Agricultural and environmental microbiologist Dr. William (Bill) Zimmerman is NCBA CLUSA Farmer-to-Farmer 2024 Volunteer of the Year.

On International Volunteer Day, celebrated every year on December 5, Farmer-to-Farmer highlighted NCBA CLUSA's 2024 Volunteer of the Year, Bill Zimmerman. NCBA CLUSA's U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded Farmer-to-Farmer program pairs local cooperatives and other producer groups with volunteers like Bill to promote sustainable improvements in food security and agricultural processing, production and marketing.

The story below was first published on the Farmer-to-Farmer website.

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In September, Dr. William (Bill) Zimmerman, an agricultural and environmental microbiologist from Jefferson City, Missouri, served as an NCBA CLUSA Farmer-to-Farmer volunteer and was paired with the Asociación Agroindustrial de Plantas Aromáticas (ECOANDES) in Peru to evaluate the association's organic fertilizer.

Bill helped modify fertilizer recipes using viable local inputs, improved understanding of the benefits associated with the newly formulated recipes, and guided applying good monitoring practices in line with the soil requirements for the Andean context.

Before training, Bill first carefully observed current biol (liquid compost) and bokashi (a composting method) production and provided evidence-based recommendations for improving the association's processes. He suggested they need to address the main environmental factors when producing bio inputs and highlighted the importance of soil pH in nutrient uptake availability to the plants.

During the assignment, ECOANDES improved their understanding of organic fertilizer, specifically for oregano production.  Bill trained the farmers to adjust their compost recipes by using locally available inputs and balancing them to obtain the desired impact on plant production and soil health. Additionally, he trained the farmers to monitor and evaluate the production process and identify and troubleshoot problems for higher-quality of oregano.

According to Cynthia Mendoza, Peru Country Director for NCBA CLUSA Farmer-to-Farmer, "Bill did considerable research during the field visits to identify viable local organic nitrogen and carbon sources to customize recipes and improve the likelihood that these recipes will be adopted while providing guidance on how they can be adapted, rendering the process more sustainable." She said that he brought his own equipment to evaluate current conditions of the biol inputs and soil. "He demonstrated how to determine soil pH by using litmus paper, a simple and cheap methodology that can help farmers to closely monitor this key indicator."

By contributing to improving the understanding of the production, use and benefits of bio-fertilizer inputs, using locally sourced and sustainable inputs, Bill helped improve the likelihood of adoption, offering low-cost alternatives to commercial fertilizers. Locally produced bio inputs also have direct impacts on plant health. With high microorganism content, they improve soil health, likely reducing the incidence of pests and diseases.

"It has been rewarding to be able to work with Bill. We would like to thank him and hope that he continues volunteering and sharing his knowledge with young people and farmers in the field." - Rainer Salamanca

"It has been rewarding to be able to work with Bill," said Rainer Salamanca, a young farmer with ECOANDES.  "He always shared his knowledge with us willingly, being an open book so we were able to gain knowledge about the production of bio inputs and their importance for the soil health and plants. We would like to thank him and hope that he continues volunteering and sharing his knowledge with young people and farmers in the field."

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