After working with nearly 100 “Farmer Leaders” for the launch of myAgro’s Senegal pilot this summer we opened 2014 enrollment to all farmers living in our 23 pilot villages. Our agents are now focusing on marketing myAgro benefits to farmers in addition to reaching out to farmers in nearby villages.
Next to the agents, farmer leaders are also leading expansion efforts to reach out to their neighbors and family members. Each farmer leader planted with us in the recent rainy season to test myAgro packages to compare the results to their regular fields. Farmer leaders share their perspective on myAgro during village meetings and answer their neighbors’ concerns or questions.
Farmer leaders also share testimonials at our store located at the entrance to the weekly market where many farmers travel every weekend to buy and sell goods. In the picture above, Maqui Ndiaye, a field agent who runs the myAgro store passes the microphone to one of our Farmer leaders to share his testimony about the myAgro program.
The farmer-to-farmer storytelling is incredibly effective – they have the trust of the community and experience with myAgro to share their story is a really meaningful way. To date, every farmer leader who has signed up again for 2014, four new farmers join with them.
