AGROinform Farmers’ Federation opens 11 winter schools for farmers

The Farmers’ Federation AGROinform organises a competition for selecting 11 groups of farmers in the period between January 19 and February 19, on the basis of which 11 winter schools for farmers will be created. Applications can be submitted via the AGROinform regional organisations, by groups of 10 to 12 farmers from the same settlement, who operate in the same production sector. Winter schools represent a new method of extension implemented in our country, starting 2005, by the AGROinform Farmers’ Federation, with the assistance provided by the organisation for the development of cooperation “Swedish Cooperative Centre” in concert with the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA). To date, other 24 winter schools have been created in Moldova, meeting 300 farmers from 12 raions of the country, specialised in growing vegetables, fruits, grapes, grains, and also animal husbandry farmers. The training process within winter schools involves the method of study groups, widely practiced in Sweden, which represents a participatory process of studying for adults, based on the participants’ experience, the abilities of the group leader and the study material. The mentioned method affords the possibility for each participant to study from the experience of others and offer his own knowledge to group mates. The efficiency of studying in cycles depends first of all on the initiative spirit of the group leader, who is one of the members of the study group. AGROinform Farmers’ Federation is a network of regional NGOs oriented towards the economic development of rural communities by offering complex assistance in developing businesses, marketing, and application of modern technologies.