On Saturday, September 10, 2011, AAPDEP Director, Dr. Aisha Fields, participated in the Annual Conference of the Alabama Medicinal Plant Growers Association. The conference, which was hosted by Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University, attracted farmers from throughout the state who are working toward AMPGA's mission to "promote the development of a medicinal plant industry in Alabama."
The conference featured workshops on such topics as "How to Attain Organic Certification", and "Tulasi, the Medicinal Herb." It also included shitake mushroom growing and rainwater harvesting demonstrations and a field visit to Alabama A&M's Research Farm and Experimental Gardens.
As a participant in the conference, Dr. Fields was able to meet and establish relationships with a number of black farmers and agricultural specialists working throughout Alabama and Tennessee, relationships that will prove to be very important as AAPDEP continues to expand our agricultural work in the US, West Africa and around the world.
Already, AAPDEP has established community gardens and garden collectives in several US cities including St. Petersburg, FL; Huntsville, Alabama; Washington, D.C. and Houston, Texas. In Sierra Leone, West Africa, AAPDEP members operate three multi-acre vegetable farms in Makonji, Makolo and Moriba Town.
To learn more about AAPDEP's agricultural programs, or to donate skills, equipment, tools or resources, please visit our website, www.developmentforafrica.org or contact us at info@developmentforafrica.org (email) 256-281-1344 (phone).
