By Nukanah Kollie
Across the fertile plains of Yellequelleh District in Bong County, where the soil runs deep and the passion for farming runs even deeper, Ms. Lovetta Lorpu Dolo is cultivating more than just crops, she is cultivating confidence, sustainability, and resilience among Liberia’s smallholder vegetable farmers.
A graduate of Cuttington University’s College of Agriculture and Sustainable Development, Dolo now serves as Field Coordinator for the European Institute of Cooperation and Development (IECD). In this role, she leads initiatives to strengthen local agriculture by equipping rural farmers with the tools, knowledge, and support needed to succeed.
“Knowledge is power,” she says with conviction. “We train them in modern agricultural practices, how to properly lay beds, rotate crops, inter-crop, use organic fertilizers, and manage composting. We even show them how to support their crops both physically and technically.”
But Dolo and her team go beyond training. IECD also supplies farming tools, seeds, fertilizers, organic manure, and other essentials to organized nine-member farmer groups in each participating community. These groups work together to cultivate demonstration sites and later replicate their skills on individual plots, with IECD conducting regular follow-ups to monitor progress and reinforce best practices.
“We’re seeing real change,” Dolo affirms. “When we visit their personal farms, it’s clear they are applying what they’ve learned. That tells us our work is making a real impact.”
From Soil to Success: Farmers Share Their Journeys
One of those success stories is 39-year-old Jacob Parhmilin, a vegetable farmer whose thriving cabbage plots in Yellequelleh are now supporting his children’s education and household stability.
“Farming is not just dirty work,” he says. “It is noble work. I don’t depend on government work because my hands can feed my family.”
Parhmilin began with very little, but today he is a respected producer of cabbage, pepper, and bitter balls. “IECD helped me with seeds, tools, and knowledge. They taught us how to compost, prune, stake, and properly space our vegetables. Even our demo sites are doing well.”
With the proceeds from his harvest, he now sends his children to school. “We’ve started building our house and opened a small shop all from farming.”
Still, he faces serious challenges. “Climate change is a big problem,” he says. “Too much sun or unexpected rain can destroy everything. And we need more tools, fungicides, and a proper storage facility. Right now, we store our harvests in our homes, and if buyers delay, we lose everything.”
Farming Against the Odds
Matthew F. David, another determined farmer in the district, shares similar experiences. “We are standing on our own,” he says. “This farm sends my children to school. We eat from it, we survive from it.”
But market access remains a critical concern. “Sometimes when the cabbage is ready, no one comes to buy. It just rots in the field.”
He also highlights the need for storage. “We need a warehouse, a place to keep our produce until buyers come,” he pleads. “Right now, we’re just praying.”
Despite the obstacles, David remains hopeful. “IECD gave us knowledge, how to lay beds, plant properly, and they gave us materials too. That alone has made a big difference.”
A Quiet Revolution in the Soil
The impact of IECD’s work is not just technical, it is also emotional and inspirational. Farmers who once depended on handouts are now self-reliant, feeding their families and building their futures.
Take Aaron Brown of Gbono Town, who turned to farming out of necessity. “My father didn’t send me to school,” he shares. “So I turned to the soil. Now I can pay my child’s school fees from the farm.”
Brown, who has been farming for four years, praises the knowledge he has gained. “They taught us how to plant, space, and fertilize. Now I grow cabbage, okra, bitter balls, and pepper. But we still need a storehouse and more fertilizer. When the cabbage ripens and there’s no buyer, everything goes to waste.”
A Call to Action
As Liberia continues to import expired and low-quality food, these grassroots farmers are raising their voices and offering solutions.
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