Agriculture: How to Guides

Games:

Farmerama. Learn about life on a farm. Raise a herd of cattle, plant crops, and manage your business by selling to the community. It’s a great way to see how much work it takes to have a successful farming business. http://us.farmerama.com/?action=&locale=en_US&aid=331&aip=
United Sates Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency. In the kid’s zone, test your agriculture knowledge; learn fun farming facts and about conservation and the environment. http://www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/kidsapp?area=home&subject=landing&topic=landing

Educational Websites

The United States Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry. Learn about the importance of agricultural in U.S. policy as well as the importance of it for our economy and rural communities across the U.S. http://ag.senate.gov/site/
The United States Department of Agriculture is a great resource for information about crops and conditions as well as weekly weather and crop profiles from around the world. http://www.usda.gov
Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations. Part of the United Nations, this organization is committed to the eradication of hunger and is a great resource agricultural initiatives around the globe. http://www.fao.org/
Wikipedia; an online encyclopedia is a great resource to learn more about agriculture, its history, environmental impact, as well as sustainability and issues facing the world economies in the future. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agriculture
The World’s Bank Agriculture and Rural Development site is a great resource for information on market-based initiatives around the globe and how agricultural investments will help improve the lives or rural people around the world. http://www.worldbank.org/rural
International Fund for Agricultural Development focuses on the advancement of low-income rural people to overcome poverty through a small but much focused agricultural development scheme. http://www.ifad.org
Rural Development Institute focuses on securing land rights for the world’s poorest. By partnering with foreign governments, they are able to offer a safer and healthier future with access to land, income and shelter. http://www.rdiland.org/
United States Agency for International Development is the Department of State’s international development arm. It is a great resource for the United States strategy for meeting the Millennium Development Goals. http://www.usaid.gov/
The Beehive is a site owned and operated by One Economy Corporation. It is a great resource for people to get information on a variety of topics affecting their lives; including agriculture and what improvements it can make in a person’s life. http://cameroon.thebeehive.org/en/content/18/1891
The African Network for Agriculture, Agroforestry, and Natural Resources Education is contains information on land management and improving agricultural education in Africa. http://www.anafeafrica.org/
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Agricultural Development section contains information on current development initiatives as well as future grant possibilities for organizations looking to make an investment in the nutritional well being of the more than one billion people who live in chronic hunger. http://www.gatesfoundation.org/agriculturaldevelopment/
Share the World’s Resources’ website contains information regarding sustainable economics and how agriculture can help grow some of the world’s impoverished areas. http://www.stwr.org/food-security-agriculture/

How to Guides

How to choose the correct crops for drought-prone areas: It is important to find out what crops grow well locally. Make sure to conserve water by capturing rainwater on rooftops or by using low cost drip irrigation. Also, by planting a variety of drought-resistant crops, you will reduce the chances of a total loss during a drought. Learn more from The Beehive’s section on agricultural at http://nigeria.thebeehive.org/content/792/2061
How to select the best seeds for planting: Always make sure to save local seeds as they are able to withstand changing growing conditions, and may be tolerant of pests and harder growing conditions than other seeds. Learn more about seeds at The Beehive’s Agricultural section at http://nigeria.thebeehive.org/content/792/2061
How to choose the right animal for your farm: This depends on local conditions as well as many other factors. Cows, goats, and chickens are widely kept throughout Africa. Rabbits and turkeys are also becoming popular, as they are a good source of white meat. If you want to profit from your livestock you have to choose the right breed, feed them properly, protect them from diseases and keep all records of all that pertains to your livestock. http://nigeria.thebeehive.org/en/content/36/2085
How to keep my soil fertile: Continuous cultivation of a piece of land leads to depreciation in quality of plants. Here are some things you can do to keep in fertile: http://nigeria.thebeehive.org/content/35/2118
How can I get a loan to help finance my growing farming business: Many countries around the world help local farmers by financing their ventures if they are well organized and have good records. For ideas about financing, loan services and cooperatives go to: http://kenya.thebeehive.org/en/content/38/51
How can I make compost? Using compost on your soil is a cheap and effective way to add nutrients to your farmlands. For help making your own go to: http://compostguide.com/