Farm & Ranch
AG Elsewhere : Ghana – West Africa
Photos and Description By Tiffany Thompson
As I sit on the front porch of my new home, I see green trees stretching out in every direction, countless taxis honking as they drive by and people walking down the road on their way to work. Though it’s sunny right now, the grey clouds rolling in tell that rain is on its way. Being up in the mountains, the humidity isn’t as intense as it is throughout the rest of the region, but I can still tell it will be a warm day.
My name is Tiffany Thompson, and I am living in Mampong, a town with a population of 7,000 in the eastern region of Ghana. I arrived in Ghana two weeks ago, and will be here till the middle of December working as a Fellow for AgriCorps. AgriCorps is a nonprofit whose mission is to connect American agriculture professionals to the demand for experiential, school-based agricultural education in developing countries.
In my role as a Fellow, I will be working as an agriculture instructor at a junior high school, advising a 4-H club, and working with local farmers as an extension agent. I am one of nine Fellows currently in Ghana. We are all placed at different schools throughout the central and eastern regions of the country.
In Ghana, agriculture is not typically seen as a desirable career. Many teachers use weeding and working in the school garden as punishment, and it is assumed that people only farm because they have no other option for income. For this reason, a major component of our job here is to educate youth, the early adopters of new technologies and methodologies, about how agriculture can be a profitable business opportunity. If we can help change the perception of farming and get students interested in pursuing agriculture as a career, we hope to see improved food security in the future.
In the two weeks that I have been in Ghana, I have seen several farms growing a variety of crops and livestock including maize, peppers, cocoa, papaya, okra, cabbage, tomatoes, lettuce, plantains, snails, hogs, dairy cattle, and poultry.
By Heather Welper
Husband and wife duo, Heather and Calvin Welper, are the Co-Owners and Operators or Two C Livestock, located in Valley View, Texas.
The pair’s operation has a show cattle focus where they raise and sell purebred heifers of all breeds and club calf Hereford steers.
When it comes to show cattle, the Welpers know a thing or two including how to prepare for the cold winter months and the Texas major show season run.
To read more, pick up a copy of the November edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By Hannah Claxton, Editor
As the sun rises each day, so do the dozens of mouths that Meghan McGovern is responsible for getting fed. Rather than the sounds of a rooster crowing, McGovern hears the bellows and bleats of a variety of exotic deer, the chortle of kangaroos, the grunts of water buffaloes, and the chirps of a lemur.
Nestled against the banks of the Red River, the Double M Ranch and Rescue, with its high game fences and deer sprinkling the landscape,s its in stark contrast to the surrounding ranches.
“Having deer is kind of like eating potato chips- you can never actually have just one,” said McGovern with a laugh.
McGovern has several herds to take care of- fallow deer, axis deer, water buffalo, goats, and bison. In smaller numbers, there’s also a few kangaroos, a lemur, a potbelly pig, a pair of zebras, a watusi, and a few horses.
To read more, pick up a copy of the November edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By Barry Whitworth, DVM, MPH
With the prolonged drought, most pastures in Oklahoma end up in poor condition. With the lack of available forage, animals may go in search of alternative foods.
If oak trees are in the pastures, acorns may be a favorite meal for some livestock in the fall. This may result in oak poisoning.
Oak leaves, twigs, buds, and acorns may be toxic to some animals when consumed.
To read more, pick up a copy of the November edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
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