Arkansas troops develop farm as Agriculture Education Center

By Air Force Lt. Col. Keith Moore<
Arkansas National Guard

Sgt. David Hafer, an agronomy specialist with the Arkansas Agriculture Development Team (ADT), looks over a test crop of spinach in the team's greenhouse on its demonstration farm located at Shahr-e-Safa, Afghanistan. The ADT operates the farm in conjunction with the Zabul Province Agriculture Department to demonstrate new farming techniques and test crop products and resiliency to pests and weather conditions. (Photo by Air Force Lt. Col. Keith Moore, Arkansas National Guard)
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ZABUL PROVINCE, Afghanistan, (11/19/10) -- The Arkansas National Guard's first Agriculture Development Team continues to drive forward with its mission to enhance the agriculture productivity and economic status of this southern Afghanistan province.

The attached photos show progress at one of the team's two agricultural demonstration farms where the team works in conjunction with the Provincial Agriculture Department to demonstrate improved farming techniques, as well as test crop seeds for resiliency to environmental conditions and common pests.  With a multi-disciplined approach - growing fruit tree seedlings, greenhouse vegetables and open field row-crops - the ADT is building the demonstration farms into the focal points of agriculture education for the provincial agriculture department.

The ADT is nearing the end of their yearlong deployment to Afghanistan, and will be replaced by the Arkansas Guard's second ADT in late January 2011.

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