Peace Corps Seeks Farm Volunteers Here
The Peace Corps, with the aid of the State Extension
services in Pennsylvania, conducted a major agricultural
recruitment drive in southeastern Pennsylvania during the
last half of March.
With the assistance of Mr. M. M. Smith and Mr. J. Smith,
County Extension agents for York and Lancaster, Peace
Corps agricultural representatives have arranged to hold a
meeting with free movies on March 27,1974. The meeting will
be in the basement of the Farm and Home Center, 1383 Ar
cadia Road in Lancaster, from 6 P.M. to 9 P.M. Everyone is
welcome to attend.
r
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“The drive has two goals,” explained Earl McGinty,
Agricultural Recruitment Coordinator for the northeast.
“These are,” he explained, “to explain to people with
agricultural experience what they can contribute to the
people of developing nations and exactly what a Peace Corps
program offers them in return,”
Howard Conley, recently returned from two years’
volunteer service in one of India’s government livestock
production farms, will be visiting with farmers in these
regions to explain ongoing and upcoming agricultural
programs with the Peace Corps.
Conley stated “the many countries we serve are familiar
with the achievements of the American farmer. They con
tinually overwhelm us with requests for experienced farmers
to work in extension, production and management
programs.”
There are more than 7,000 volunteers living in 68 countries.
Of these, 30 per cent work in specific agricultural programs.
Many other volunteers devote a portion of their time to
agricultural projects, simply because food production in
many developing nations is insufficient.
“Through radio, television and newspapers, we attempt to
tell farmers that the Peace Corps needs them. But, both
McGinty and Conley agreed, “nothing works as well as
personally talking with farmers.”
In outlining the recruitment campaign, they noted that
Peace Corps’ agricultural specialists will be teaming with
extension personnel in Pennsylvania and Delaware and with
area residents who have served as volunteers.
“Overseas, the need for experienced farmers is wide
spread, so agricultural recruiting is a demanding job,”
emphasized Frank Pixley, who runs the skill desk in Peace
Corps’ Washington office.
Pixley, formerly a bean and dairy fanner in New York
State, said that in order to recruit enough experienced far
mers, Peace Corps representatives will criss-cross the
Philadelphia-Dover area. Because those representatives
have worked as volunteers in Peace Corps agricultural
programs, they can share first-hand experiences with
prospects and explain in detail the various programs that
would utilize each farmer’s know-how.
McGinty, with four years of crop production in Sierra
Leone behind him, talked about the contribution an ex
perienced farmer can make: “Overseas, farmers have the
same kinds of problems that your grandfather and my
grandfather faced, without today’s solutions. They need help
from people like you, people who understand modem far
ming techniques and have a feel for the land and the people
who work it.”
Street Address & R.D.
City, State and Zip Code
FARMING
MEMO
HAY, STRAW
and EAR CORN
SALE
EVERY MONDAY
AT 11A.M.
New Holland Sales
Stables, Inc.
Phone 717-354-4341
Lloyd H. Kreider, Auct.
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, Mar. 23,1974 —
“There are millions of small subsistence farmers arounc
the world who need to know about the new varieties of crops,
and the improved package of practices that are the key tc
successful production. There is also a great need to improvr
~the breeding, care and feeding of dairy cattle, sheep and
hogs. These farmers are not looking for a handout or a free
sack of grain; they want and need a face-to-face con
frontation with an American farmer to leam his attitudes, hit
approaches, and his goals,” he said.
McGinty added that finding out about new advances ir
agriculture and putting them to use is something that corner
as second nature to most American fanners. But farmers ii
developing countries are literally starving for help, fo 1
someone who can help them leam better ways to farm.
For example, in Equador, where livestock improvement
receives high priority, Peace Corps volunteers are helping to
breed and distribute better lines of beef and dairy cattle.
In Malaysia, volunteers assist local extension services t(
organize fanners’ associations and then promote crop anc
livestock information, bookkeepping and marketing prac
tices.
In June a typical, but much needed program, will begin ir
northern India. Volunteers will work with the Department o.
Animal Husbandry in Intensive Cattle Development areas,
some volunteers will be stationed at government farms foi
Holsteins-Freisan and Jersey cows. In an effort to meet
India’s economic and social goals, volunteers in this program
will work with farmers to improve cattle management and
feeding, increase milk production and bolster farmers’ in
come. The majority of volunteers will work in extension
through regional Artificial Insemination Centers.
Similar to the India program is one in Peru. Here ex
perienced farmers are working with Peruvian dairymen to
improve pasture use. Volunteers are introducing different
types of pens, handling facilities and milking parlors. They
are also involved in an A.I. breeding program and carry out
vaccination programs.
A variety of programs will begin this summer throughout
Africa, Asia and Latin America in general extension,
irrigation, machinery operation, cooperative management,
vegetable farming, livestock and crop production.
Due to the nature of the work and living conditions, most
volunteers in Peace Corps agricultural programs are single
men, McGinty pointed out. However, there are programs for
married couples and a very few positions for families with
one or two children.
Volunteers must be twenty years old, and service is for two
years. All expenses concerned with day-to-day living costs,
travel, medicine and hospitalization are paid by the Peace
Corps.
Two years as a volunteer provide 48 days vacation and a
special vacation allowance. An additional sum of money ($75-
mo.-volunteer) is amassed in the states and is available on
return to this country.
McGinty speculated on the kinds of people they would like
to talk to about Peace Corps during the drive: “Someone who
is farming right now, of course. We would also like to explain
Peace Corps to people who are no longer in agriculture, also.
Growing up on a farm, or just spending summers on one, is
often adequate preparation to enter some of the agricultural
programs. The gap between our agricultural practices and
those of many developing nations is wide. A person with
rudimentary farming knowledge and the proper attitude can
make a sizable contribution.”
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