Mashuqallah, agriculture extension director for the
Mashuqallah, agriculture extension director for the Chowkay District of Afghanistan's Kunar Province, tills ground outside the greenhouse at the Chowkay Demonstration Farm, Dec. 5. U.S. Army 1st Lt. Scott Shirk... More
Two girls play on a swing set at the Arzu Studio Hope
Two girls play on a swing set at the Arzu Studio Hope community garden and playground in Dragon Valley, west of the town of Bamyan, June 20, 2012. Women enrolled the Arzu program receive higher than average com... More
A woman does her laundry at the Arzu Studio Hope compound
A woman does her laundry at the Arzu Studio Hope compound in the Dragon Valley, west of the town of Bamyan, June 20, 2012. Women enrolled in the program receive higher than average compensation for their work a... More
Two young women weave a large rug at the Arzu Studio
Two young women weave a large rug at the Arzu Studio Hope compound in the Dragon Valley west of the town of Bamyan. Women enrolled in the organization’s program receive higher-than average compensation for thei... More
Men till soil inside a newly completed greenhouse at
Men till soil inside a newly completed greenhouse at the Farah director of agriculture, irrigation and livestock's facilities in Farah City, Jan. 23. Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) Farah attended the ope... More
Soheila Rezai (seated) and her daughter, Zahra Nazari,
Soheila Rezai (seated) and her daughter, Zahra Nazari, sit in the beauty salon they own and operate in a mall in the Bamyan bazaar, June 25, 2012.
Lal Muhammad, President of the Farah Farmer’s Cooperative
Lal Muhammad, President of the Farah Farmer’s Cooperative Union, left, and United States Agency for International Development representatives participate in the groundbreaking ceremony of the Farah Wholesale Ma... More
Two local girls enjoy the Arzu Studio Hope garden and
Two local girls enjoy the Arzu Studio Hope garden and playground in Dragon Valley, west of the town of Bamyan, June 20, 2012. Women enrolled the Arzu program receive higher-than average compensation for their w... More
Capt. Jenna Carlson, Forward Operating Base Officer
Capt. Jenna Carlson, Forward Operating Base Officer in Charge and Capt. Bryan Pederson, Logistics Officer both with the Minnesota National Guard Argibusiness Development Team were joined by their friends and fa... More
A women walks her donkey past the cavity where one
A women walks her donkey past the cavity where one of the ancient statues, known as Buddhas of Bamiyan, used to stand June 17, 2012. The monumental statues were built in A.D. 507 and 554 and were the largest st... More
Army 1st Lt. Tara Robertson, Team member of the Minnesota
Army 1st Lt. Tara Robertson, Team member of the Minnesota National Guard Argibusiness Development Team was joined by many friends and family, as well as many other distinguished visitors attended the premier sh... More
Farmer Abdul Ghafoor opens a box of pomegranates before
Farmer Abdul Ghafoor opens a box of pomegranates before Afghanistan's Kandahar International Airport staff members loaded 15 tons of the fruit onto a plane destined for Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Nov.9. Of th... More
A UH-60 Black Hawk flies over the Bamyan river valley,
A UH-60 Black Hawk flies over the Bamyan river valley, June 24, 2012.
Workers from the Kandahar International Airport,
Workers from the Kandahar International Airport, Afghanistan, loaded 15 tons of pomegranates into a plane destined for Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Nov. 9. The shipment was one of the first large-volume exports... More
A young woman weaves a rug at the Arzu Studio Hope
A young woman weaves a rug at the Arzu Studio Hope compound in the Dragon Valley west of the town of Bamyan. The red markings on her hand are henna, decorations for a wedding she had attended earlier in the day... More
New Zealand Capt. James Molony, the Padre for the Bamyan
New Zealand Capt. James Molony, the Padre for the Bamyan Provincial Reconstruction Team, Task Unit Crib, teaches a class of schoolgirls during his English literacy class on Forward Operating Base Bamyan, June 2... More
An old Russian tank languishes in a potato field in
An old Russian tank languishes in a potato field in the Bamyan river valley, June 16, 2012.
