Posted: 01.18.2012

Plans are still in place for 58 soldiers and airmen from the Wisconsin National Guard - bound for Afghanistan to help rebuild their agriculture.

Wisconsin National Guard Colonel, Darrel "AJ" Feucht, is already in-country exchanging information with "Team Illini" - a guard group that's already in Afghanistan working on key projects.  Feucht tells the Wisconsin Farm Report that he will be returning at the end of January to gather with the rest of his unit for deployment.

The 58 individuals make up Wisconsin's 82nd Agribusiness Development Team.  Through the summer, they've trained as a team in everything from poultry management and beekeeping to constructing wells and rebuilding infrastructure. 

Farm Director, Pam Jahnke, followed along with the group when they went through some large animal training at the UW-Arlington Ag Research Station.  Many of the groups members bring extra experience in certain areas to try and address challenges they may face once in Kunar Province - their Afghanistan goal.

Many of the members will serve as security for the team - but ther are also technical staff members that are specialists in:  forestry; agronomy; agricultural marketing; hydrology; pest control; and engineering.

The 82nd Agribusiness Development Team is scheduled to depart for Afghanistant on Saturday, February 4th - gathering at 2:30 p.m. at the Hartford High School.  The Wisconsin Farm Report will be working to follow progress on the teams projects while they're in Kunar Province.  The 82nd ADT has also made plans to interact with agriculture education students in Lodi High School through internet exchanges.

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