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Manuals and Guides

A Complete Handbook on Backyard and Commercial Rabbit Production (R0041)

Utilizing rabbit, as an alternative protein source and its by-products as an income-generating activity, has been the campaign of dedicated rabbit raisers for many years. We have seen many backyard, commercial, and nutrition education rabbit production projects succeed and fail, although successes have so far surpassed the failures. From observation and evaluation of these past and ongoing ventures, the following criteria are offered as guidelines to insure success in your project.

Agriculture
Agricultural Extension (M0018) (M0039) (M0040)

For Peace Corps, development centers on building local capacity and self-reliance among those who need it most. Accordingly, Peace Crops promotes approximately 35 agricultural extension programs reaching small-scale farming families world-wide.

Agriculture
A Manual for Trainers of Small Scale Beekeeping Development Workers (T0029)

This manual provides a guide for those who are helping future Peace Corps Volunteers to acquire basic beekeeping skills. The program is designed to help Trainees develop the skills they will need to work and live in another culture as beekeeping extensionists. This is a skills training program; thus, some further in-country training or orientation is presumed.

Agriculture
Animal Traction (M0012)
This manual is a practical guide to the use of draft animals and animal-powered farm equipment. It is written primarily for use by Peace Corps Volunteers and agricultural extension personnel working in animal traction development programs, but it can be used by farmers who are teaching themselves to use these techniques.
Agriculture
Aquaculture: A Training Manual (T0057)
This manual is not intended to be a comprehensive, step-by-step guide to aquaculture training. Training is a dynamic process, constantly evolving, and always needs to be tailored to the unique circumstances of each program. This includes the needs of the trainees, the objectives of the aquaculture projects, and the personalities and styles of the training staff. The technical sessions described here are meant to serve as guidelines.
Agriculture
Basic Techniques of Blacksmithing: A Manual for Trainers (T0021)
This manual is a guide for trainers who are helping Peace Corps Volunteers to acquire basic blacksmithing skills. The training is designed to give Volunteers a knowledge of metals and metalworking that will help them support rural communities in their efforts to produce tools for agriculture and cottage industry.
Agriculture
CO-OP Numeracy Facilitators Guide (ED078)
This idea of teaching such specific numeracy comes from discussions between farmer members and Department of Co-operation (DOC) staff. In those discussions, farmers stated their desire for such practical arithmetic skills. One of their greatest fears is of being cheated when selling their primary source of income--groundnuts.
Agriculture
Freshwater Fisheries: Program Planning (M0001a)
Introduction or expansion of intensive fishculture may be a viable solution to these problems. Intensive fishculture is the growing of fish, usually in ponds, for the purpose of producing a food crop and, It is hoped, a surplus that will bring capital to those sectors of society involved in fish farming. Local consumption of fish naturally will help alleviate dietary protein deficiencies.
Agriculture
Glossary of Agricultural Terms, English and Spanish (R0009)
This bilingual glossary is a modest attempt to fill one of the needs of Spanish-speaking agriculturists receiving training under the program of the International Cooperation Administration. The list is not complete in any sense. It is based largely on suggestions made by experts engaged; in the training of foreign agricultural specialists both abroad and in the United States.
Agriculture
Glossary of Terminology Used in Forestry, Range, Wildlife, Fishery, Soils and Botany - English/Spanish (R0091)
The purpose of this glossary is to present to translators, scientists, resource managers, administrators and others the Spanish-English equivalent translations of scientific and management terms commonly used in the disciplines of forestry, range management, wildlife management, fisheries, soils and botany.
Agriculture
How to Make Tools (R0035)
Publication on how to make tools.
Agriculture
Improved Food Drying and Storage: A Training Manual (T0020)
The main focus of the program, of course, is the technical training of Peace Corps Volunteers and their Counterparts, to be able to design, build, use and maintain improved food dryers and stores.
Agriculture
Incountry Resource Center Procedures Manual (RE0015)
This resource, as a part of the PCLive Historical Collection, is archival material offering recommended procedures for resource centers at post. This manual was written for those wanting to establish Information Resource Centers (formerly known as "Incountry Resource Centers") and for those who may manage such centers.
Libraries & IRCs
Intensive Vegetable Gardening for Profit and Self-Sufficiency (R0025)

The purpose of this manual is to demonstrate how small farmers and garden producers in Jamaica can increase their production. This will increase their income and will help Jamaica achieve the goal of self-reliance in food.

Agriculture
Irrigation Reference Manual (to be used with T0076) (T0077)
This manual was written in response to the need for providing technical information to those who work with small-scale farmers in areas where rainfall is deficient and where irrigation water is available or can be developed from existing water sources.
Agriculture
Irrigation Training Manual: Planning, Design, Operation, and Management of Small-Scale Irrigation Systems (T0076)

The Irrigation Manual is designed to serve as a reference resource for trainers involved in irrigated agriculture training for Peace Corps. The Irrigation Manual consists of two parts: (1) the Irrigation Training Manual, and (2) the Irrigation Reference Manual. Individual sections of the manual can be used to supplement a wide variety of technical training programs, or the entire manual can be implemented as a specific irrigation training course.

Agriculture
Lessons Learned from Beekeeping in the Philippines (R0032)
The Lessons Learned from Beekeeping in the Philippines manual was originally titled Lesson Plans for Beekeeping in the Philippines. It was written for Peace Corps Volunteers in the Philippines but was quickly adapted by other countries. The manual includes detailed instructions on how to build beekeeping equipment with materials that Volunteers can access locally.
Agriculture
Libraries for All!: How to Start and Run a Basic Library (RE035)
Those of you working in established libraries may be tempted to skip this section. However, if you are having problems with community support and involvement, you might find some good ideas here (and under Community Involvement below). This chapter can help you rethink your library service, and if necessary, make plans to change it or even shut it down.
Libraries & IRCs
Marine Fisheries Case Studies (CS001)
This guide was developed to aid Peace Corps country staff members who are interested in programming marine fisheries projects. Although marine fisheries projects are not new to Peace Corps, today's Peace Corps staff members may not be aware of the history of marine fisheries efforts in their country.
Agriculture
Mushroom Cultivation in Thailand (R0063)
This handbook was written in an endeavor to help volunteers of all backgrounds better understand mushroom culture in Thailand. We attempted to cover the topics we felt were of greatest importance to volunteers wanting to extend mushroom cultivation to villagers. We realize that this handbook is incomplete in some areas and, therefore, we encourage anyone who uses this handbook to make written comments, both pro and con, to Peace Corps/Thailand, in c/o the Ag/RD Office.
Agriculture