Hajji Faizal Mohammad, center, the Panjwa'i district
Hajji Faizal Mohammad, center, the Panjwa'i district governor, speaks with 30 local farmers during an agricultural shura at Combat Outpost Mushan in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, March 28, 2013. Mohammad and ... More
Members of national and provincial media outlets attend
Members of national and provincial media outlets attend a press conference held after the first day of the 2011 Panjshir Agriculture Conference at the Astana Guest House here Feb. 2-3. More than 150 people atte... More
Mohammed Ayas discusses the positive outcomes due to
Mohammed Ayas discusses the positive outcomes due to karez irrigation projects in his community. Irrigation rehabilitation projects have important financial benefits for rural farmers who depend on an adequate... More
Shah Mirza, manager of the Dashtak Demonstration Farm,
Shah Mirza, manager of the Dashtak Demonstration Farm, displays a horseradish plant. The farm is harvesting a variety of plants on what was a barren plot of land two years ago, according to Jim Hoffman, U.S. De... More
A local farmer works around an old Russian tank as
A local farmer works around an old Russian tank as he tends to his potato field June 17, 2012. Potato farming has become very important for the economy of Bamyan, as potatoes are the biggest cash crop for the l... More
Staff Sgt. Jeffrey Gogue, right, takes notes while
Staff Sgt. Jeffrey Gogue, right, takes notes while using an interpreter to talk with farmers in Talukan village, Oct. 22. Gogue, a weapons squad leader with Company A, 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 1st... More
An Afghan girl farms the land in Nawur, Afghanistan,
An Afghan girl farms the land in Nawur, Afghanistan, Aug. 20. Ghazni Provincial Reconstruction Team conducted site surveys and assessments of various projects ranging from clinics, archeological sites and dams.
An Afghan registers with U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Joshua
An Afghan registers with U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Joshua Hancock, assistant Panjshir Agriculture Lead, Kentucky Agribusiness Development Team II and Monticello, Ky., native, before the start of the 2011 Panjshir Ag... More
New Zealand soldiers, Malaysian soldiers, and civilian
New Zealand soldiers, Malaysian soldiers, and civilian contractors with Task Unit Crib play a game of dodge ball on Forward Operating Base Bamyan, June 19, 2012. Soldiers from New Zealand and Malaysia have been... More
A worker prunes an almond tree at the demonstration
A worker prunes an almond tree at the demonstration farm inside the Mohammad Agha District Center. The demonstration farm provides local farmers with improved techniques and knowledge to improve yields on their farms.
A little girl listens to the lessons during a class
A little girl listens to the lessons during a class at the Arzu Studio Hope compound in the Dragon Valley, west of the town of Bamyan. Women enrolled in the program are paid higher than average wages for their ... More
U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Don Kuehl (left) of
U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Don Kuehl (left) of Jackson, Minn., U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Bennett Groth of Moville, Iowa, and an interpreter talk with three farmers planting alfalfa at the proposed site of... More
Pam Fessenden, United States Agency for International
Pam Fessenden, United States Agency for International Development Team Leader, Office of Agriculture, speaks at the groundbreaking ceremony of the Farah Wholesale Market in Farah, Afghanistan, Sept. 27. The mar... More
Local farmers shepherd their herds as Marines with
Local farmers shepherd their herds as Marines with 8th Engineer Support Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics Group (Forward) conduct route construction April 7. The Marines rebuilt nearly 20 miles of roads to increa... More
Three local girls enjoy the Arzu Studio Hope garden
Three local girls enjoy the Arzu Studio Hope garden and playground in Dragon Valley, west of the town of Bamyan, June 20, 2012. Women enrolled in the program receive higher than average compensation for their w... More
Maj. Jonathon Pike, a member of the California Army
Maj. Jonathon Pike, a member of the California Army National Guard, serving with the Zabul Agribusiness Development Team, takes notes while participating in a village shura in Payenda Khel, Afghanistan.
New Zealand navy Sub Lt. Nick Hobbs, and Army Capt.
