loaded onto an Antonov 12 cargo aircraft, similar to the ones used to transport troops during the Russian occupation in Afghanistan. This time, the aircraft was used for a different mission: it carried the first direct air freight shipment of pomegranates to be delivered to the Emirate of Dubai."
* Why we should buy Afghan pomegranates (2010) : "For thirty years we have only seen war and terrorism in our country, but we have always had this fruit and now foreigners want to buy them again. It is a blessing for us."
* Mississippi National Guard Help Build Afghan Farm Industry (2012) : "When you don't have other crops then you resort to illegal crops. if we can teach them how to grow vegetables, things to help them feed their families and things that they can do to raise their livestock to where they'll have meat to eat then those other things will go by the wayside."
* Mississippi Guard Soldiers teach Afghan farmers water, soil management (2013): "The mission of the Zabul Agribusiness Development Team, comprised of Soldiers from the Mississippi Army National Guard, is to work with the Afghan populace on an array of agricultural topics; particularly, water management, soil conservation and animal health."
[Note: Please aware that the hosting site contains images and descriptions of firearms.]
"In Afghanistan many people lost their knowledge of farming due to 30-years of war. Many cannot read or write so in the past they learned from their elders passing on knowledge. This chain of information was deeply impacted by war...loss of life, being displaced from their homes and/or living in refugee camps has all but wiped out the current population's knowledge of farming." Combat Farmer went to Afghanistan as part of a team dedicated to tackling this problem. He came back with great photos and interesting observations about his experiences there.
Some background:
* Afghans Expanding Pomegranate Exports (2007): "Talk to an Indian fruit seller and he'll instinctively know that (Afghan pomegranates) are the best in the world."
* Creating Afghan Pomegranate ‘Farm-to-Market’ Linkages (2007): "Three days after harvest, six metric tons of pomegranates were loaded onto an Antonov 12 cargo aircraft, similar to the ones used to transport troops during the Russian occupation in Afghanistan. This time, the aircraft was used for a different mission: it carried the first direct air freight shipment of pomegranates to be delivered to the Emirate of Dubai."
* Why we should buy Afghan pomegranates (2010) : "For thirty years we have only seen war and terrorism in our country, but we have always had this fruit and now foreigners want to buy them again. It is a blessing for us."
* Mississippi National Guard Help Build Afghan Farm Industry (2012) : "When you don't have other crops then you resort to illegal crops. if we can teach them how to grow vegetables, things to help them feed their families and things that they can do to raise their livestock to where they'll have meat to eat then those other things will go by the wayside."
* Mississippi Guard Soldiers teach Afghan farmers water, soil management (2013): "The mission of the Zabul Agribusiness Development Team, comprised of Soldiers from the Mississippi Army National Guard, is to work with the Afghan populace on an array of agricultural topics; particularly, water management, soil conservation and animal health."
[Note: Please aware that the hosting site contains images and descriptions of firearms.]
"He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore."--Isaiah
posted by resurrexit at 5:14 PM on August 9, 2013 [3 favorites]
posted by resurrexit at 5:14 PM on August 9, 2013 [3 favorites]
I had never considered needing to berm around beds rather than raise them during drought conditions or in arid environments. This is a very interesting article.
posted by ob1quixote at 5:45 PM on August 9, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by ob1quixote at 5:45 PM on August 9, 2013 [1 favorite]
Not sure I understand his business model.
Likely a contractor for a USAID project or pool of funds administered by the DoD to teach "scientific" farming methods to the local populace.
posted by thewalrus at 5:53 PM on August 9, 2013 [1 favorite]
From direct personal experience, for those wondering "Why pomegranate juice?": Afghanistan is a really expensive place to export cash crop fruits from. Being land locked and on the far side of high mountain passes makes it more difficult, plus the distance from the ocean. Pomegranates are one of the fruits that grows particularly well in the climate there, and can be processed locally into juice which has a relatively high value in terms of $$ per litre.
Most other things that grow in Afghanistan (aside from opium) are not economical to export and will actually lose money by the time they reach their destination....
posted by thewalrus at 6:03 PM on August 9, 2013 [4 favorites]
Most other things that grow in Afghanistan (aside from opium) are not economical to export and will actually lose money by the time they reach their destination....
posted by thewalrus at 6:03 PM on August 9, 2013 [4 favorites]
Not sure I understand his business model.
As a US contractor I guess he can't be too honest about the economics of opium production. No matter how good you are at growing vegetables and meat, if you want to make $$$ then you grow the most valuable cash crop you can.
posted by Meatbomb at 7:54 PM on August 9, 2013
As a US contractor I guess he can't be too honest about the economics of opium production. No matter how good you are at growing vegetables and meat, if you want to make $$$ then you grow the most valuable cash crop you can.
posted by Meatbomb at 7:54 PM on August 9, 2013
Excellent post. Thanks, MonkeyToes.
posted by homunculus at 10:33 PM on August 9, 2013
posted by homunculus at 10:33 PM on August 9, 2013
A vehicle movement I was a turret gunner on had a guy from the department of agriculture as part of it. Guy was just out there driving the Afghan roads in a white toyota sedan. I mean sure he was part of our convoy, but even so that's pretty intense. An IED would have killed either of us, but he could get taken out by some dickhead taking potshots with an AK, and at least we were pretty safe from that in the humvees. I was pretty impressed by his willingness to do that, regardless of how much he was getting paid.
posted by kavasa at 5:46 AM on August 10, 2013 [3 favorites]
posted by kavasa at 5:46 AM on August 10, 2013 [3 favorites]
As Meatbomb said:
Despite $541 million that the U.S. Agency for International Development has spent over the past three years in alternative livelihoods assistance to subsidize prices and lower the cost of production through the donation of agricultural tools or fertilizers, wheat is still nowhere near as profitable as poppy.
The total value of the Afghan opiate economy is estimated at roughly $2.4 billion (in U.S. dollars), equivalent to 15 percent of the country’s licit GDP.
posted by dhartung at 2:12 PM on August 10, 2013 [1 favorite]
Despite $541 million that the U.S. Agency for International Development has spent over the past three years in alternative livelihoods assistance to subsidize prices and lower the cost of production through the donation of agricultural tools or fertilizers, wheat is still nowhere near as profitable as poppy.
The total value of the Afghan opiate economy is estimated at roughly $2.4 billion (in U.S. dollars), equivalent to 15 percent of the country’s licit GDP.
posted by dhartung at 2:12 PM on August 10, 2013 [1 favorite]
Actually, I gained a couple worthwhile tips. Granted put neighbor Agent Orange went a bit crazy with the Round-Up, so we won't plant food next year, just sunflowers, great BIG Russian Imperials, but around here that berm tip would be fairly useful.
posted by Katjusa Roquette at 7:19 PM on August 10, 2013
posted by Katjusa Roquette at 7:19 PM on August 10, 2013
This is a fantastic post. Thank you!
posted by chemoboy at 10:44 PM on August 10, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by chemoboy at 10:44 PM on August 10, 2013 [1 favorite]
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posted by parmanparman at 4:26 PM on August 9, 2013