FARMER-TO-FARMER PROGRAM
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Funded by USAID, the Farmer-to-Farmer program (FTF) was created to provide on-site technical assistance to private small to medium-sized agribusinesses. The program has been implemented in western and southwestern Ukraine by LOL since 1995.
FTF offers technical assistance via American volunteers who specialize in different aspects of farming and agribusiness, such as production and processing of vegetables, fruits, meat, and milk. Assistance is also offered in business-plan development, market research, and other areas relevant to the development of the host organization's agricultural activities.
After identifying a potential Ukrainian partner, LOL finds an American specialist to provide on-site consulting services to the Ukrainian host for periods of one to three weeks at no cost to the host. This assistance is targeted to help the Ukrainian partners increase production and sales, increase the quality of production, and to use new technologies and techniques in their operations.
The specialists are primarily farmers and business professionals. Over the duration of the assignment, the volunteer both lives and works at the host site to maximize the use of this limited period of time.
But the partnership doesn't end at the conclusion of the specialist's visit.
At the completion of each assignment, the volunteer writes a report with conclusions and recommendations to the host organization. Staff from the project office in Lviv then visit the host several months after the assignment to see how the proposed improvements are being implemented, measure the positive impact each assignment has had on the host organization's development, and decide if there is a need for a follow-up assignment. FTF maintains this relationship in order to forge links between its partners and other American organizations, businesses, and programs that may be able to offer additional assistance or cooperation.
If you are interested in contributing your time and expertise to help a farm or agribusiness in Ukraine, please contact us. Please call Maria Pasichnyk at LOL's office in Minnesota to discuss it at 800-328-9680 or send us an email at the project office in Lviv.
David Blood
Program Coordinator
Oksana Koulakovska
Program Assistant
RECENT OBSERVATIONS BY FTF VOLUNTEERS
Milk Shelf-Life Regulations in Lviv Oblast
This article, written by a recent LOL Farmer-to-Farmer volunteer, focuses on one of the ways
that state dairy regulations provide a disincentive to improve processed milk quality.