New Zealand navy Sub Lt. Nick Hobbs, and Army Capt. Dave Foote, a nurse, both with Task Unit Crib, play soccer with boys from the Samar Orphanage in Bamyan, June 22, 2012. Soldiers from the New Zealand continge... More
Bamyan Governor Dr. Habiba Sarabi leaves a meeting
Bamyan Governor Dr. Habiba Sarabi leaves a meeting at the Bamyan Cultural Hertiage Center with other Afghan dignitaries, June 18, 2012. Sarabi is the only female Afghan provincial governor in history.
A woman pulls weeds by an old Russian tank in a potato
A woman pulls weeds by an old Russian tank in a potato field in the Bamyan valley, June 16, 2012.
Bamyan Governor Dr. Habiba Sarabi conducts a meeting
Bamyan Governor Dr. Habiba Sarabi conducts a meeting at the Bamyan Cultural Heritage Center, as usual, the only woman in a room full of men, June 18, 2012. Sarabi is the only female Afghan provincial governor in history.
Two school girls watch through a window as soldiers
Two school girls watch through a window as soldiers from the Bamyan Malaysian Contingent, which is part of the Bamyan Provinicial Reconstruction Team, install a bio-sand filter water system on their school grou... More
Steve Tavella, a field program officer for the U.S.
Steve Tavella, a field program officer for the U.S. Agency for International Development, speaks with Dadullah, an Afghan farmer, amongst a crop of cucumbers near the village of Haji Nikal, Afghanistan, July 22... More
NAWA, Helmand province, Afghanistan - A local bread
NAWA, Helmand province, Afghanistan - A local bread maker prepares stacks of bread for shipment to the several Afghan Uniformed Police precincts they serve. Hundreds of flat breads are made daily from the proce... More
Two women walk past the huge cavity where one of the
Two women walk past the huge cavity where one of the ancient Buddhas of Bamiyan, known to locals as the "Father Buddha," used to stand, June 17, 2012. The monumental statues were built in A.D. 507 and 554 and w... More
Soldiers from the Iowa National Guard's 734th Agribusiness
Soldiers from the Iowa National Guard's 734th Agribusiness Development Team establish a security perimeter around the edge of a proposed demonstration farm near the Sarkani District Center in Afghanistan's Kuna... More
Two local farmers tend to their potato field June 17,
Two local farmers tend to their potato field June 17, 2012. Potatoes have become the biggest cash crop for the large farming community in Bamyan - thanks in large part to efforts by the Bamyan Provincial Recons... More
A little girl listens to her teacher during a class
A little girl listens to her teacher during a class at the Arzu Studio Hope compound in the Dragon Valley west of the town of Bamyan. Women and children enrolled in the program are taught the skills to weave ru... More
A group of school children react to seeing themselves
A group of school children react to seeing themselves on the small screen of a video camera at the Bamyan Regional High School June 6, 2012.
ADT Teaches Farming in Panjshir
An Afghan worker waters grape plants at the Astana Demonstration Farm in the Panjshir province of Afghanistan. The farm, initially established in 2008, is a way for the American experts in agriculture at Panjsh... More
An Afghan boy poses near some sunflowers on the farm
An Afghan boy poses near some sunflowers on the farm where he works. A Kentucky National Guard Agribusiness Development Team funded project, managed by Roots of Peace, has put hundreds of thousands of food-prod... More
U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Eric Pugh of Winterset, Iowa,
U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Eric Pugh of Winterset, Iowa, Forestry Specialist for the Iowa National Guard's 734th Agri-Business Development Team, shares a smile with the agricultural extension agents who serve the Mar... More
Farmers pack a room at the Agricultural Compound in
Farmers pack a room at the Agricultural Compound in Asadabad, the provincial capital, March 31 to celebrate Farmer's Day, an event underwritten by the Iowa National Guard's 734th Agribusiness Development Team.
A local boy who was serving tea at a meeting of local
A local boy who was serving tea at a meeting of local farmers flashes a shy smile through the grass blades in an orchard near the town of Bamyan June 16, 2012.
