America's North Shore Journal

Iraq, once a fertile land, has been devastated by drought, war and neglect. Farmers in Ninewa province are looking for relief from a government program called Greenhouse Demonstration, some structures called hoop houses, and an American called “Farmer Fred”. Fred Woehl, an agriculture specialist for the Ninewa Provincial Reconstruction Team, has brought hope to the people of Qaraqosh, Nimrud, and Al Qosh through greenhouses, tractors and seedlings. Before coming to Iraq, Woehl worked in Harrison, Ark., as a Farm Loan Manager for the Farm Service Agency and US Department of Agriculture. Over the course of a year, Woehl has forged relationships by addressing the needs of Iraqi farmers and working with the Iraqi Ministry of Agriculture and the Ninewa General Directorate of Agriculture to build greenhouses in the province. Recently, the PRT … Read entire article »