16 Nov 2011
Southeast Farm Press
UGA’s Agriculture Training Continues To Help In Afghanistan
By April Reese Sorrow, University of Georgia
The unit of the National Guard received agriculture training from the University of Georgia College of
Agricultural and Environmental Sciences experts in February. Now, they are sharing that knowledge with
the Afghan people.
UGA GRADUATES prepare to hang a university flag over their barracks in Wardack, Afghanistan.
Pictured are: (left to right) Major John Gary Church, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources;
Lieutenant. Colonel Catherine Tait, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences; Major George McCommon,
CAES and College of Veterinary Medicine; and Sergeant. Carmen Benson, CAES.
In the Wardak Province of Afghanistan, the Georgia Agribusiness Development Team continues to work,
building the country's economy and confidence through education.
The unit of the National Guard received agriculture training from the University of Georgia College of
Agricultural and Environmental Sciences experts in February. Now, they are sharing that knowledge with
the Afghan people.
Sgt. Carmen Benson, a CAES agricultural education graduate and ADT horticulture expert, recently held
a seed germination class for Afghan farmers in the Maiden Shahr district. Back home, Benson teaches
sixth through eighth grade students at South Effingham Middle School.
"There were some similarities (in teaching), but I really appreciated their professionalism; they were able
to have discussions with me, and they seem very passionate about their jobs," said Benson. "Not only
were they learning from me, but I was learning from them as well."
The team is conducting similar training throughout the region.
In February, 21 members of the 201st
Agribusiness Development Team visited the UGA campus in Athens to get hands-on training from
specialists with the CAES. The guardsmen learned about irrigation, crop production, pest management,
soils assessment, livestock management and food storage.
"Our job is to help the Afghans change their practices through education, mentorship and easy-to-train,
easy-to-sustain crop, livestock, water and land-management projects that fit their culture and
environment," said Col. Bill Williams, who runs the ADT.
More than 70 percent of Afghanistan residents are farmers, yet many lack the knowledge to produce
viable crops and productive yields. "Our goal is to assist the government in administering these
programs by mentoring them so that the government can run them," Williams said.
"Assisting the farmers and villages in creating markets for their food so they can be more self-sufficient
and not dependent on foreign imports is a key component to our mission." Georgia is one of five states preparing units with agriculture experience to aid Afghanistan. Georgia
National Guard made a three-year commitment to return to Afghanistan for agriculture training.
The second ADT to deploy to Afghanistan is training on the UGA Tifton campus Nov. 14-18. CAES
experts will hold trainings to better prepare the Guard for its mission.
"This is not a typical training session for us, but when the Georgia National Guard asked for help, we
wanted to do all we could," said Steve Brown, assistant dean for UGA Cooperative Extension. "While our
scientists may not be experts in Afghan agriculture, the basics are the same worldwide.”