Spin Boldak-area sweet melon farmers held a shura on
Spin Boldak-area sweet melon farmers held a shura on June 18, 2012, at the District Police Center to discuss better ways to pack, market and export the area's famous crop. Shura organizers made sure to compile ... More
U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Bennett Groth of Moville,
U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Bennett Groth of Moville, Iowa, production agriculture specialist for the Iowa National Guard's 734th Agri-Business Development Team, assists U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Eric Pugh of Winterse... More
As members of the Iowa National Guard’s 734th Agribusiness
As members of the Iowa National Guard’s 734th Agribusiness Development Team look on, U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Rick McLain, of Stockport, Iowa, the ADT’s project manager for the Khas Konar district, mak... More
Bamyan Governor Dr. Habiba Sarabi stands on a patio
Bamyan Governor Dr. Habiba Sarabi stands on a patio overlooking the Bamyan river valley where the ancient standing Buddha’s of Bamyan statues used to reside in giant insets, one of which can be seen here, June ... More
Spin Boldak-area sweet melon farmers held a shura on
Spin Boldak-area sweet melon farmers held a shura on June 18, 2012, at the District Police Center to discuss better ways to pack, market and export the area's famous crop. Farmers reviewed a United States Agenc... More
Hajji Faizal Mohammad, center, the Panjwa'i district
Hajji Faizal Mohammad, center, the Panjwa'i district governor, speaks with 30 local farmers during an agricultural shura at Combat Outpost Mushan in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, March 28, 2013. Mohammad and ... More
Two Afghan farmers hold up a box of pomegranates before
Two Afghan farmers hold up a box of pomegranates before Afghanistan's Kandahar International Airport staff members loaded 15 tons of the fruit onto a plane destined for Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Nov. 9.
An Afghan farmer watches from a poppy field as the
An Afghan farmer watches from a poppy field as the 288th Sapper Company, a National Guard Unit out of Houston, Miss., performs a dismounted patrol in the Uzugan province in southern Afghanistan, April 2, 2012. ... More
A panel of soldiers with the Minnesota National Guard
A panel of soldiers with the Minnesota National Guard Agribusiness Development Team recently returned from a year-long deployment to Afghanistan and highlighted in the recently released Twin Cities Public Telev... More
Col. Eric Alhness, Commander of the Minnesota National
Col. Eric Alhness, Commander of the Minnesota National Guard Argibusiness Development Team presents a token of appreciation to Gil Mann, past President of Beth El Synagogue, after premiere showing of Twin Citie... More
U.S. Army soldiers provide security while Afghanistan
U.S. Army soldiers provide security while Afghanistan local farmers harvest poppy plants on Char Shaka, Afghanistan, April 27, 2011. The locals harvest poppy plants to produce opium which is their main source of income.
Razia Jan, the in-country director of Arzu Studio Hope,
Razia Jan, the in-country director of Arzu Studio Hope, walks the grounds of the community garden the organization built in the Dragon Valley, west of the town of Bamyan. Women and children enrolled in the prog... More
A school girl hands a pen to New Zealand Capt. James
A school girl hands a pen to New Zealand Capt. James Molony, the Padre for the Bamyan Provincial Reconstruction Team, Task Unit Crib, after writing a correct answer on the dry erase board during his English lit... More
A man tamps down soil inside a newly completed greenhouse
A man tamps down soil inside a newly completed greenhouse at the Farah director of agriculture, irrigation and livestock's facilities in Farah City, Jan. 23. Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) Farah attended... More
Members of the Afghan Uniformed Police form up outside
Members of the Afghan Uniformed Police form up outside Forward Operating Base Bamyan, June 25, 2012.
