The John Ogonowski and Doug Bereuter Farmer-to-Farmer Program, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), aims to promote sustainable improvements in food security and agricultural processing, production, and marketing by leveraging the expertise of U.S. volunteers.

ACDI/VOCA seeks a specialist in Open Field Strawberry Production for a Volunteer Assignment in Georgia. The selected Volunteer will collaborate with the host and provide technical assistance on strategies and cost-effective steps to optimize the field production of strawberries for profitability. The volunteer should be familiar with day neutral, short day, and summer plant (frigo) strawberry varieties and have experience with crop rotation, weed control, disease and insect control, and fertility management. The volunteer will review several strawberry field operations, and at each location, they educate the host on topics including diagnosis and solutions to weed, disease, insect, and nutrition problems using organic and conventional options. Training on the response of strawberry plants to day length, temperature, and nursery chill should be provided to help growers choose varieties and planting dates to optimize net income. The importance of rapid post-harvest chilling should be discussed with an emphasis on affordable Coolbot or equivalent chilling systems.

***As part of the Farmer-to-Farmer Consortium, this assignment is made possible through USAID funding. In accordance to USAID guidelines, any candidates submitted for consideration under this project must have a valid US passport or Green Card.***

This is a 2-week assignment, scheduled for April /May 2024. 

Provisions for the Volunteer:

• All international and local travel
• All lodging
• A per diem to cover meals and incidentals
• Travel Visa (if applicable)
• Emergency Medical Evacuation Insurance
• In-country support from field office staff
• Local cell phone to use during assignment (if needed)

While in-country, the Volunteer will:

• Provide an analysis of each field visit
• Teach how the strawberry plant responds to day length, temperature, and nursery chill
• Provide suggestions for choosing strawberry varieties to extend the production season
• Discuss common strawberry weed, disease, and insect problems and solutions
• Provide guidance on strawberry plant nutrition management
• Provide guidance on post-harvest management to maximize fruit quality in the marketplace 

• University degree in Horticulture, Crop Science, or a related field
• At least 5 years relevant work experience
• Practical experience growing open field strawberries
• Excellent cross-cultural communication and interpersonal skills
• Previous international experience a plus
• Proficient computer skills including Microsoft Teams, Word, Excel and apps like Zoom, WhatsApp, Facebook Etc.