Farmer Field Schools   A Farmer Field School (FFS) consists of 25-30 farmers who meet one morning every week for an entire crop growing season. A FFS is facilitated by extension workers or skilled farmers. Employing non-formal education methods, the field is used as the primary resource for discovery-based learning. The process is facilitative and respects the experience that farmers bring with them. Farmers work in small groups to ensure that each one’s ideas are shared. In the FFS, there is acceptance of the uniqueness of each participant. The activities are designed to respond to the immediate needs of farmers and are geared towards encouraging creativity and independence. The FFS Trainers play a crucial role in ensuring that the environment and all resources contribute to the farmers’ learning experiences.

Basics of a typical farmer field school

	The FFS meeting place is close to the study plots.
	FFS educational methods are experiential, participatory and learner-centered.
	Each FFS meeting includes the following activities: recapitulation of the previous week’s session, the agro-ecosystem analysis, a special topic, insect zoo, a group dynamics activity and evaluation of the day’s session and planning for the following week.
	All FFS include a field in which farmers collect information and materials to learn about, develop observation skills and practice making informed management decisions.
	A pre- and post-test are conducted as part of every field school.
	Preparation meetings precede a FFS to determine needs and develop a learning contract.
	Final meetings of FFS often include plans for follow-up activities.

The FFS uses crop production and protection as entry points because these are closest to the farmers’ hearts but the FFS experience allows farmers to experience group formation that becomes valuable in addressing other community concerns.

Field studies
Farmers’ problems vary from locality to locality based on soil conditions, agronomic practices, pest incidence, and management strategies. To enhance learning and to ensure relevancy of the field school contents, farmers design the FFS studies: a process of problem identification, prioritization of topics to address, and design of the field studies. The approach encourages farmers to learn science by developing their skills in designing experiments that address their field problems even beyond the initial FFS experience.

Insect zoos
Most farmers are unaware of such concepts as predation and parasitization. The use of insect zoos using locally available materials play an important role in helping farmers gain a better understanding of insect pests and natural enemies and their functions in the bigger ecosystem. This knowledge is important for farmers in making informed field management decisions
through agroecosystem analysis, a major component of which are insects.

Group dynamics
The activity provides an opportunity for participants to develop or enhance cohesion as a learning group. Whether it is done as an unfreezing activity or structured learning exercise, group dynamics highlight the importance and interdependence of individual group members’ performance in the process of achieving a common goal. The FFS experience of working in groups develops farmers’ confidence in expressing their ideas and fosters a positive attitude towards collective action. Farmers express understanding that working in a group makes tasks, even big ones, easier. Towards the end of the season, farmers usually express their desire to be involved in activities that help other farmers, e.g., farmer-to-farmer FFS.

Decision making
The agroecosystem analysis (AESA) is used as the basis for farmers’ management decisions. Working in small groups of five to six farmers, they observe the elements of the agroecosystem in study plots, for example, comparing IPM and Farmer Practice and/or other special study fields. Data from sampling units are collected on plant growth and development, insect pests and natural enemies, disease, weeds and other factors that affect the plant such as weather and soil condition. Later in the season, data are collected on parameters that determine the yields such as flowers and fruits. The groups summarize and analyze field observations through agroecosystem drawings. After considering all the elements in the agroecosystem, field management decisions are made based on the group’s consensus. At the end of the season, the yield and economics of the treatments are carried out.

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