Beau Neal (left), a resident of Versailles, Ky., and
Beau Neal (left), a resident of Versailles, Ky., and Ken Parsons (right), a resident of Lancaster, Ky., observe as local agricultural leaders lead tractor safety training in southern Afghanistan’s Kandahar prov... More
U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Don Kuehl of Jackson,
U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Don Kuehl of Jackson, Minn., a soils specialist for the Iowa National Guard's 734th Agri-Business Development Team, meets with agricultural officials and farmers from the Sarkan... More
Provincial government officials from Farah Province
Provincial government officials from Farah Province meet with each other prior to the groundbreaking ceremony of the Farah Wholesale Market in Farah, Afghanistan, Sept. 27. The market, a joint Government Islam... More
Shereen, a farmer from the Sarkani District, leaves
Shereen, a farmer from the Sarkani District, leaves the Farmer's Day celebration March 31 in Asasdabad, the provincial capital, with tools, saplings and farm supplies purchased by the Iowa National Guard's 734t... More
The cavity where the largest of the Buddha’s of Bamiyan
The cavity where the largest of the Buddha’s of Bamiyan statues, known to locals as the "Father Buddha," used to stand towers above the Bamyan valley, June 16, 2012. The monumental statues were built in A.D. 50... More
A group of Afghan National Civil Order Police officers,
A group of Afghan National Civil Order Police officers, assigned to the 1st Kandak, crosses a farmers field to search for Taliban fighters in Mirakikhel village, Wardak province, Afghanistan, June 25, 2012.
U.S. Soldiers with the 4th Infantry Battalion, 9th
U.S. Soldiers with the 4th Infantry Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division, record and verify the identity of local farmers attending an agricultural shura at Combat Outpost Mushan in Kandahar ... More
A native farmer and his son tend to their potato field
A native farmer and his son tend to their potato field June 17, 2012. Potatoes have become the biggest cash crop for the large farming community in Bamyan - thanks in large part to efforts by the Bamyan Provinc... More
A girl peeks at the camera as she and her classmates
A girl peeks at the camera as she and her classmates line up at the beginning of their session at the Bamyan Regional High School, June 6, 2012. Bamyan Province boasts more than 120,000 children in school, nea... More
Spin Boldak-area sweet melon farmers held a shura on
Spin Boldak-area sweet melon farmers held a shura on June 18, 2012, at the District Police Center to discuss better ways to pack, market and export the area's famous crop. Farmers reviewed a United States Agenc... More
Afghan National Police patrolman Bismullah Jan searches
Afghan National Police patrolman Bismullah Jan searches a local farmer under the watch of U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Tyler Goodman, a 20-year-old rifleman with 2nd Platoon, Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine R... More
New Zealand Capt. James Molony, the Padre for the Bamyan
New Zealand Capt. James Molony, the Padre for the Bamyan Provincial Reconstruction Team, Task Unit Crib, plays "Simon Says" with boys from the Samar Orphanage in Bamyan, June 22, 2012. Soldiers from the New Zea... More
Bamyan Governor Dr. Habiba Sarabi stands on a patio
Bamyan Governor Dr. Habiba Sarabi stands on a patio overlooking the Bamyan river valley where the ancient standing Buddhas of Bamiyan statues used to reside in two giant insets, one of which can be seen here, J... More
Malaysian soldiers with the Bamyan Provincial Reconstruction
Malaysian soldiers with the Bamyan Provincial Reconstruction Team cheer as New Zealand army Capt. Dave Foote, a nurse with Task Unit Crib, arm wrestles with a boy at the Samar Orphanage near Forward Operating B... More
A groundskeeper at Shaikh Zayed University in Khowst
A groundskeeper at Shaikh Zayed University in Khowst City prepares the greenhouse for the next block of instruction Feb. 21. Shaikh Zayed University’s Faculty of Agriculture recently hosted Future Farmers of Af... More
Spin Boldak-area sweet melon farmers held a shura on
Spin Boldak-area sweet melon farmers held a shura on June 18, 2012, at the District Police Center to discuss better ways to pack, market and export the area's famous crop.
