Do you engage with your fellow agriyouth? Do you work together? Support, motivate or collaborate with those in your field? If not you definitely should be!
The video below show a great example of such engagement…
So let’s recap. In the video above, we saw ICTs being used to record the experiment, mechanical technology, transportation capabilities of the vehicle not to mention the communication, knowledge and experiences being shared among these agri-stakholders.
Hope you saw what I saw 😀
Speaking seriously, this video, though quite fun and entertaining, came about via the aforementioned engagement with fellow agriyouth.
Following an agriyouth conference as part of the Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) 3 year youth employment in agriculture project, several young persons and mentors alike of a multitude of food/agricultural backgrounds formed a WhatsApp group. The project is also supported by the International Fund for Agriculture (IFAD).
The widely know app, allows instant communication. There has been such an exchange among the group of agripreneurs over the last few months, that has been nothing short of motivating and in full support of the activities of all participants.
It has led to healthy business conducted among participants but being youth oriented, the occasional joke or video is posted in the group.
The video you watched of above is of such media that sometimes comes from the group.
This lead to an Whatsapp interview with Reynard Ward, an extension officer at the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) and founder/owner of the FoxFarm
Keron: Please tell us who are, where you are from, what you do for a living and what do you do for fun?
Reynard: My name is Reynard Ward, 30 yrs, born and raised on a small subsistence family farm in a rural community of Berbice, Guyana. It is 15 miles from the nearest town, without regular facilities like potable water, electricity, telephone, internet or modern technology.I left home @ 16 to work in the town as a camera operator for a daily news cast which I was nearly qualified for since I got 4 subjects the CXC exams, (Caribbean Examinations Council secondary school leaving exam) that was what my family could have afforded.
One year later I applied to the Guyana school of agriculture and secured a place. I graduated 2 yrs later then worked as a laboratory assistant for a five years while I studied for a Bachelor’s of Science in Agriculture.
“I don’t think I do things directly for fun, but what ever I do I have fun doing it. I like doing things that makes me happy even though they may not be fun to me but might be for others. I like fixing things, and also a passion for doing things that others may think is impossible or not normal.” – Reynard Ward, NAREI Extension Officer & Agriyouth
Of recent I am having fun operating my farm vehicle ‘the BUG’ and and the joy of sharing the excitement that others get when they see and operate the bug.
Keron: We’ve see the ‘farm vehicle invention’ does it have a particular name? What is it used for?
Reynard: I call it the BUG. Its versatility, capability and strength is that of a bug. Small but powerful and of course 90% of the parts used to build it were recycled from dump sites and old discarded parts.The bug is used to move harvested products from the field during the rainy season when the other vehicles can not go.
It is also used to move other equipment and small loads around the farm.Lastly it is used for just driving around the farm for fun and brainstorming. Yes, brainstorming great inspirations come while you move around the farm without an agenda.
Keron: Do you usually invent things on your farm and if yes what will you be building next?
Reynard: I don’t actually invent things but use what’s available to make things better.
I always see problems that needs to be remedied or fixed then I look around and take what’s available to make something that will make life easier.
So yes, I am working on a few things to make life easier.
Currently trying to make a mobile electric generator from a gasoline electric part, that will be fixed to a small two wheel diesel land tiller so that I can weld broken equipment away in the field and still use the tiller as it was made.
I am also working on something to pull and wrap irrigation tubes in the field. Yes, I will be making other things in the future as the need arises.
End InterviewQuite impressive in my book. It is not the first time we have learned from farmers who simply improve on what already exists. It is their form of invention!Tech4Agri enjoys bringing these types of stories to light. You have been sufficiently motivated. Stay Dedicated and thank you for your continued support!
This dude has some real potential to change he’s farm operations. Keep it up mate. ROI is definitely not far fetched and you will surely increase your production and profit with your ideas.