Tips on finding farmer innovators

You may already know of innovative farmers in your area with whom you can talk. If not, here are some suggestions:

Your colleagues, family and friends – you could try bringing up the topic with people you know to see if they know of any innovative farmers in the area. If it is someone they know or have met, then they might be able to put you in touch with that farmer.

Well-known farmers: Some farmers are widely known in the community or the region. They may be leaders of farmers’ organizations, farmers who act as spokespeople for smallholders, or they may themselves have a reputation as progressive farmers. Radio stations and newspapers often interview well-known farmers and air their views on government programs or other newsworthy developments.

Farmers’ organizations – if there is a farmers’ organization in your area, speak with a representative. They will know the farmers that belong to the organization and could direct you to individuals with whom you could speak and provide contact information.

Community based organizations (CBOs) and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) – are there any CBOs or NGOs in your area that work with farmers? You could contact them to find out if their work promotes farmer knowledge and innovation.

Agricultural Research Institutions – you may want to contact national or international agricultural research organizations based in your country to find out if they have projects that focus on farmer innovation. Another way that agricultural research institutions can assist is by commenting on an innovation story which you have developed. These comments could be included in your script. Also, if researchers at the institution learn about the innovation, they might be interested in working with the farmer.

Government departments such as the Ministry of Agriculture – in some countries, the government offers awards each year to top farmers. If this is the case in your country, you could contact the Ministry of Agriculture to find out which farmers are on their list and why they are being recognized. If any of them has developed an innovation, you could ask to speak with them. The Ministry of Agriculture might also promote projects and have staff such as extension workers who could direct you to innovative farmers in the area.