The future site of the Farah Wholesale Market during
The future site of the Farah Wholesale Market during the official groundbreaking ceremony in Farah, Afghanistan, Sept. 27. The market, a joint Government Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and USAID project, will ... More
Spin Boldak-area sweet melon farmers held a shura on
Spin Boldak-area sweet melon farmers held a shura on June 18, 2012, at the District Police Center to discuss better ways to pack, market and export the area's famous crop. United States Agency for International... More
Local farmers displayed this season's fruit harvest
Local farmers displayed this season's fruit harvest in Gelan district, Paktika province, Sept. 28. Special operations forces hosted an agricultural seminar in Gelan, Oct. 12, which taught local farmers new tech... More
Farmers in the Jaji Maidan district of Khowst province
Farmers in the Jaji Maidan district of Khowst province prepare soil for wheat seed planting Nov. 3. The Indiana National Guard 4-19th Agribusiness Development Team provided 142 metric tons of certified winter w... More
U.S. Army Lt. Col. Jeffrey Casada, Kentucky National
U.S. Army Lt. Col. Jeffrey Casada, Kentucky National Guard Agri-Business Development Team leader with Provincial Reconstruction Team Panjshir (left), talks, through an interpreter, to the manager of the Astana ... More
Local farmers collected their harvests from the fields
Local farmers collected their harvests from the fields in Gelan district, Paktika province, Sep. 28. Special operations forces team members hosted an agricultural seminar in Gelan, Oct. 12, which taught local f... More
Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) Farah members
Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) Farah members and a representative from USDA meet with Afghan farmers at a greenhouse in Farah City to discuss the farmer's success in frowing cucumbers, Nov. 3. PRT Farah'... More
Bamyan Governor Dr. Habiba Sarabi speaks at a meeting
Bamyan Governor Dr. Habiba Sarabi speaks at a meeting of the Bamyan Cultural Hertitage Center, June 18, 2012. Sarabi is the only female Afghan provincial governor in history.
Spin Boldak-area sweet melon farmers held a shura on
Spin Boldak-area sweet melon farmers held a shura on June 18, 2012, at the District Police Center to discuss better ways to pack, market and export the area's famous crop. Steve Tavella, field program officer, ... More
Steve Tavella, a field program officer with the U.S.
Steve Tavella, a field program officer with the U.S. Agency for International Development, listens to an interpreter during a conversation with a local farmer near Haji Nikal, Afghanistan, July 22, 2012.
Bamyan governor, Dr. Habiba Sarabi, stands on a patio
Bamyan governor, Dr. Habiba Sarabi, stands on a patio overlooking the Bamyan river valley where the ancient standing Buddhas of Bamiyan statues used to reside in the giant insets, one of which can be seen here,... More
New Zealand Capt. James Molony, the Padre for the Bamyan
New Zealand Capt. James Molony, the Padre for the Bamyan Provincial Reconstruction Team, Task Unit Crib, wrestles with four boys who live at the Samar Orphanage in Bamyan, June 22, 2012. Soldiers from the New Z... More
Children sing the Afghanistan national anthem in a
Children sing the Afghanistan national anthem in a class at the Arzu Studio Hope compound in the Dragon Valley, west of the town of Bamyan June 20, 2012. Women enrolled in the program receive higher-than-averag... More
An Afghan farmer pushes a wheel barrel full of dirt
An Afghan farmer pushes a wheel barrel full of dirt in a village in Parwan province, Afghanistan, April 24, 2012.
Gul Rang (left), agriculture extension manager for
Gul Rang (left), agriculture extension manager for the Khas Konar District, and Zabihulla, a Khas Konar farmer and village elder, share a laugh with members of the Iowa National Guard’s 734th Agribusiness Devel... More
Local farmers observe Lance Cpl. Brandon Mann, a dog
Local farmers observe Lance Cpl. Brandon Mann, a dog handler with Alpha Company, 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, and native of Arlington, Texas, and Ty, an improvised explosive device detection dog,... More
An Afghan community leader points to the boundary of
An Afghan community leader points to the boundary of the crops outside Combat Outpost Monti in eastern Afghanistan's Kunar province during a meeting with International Security Assistance Forces, Aug. 17. Certa... More
U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Don Kuehl of Jackson,
U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Don Kuehl of Jackson, Minn., says farewell to Shah Mahmood, the Sarkani District subgovernor, following a meeting at the Sarkani District Center, Dec. 27.
NAWA, Helmand province, Afghanistan - A local bread
NAWA, Helmand province, Afghanistan - A local bread maker prepares to throw a slab of dough into a hand-made oven. Both the oven and the bread dough were products wheat helped provide.