Who We Are

Hello and Thank you for taking some time to learn more about our team.

My name is Thierno Hady Diallo, Owner and manager of GAMOU ORGANIC FARMS.

I was born and raised in Bamako, Mali - West Africa; where I studied till high school. Gamou Farms is in fact 25 miles away from our household. After graduation, I accepted a scholarship to the former Soviet Union and in the republic of Moldova where I earned my Master’s degree in Agronomy in 1992. (Get a copy of my book to read about my experience in USSR here)

Right after graduating there, I moved to France where I trained and worked on dairy and crop farms in the Normandy region for three years.

In 1995 I moved to Sheboygan, Wisconsin in the United States as a government exchange student in a program focused on farm management, animal husbandry, milk and crop productions. I subsequently took winter short courses on Precision Agriculture and GIS at the University of Wisconsin, Madison as I worked on two more farms in nearby Sun Prairie.

In May of 2007, I joined the Corn Research Program at the Department of Agronomy of the University of Wisconsin Madison where I still work as a Senior Research Specialist. We test 500 + corn hybrids at 12 locations per year, conduct corn management trials (Rotation, Tillage, Plant Population, Row spacing, Date of Planting, Green House Gases emissions etc...) as well as private trials involving different Ag products.

In August of 2015 I volunteered for two weeks for a USAID Farmer-to-Farmer project in Mali and trained in six villages on Animal Nutrition based on local forages.

After trotting the globe, practicing for three years on Soviet communal farms, three years on French family farms and twelve years on modern US farms; I came to the conclusion that 3 things lay at the foundation of food security wherever it has been achieved:

1 - Strong government policies/incentives and infrastructure;

2 - Education/Hands-on-training based on Research and Development;

3 – Hard work.

The idea of Gamou Farms was then born in order to train through hard work, a new generation of Ag leaders, producers and researchers to mitigate food insecurity. So, giving that opportunity to as many trainees as possible to reach their full potential became my passion. I owe that burning desire to teach and help others to my teacher-parents, especially Mom, whom I saw relentlessly pushing, steering and helping strangers to get an education first and foremost. That teaching energy fuels my urge to train others out in the fields, labs, on machinery or in cattle sheds; all places where I feel most comfortable. I hope to make Gamou Farms, just like Wisconsin, a special learning place where anybody with the right attitude can be fully trained and equipped to tackle any Agricultural challenge. It is my desire in the near future to teach and train future Ag generations on a full time basis at both places.

Thank you for your time and please visit us on the ground to see for yourself how we are doing. Contact Thierno

My name is Dr Mohamadoun Moustapha Maiga, and I am the Assistant Manager and Herdsman of Gamou Farms.

A native of Mali, I graduated in 1994 from the School of Veterinary Medicine of Kishinev, Republic of Moldova (former Soviet Union). After returning to Mali, I worked as a consultant in the Bamako region serving beef, dairy, sheep and poultry farmers for 14 years before joining Gamou Farms in 2007.

In 2008 I enrolled in a yearlong internship program (the same Gamou Farms is offering to students) on dairy farms in Wisconsin and Florida, United States; to sharpen my vet and farm management skills. Since 2009 I have been in charge of the day to day management of Gamou Farms while teaching Therapy and Anatomy at a private school. Herd health, Artificial Insemination, eventually embryo transfer and student training are my main responsibilities. Contact Dr Maiga