Post Tagged with: "aerial"

Georgia on my Mind

This relatively tiny slice of the Caucasus is one of my favorite corners of the world, and I relish any opportunity to come here. From the ancient castles, churches, rich culture and heritage to the stunning architecture and wonderfully unique wine and food (all at affordable prices) there’s really nothing not to love about Georgia, aside from the fact that its greedy northern neighbor keeps carving out slices of the country’s sovereign territory. I thought about not making this post so I could keep more of this place to myself. BTW I brought my drone. Below is an aerial view of the Ujarma fortress, circa 1100, followed by the Jvari church, circa 600. Other shots are from Tbilisi, Gori, and the Davit Gareja Monastery on the border with Azerbaijan.

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Open Sesame

  It’s one thing to increase the crop yields of vulnerable, smallholder farmers in a climate-challenged corner of the world. Lots of organizations are working – and bearing fruit – in this capacity. It’s another thing entirely to transform these smallholder farmers into major agricultural producers, connect them with buyers, and strengthen the value chain of a commodity for an entire region. In my most recent assignment with Lutheran World Relief, I was commissioned to take a brief look at the SESAME project, a US Department of Agriculture-funded initiative that works not only to increase the quality and volume of sesame farmers in Burkina Faso, but also to strengthen the cooperative system in sesame growing regions of the county. By working in cooperatives, everyday farmers can negotiate higher prices, streamline quality, access inputs and enhance overall market conditions, all of which create a sustainable, private-sector led framework for the sale[…]

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Fifty Shades of Green

 Take an aerial tour through the evergreen mountains, tea fields and villages of Fort Portal and Bundibugyo districts in western Uganda. You won’t get a better view of the area without chartering a helicopter. I shot this with my drone in between assignments in Zambia and Georgia last month while on a road trip to visit friends.

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