Autumn brought a new harvest season with it and many livestock returning from jailoo (summer pastures). Autumn is a time of intense work both for our clients and our Development Department.
Autumn is the peak of harvesting season for farmers, and a time when the livestock breeders start to prepare their cattle for winter. Food security and profits depends on how well farmers and livestock owners are prepared for the winter season.
Our agronomists and veterinarians all around the country everyday diligently consult the clients and hold trainings on harvesting and harvest preserving and animals preparation for the winter.
I was lucky to visit few of these trainings where I learned a some new and interesting facts about the trainings.
Trainings on gathering and preserving apples and pears were held outside in a shady garden. This pleasant atmosphere contributed to the success of the training and the enthusiasm of the participants.
The training covered several subjects, the first of which focused on apple storage. We learned that the period of storage varies depending not only the apples variety but also upon the time of harvesting. Apples are sorted out to the rates according to size and form which have different prices on the market.
Later in a hands-on exercise, all participants were taught the correct method of plucking the fruits to avoid harming the branches and future buds. When the yield was harvested and sorted out it was time to talk about preserving. The training exercise also covered the subject of cellar preparation. The cellar tutorial outlined why the cellar should be dried out and properly ventilated and why it is important to smoke the cellar with sulphur to prevent mold growth and other microorganisms that could cause damage to the yield. Participants learned that many factors contribute to the spoiling and destruction of stored apples.
Livestock management training was also provided during the session, with a special emphasis on the processing and storage of milk. A wide variety of methods for milk processing have been used in villages over the centuries. Every housewife in the village knows how to make dairies, curds and homemade cheese but during this training we also learned to make condensed milk. Condensed milk is a sweet delicacy loved throughout our country, but few know how to make it at home.
While the milk was boiling the veterinarian taught the group how to recognize early signs of animal disease. We also learned each step that should be observed during the milking process. There was also a discussion of the nutrients in milk and dairy products and a comparison of the fat content in milk of different animals. Daily human consumption of dairy products was also addressed.
It should be noted that all trainings are held in informal atmosphere with demonstration in practice. In such atmosphere people get free and are more open to ask questions.
Holding education trainings is one of the social tasks of Kompanion. These educational trainings and consultations are free and open for everybody and not only for Kompanion clients.
