KAOLACK, Senegal -- Just to get it out of the way first: I am safe and sound here in Kaolack, and for now it looks like the political protesting will remain in Dakar and not travel to my region.  Furthermore, the NCBA has several contingency plans in place should the need arise for me to leave.  For now, I am safe and continue to spread the word about soil fertility.

Today we traveled to a village about an hour drive from Kaolack.  The room started with 12 farmers.  Once I showed up they packed the room and packed the halls.  This was not only a little overwhelming to me, but overwhelming to some of the staff on the ground here as well.  I started the discussion with a simple question that many of us learned about in sales training this past fall: 

“Can you tell me about your farming operation?” 

Then I simply guided discussion from there as the farmers sort of lead me along the way.  There was good interaction among all involved and we all left today feeling as if a lot of good was accomplished.  We talked about everything from planting rate and depth, to compost, to nitrogen application methods and timing.  We even talked about the importance of trees and what benefits they can provide. 

The farmers asked me to discuss de-forestation and its impact on the soil.  I was expecting this to last an hour maybe two, but talks went so well that we met for a whole 4 hours.  Amazing!  The day was finished with a trip to the ladies garden, approximately 1 hectare in size.  I was asked any possible improvements that could be made to that.  There was a lot of bare soil and one of the things I noticed going onto the village were large piles of peanut shells (those are one of the crops they grow over here). 

I suggested rather than just piling the shells by the trash piles outside their village, they spread those out between the rows of vegetable crops in the garden to act as a sort of compost. Similar to how we use wood chips or grass clippings in our gardens back home.

Thanks to all of you once again!

BBC News - "Senegal anti-Wade protest: One demontsrator dies"

At least one person has been killed in the Senegalese capital during a demonstration against President Abdoulaye Wade's re-election bid.

Police and thousands of opposition supporters clashed in the centre of the city on Tuesday evening.

Tear gas was fired and one student died when he was run over by a truck.

Earlier in the week, two people were shot dead during protests in a northern town after a court ruled that Mr Wade's third-term election bid was legal.

Elections in the West African country - often held up as one of Africa's model democracies - are due on 26 February.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-16830678

 

Ryan is an agronomist with Dodge City-based Servi-Tech. For more information on his trip or Servi-Tech, visit www.mp2.ag