Progress Report

Projects being implemented:

1. Apple project with Project Aldea Global:
   
   
   1. Vermont volunteers completed the second apple project in November. They worked on post-harvest care of trees, pruning, and information gathering re: new apple varieties.
   
   
2. Food processing project with Aldea Global:
   
   
   1. Four volunteers corrected the mechanical problems in the two Aldea Global food processing projects. The group included experts in electrical, mechanical, refrigeration, and steam generation. These volunteers were from Pennsylvania.
   2. Problems related to the preparation and processing of the various fruits available to the processing center. Brian Norder, Project Coordinator, Vermont Food Venture Center, a multi-tech center that helps value added food producers develop and market their projects, is very willing to work with PAG. This project is being planned for 1998.
   
   
3. CIDDICO - Centro Internacional de Informacion Sobre Cultivos de Cobertura, Milton Flores, Dir.
   
   
   1. Velba Bean Project: The purpose of this project is to remove the "EL dopa" toxin from the Velba bean grown as a cover crop and used as food for human and animal consumption. The project is currently researching and analyzing the bean, future volunteers will gather local information about the bean, focusing on methods currently used for removal of "El dopa" and test these methods to determine their appropriateness for use by growers of the bean. Dr. Lynn Carew, Nutritionist at the University of Vermont returned to Honduras for his third assignment working on this project.
   2. Promoting Organic Agriculture Project: The goal of this project is to provide training and technical assistance to Centros de Enseñanza y Aprendizaje (CEA’S). The CEAS are a group of farmer/promotors who serve as consultants to Honduran development agencies. One of the group was a promoter for the Sabanagrande project.
           This project provides an excellent way for Vt. organic farmers to get involved in providing technical assistance that will be transferred directly to Honduran campesinos. Volunteers with pest control skills, inter-cropping, soil construction, compost, worm cultures, etc. are needed. There is the potential of fielding 3-4 volunteers in this project during the next year.
      
   
   
4. Projects with FHIA: We are calculating that FHIA will request about 4-5 volunteer per year. Dale Krigsvold is the project coordinator, he is working with his field people to develop the following projects:
   
   
   1. Seedling production: production of vegetable plants for sale to local growers who then plant for production. They are especially interested in plug planting. Their idea is to develop community "viveros" where local farmers come to buy already started plants. This should be a good request for Vermont. All Vt. veggie growers start their plants indoors because the growing season is so short.
   2. Sweet corn specialist: FHIA has developed a sweet corn variety for Honduras. Everyone here has tried to grow sweet corn with little success, now there is a Honduran variety and FHIA wants to know if there is a market for sweet corn, where it might be, and how to access it, etc.. I think the idea is a great one and look forward to finally being able to grow sweet corn. They want a volunteer who can help move this project from the experimental stage to reality.
   3. Organic vegetable specialists: Volunteers who can help with fertilizers, soils, worm culture, pest control, and marketing. All good topics for Vt.
   4. Irrigation volunteers: experts who can develop practical, low tech., low cost systems to get water to plants during the dry season.
   5. Refrigeration specialist: Might not sound like an agriculture project, but low cost cold storage facilities are very important to farmers. FHIA's idea is to develop collection centers in strategic locations so farmers can store their produce before marketing.
   
   
5. Peace Corps Honduras: Peace Corps missions implement FTF projects. They present their projects to Partners for approval and support in recruiting.
   

Projects in planning stage:

1. Agro-foresrty project with Smartwood, a Vermont based program working towards sustainable forest management. During August and September John Chater will meet with Dagoberto Irias, Executive Dir Honduras Siempre Verde and local forestry groups interested in developing agro-forestry projects.
   
   
2. PLAN de Honduras: A FTF presentation has been made to Chris. Johnson, Director of PLAN to develop one or two projects. Focus will be organic agriculture. PLAN is known as Foster Parents Plan in the U.S.
   
   
3. Agro- Ecology project: This project will combine the FTF program and the Partners’ Conservation Corps program to teach agro-forestry techniques to participating groups. The first activity for this project is planned for January 1998 and will be a two week camp attended by Honduran environmental practitioners and interested volunteers from Vermont and Honduras. Mexican Conservation Corps will serve as volunteer staff. In addition to teaching agro-forestry techniques the camp will do conservation work projects (trail building ) in the national park and demonstration agro-systems that are compatible with forests. The site of the camp will be Pargue Nacional Cerro Azul Meambar (PANACAM).      "The PANACAM Park is a primary water supply for, and lies between the "El Cajon" dam and Lake Yojoa. Both generate hydroelectric power for Honduras. Project focus is on Park protection by applying the recently passed national environmental law and through public education. Appropriate agro-forestry practices will halt forest destruction and promote protection of remaining natural resources."
        Dates for the camp will be January 17 through 31, 1998. The camp will be located in the "Los Pinos" site which has a lodge capable of housing 40 persons.