Posted: 02.05.2012
58 members of Wisconsin's National Guard got a warm send off on Saturday as they prepare for deployment to the Kunar province of Afghanistan as the 82nd Agribusiness Division. The groups mission - to work with local farmers to find new means of not only feeding themselve, but also generating some economic income.
Approximately 300 people, along with local dignitaries and Wisconsin Governor, Scott Walker, enjoyed a beautiful Saturday afternoon wishing the 82nd safe travels to their new mission area. Col. Darrel "AJ" Feucht, told Pam Jahnke during the ceremony at Hartford Union High School, that the group's excited about using their skills in agriculture to try and help the Afghanistan population turn their economic dependence around.
Feucht just returned from a month "in country" where he exchanged information with the current agribusiness division from Illinois. Feucht says there's an amazing number of projects already underway to try and help the Afghanis feed themselves and generate some economic income. "Right now, it looks like tubers could offer them some real economic options." According to Feucht, there's a strong local market for crops like potatoes and rutabaga's - generating more money then the other crop grown by Afghan farmers - opium poppies.
Feucht says that while he was there, he had the chance to meet with the coordinator of Afghanistan's version of "extension" in the province - a group called (DAIL) the Director of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (DAIL). Right now, Feucht's aware of 15 different groups working within that DAIL on different projects to improve the agriculture there. Projects range from crop production to orchard development - livestock improvement to poultry production.
Feucht said he's excited about what his team can do to advance all the projects underway, and hopefully begin more. The 82nd Agribusiness Division has a few more weeks to spend with friends and family before they leave for Camp Atterbury in Edinburgh, Indiana. They'll spend a few weeks there exchanging information on specific projects and then leave for Afghanistan sometime, likely, in early April.
The group will be in Afghanistan approximately 8 months. Feucht says during the course of that time, they'll be using technology to try and diagnosis problems and disease they might encounter with experts here in the United States. He said they'll also be linking up with agriculture education classes and FFA groups in Wisconsin to update them on what's happen with Afghanistan's agriculture.
Feucht says his team is a "deep bench" of agricultural knowledge - but, he's going to hire an IT specialist to come along to make sure the technology link is covered before they leave the states.
Listen to Col. Feucht's conversation with Pam Jahnke in the Hartford Union High School but clicking here.
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