Farmer Field School by UNEX

Objectives:
Unex has rolled out a new project at Sta. Bárbara Wet Mill, our first “Farmer Field School” made especially for small and medium coffee producers, looking to train them to improve their production levels and coffee quality from tree to cherry.

Why implement a Farmer Field School for Coffee Producers?
1.Fieldwork training is key for learning.
2.Traditional practices are not always efficient and must adapt to Climate Change.
3.Producers will learn to make their own decisions, becoming self-sufficient.
4.Producers will receive training with the best up –to-date agricultural practices with follow-up throughout the coffee cycle.

Phases
3 Key Phases
Our Farmer Field School will be developed in 3 phases:
Phase 1: Seedlings
Phase 2: Demonstrative Parcel
Phase 3: Nursery

Phase 1: Seedlings
Phase 1 is set for the 20/21 crop, taking place from August 14 to November 15 by planting 20,000 seeds. Varieties: Marsellesa, Anacafé 14, Caturra and Bourbon.

Phase 2: Demonstrative Parcel
For Phase 2 a total of 400 coffee trees (200 Marsellesa and 200 Anacafé 14) will be planted. Here, different practices and models will be taught to prove their efficiency.

Phase 3: Nursery
Phase 3 will be developing a nursery to close the production cycle at the Farmer Field School. This nursery will comprise from 20,000 – 30,000 coffee trees, from seedlings with 4 varieties, grafted in 85 days.

Field Training:
As we establish this “Farmer Field School”, hands-on field training will take place with coffee producers, with learning in mind of the best agricultural practices for each region, so each farmer may apply them in their parcels.

TEAMWORK
Our Farmer Field School will be a Learning Center where coffee producers and the UNEX Team through our Alliance with the MOCCA Initiative implemented in Guatemala by Technoserve will exchange valuable knowledge for the coffee field, with a baseline in experience and usage of simple and practical methods as a learning tool that will benefit coffee producers for years to come.