When groups of farmers go together, an enormous resource base of knowledge and skills is released. It can happen in many types of groups, and many of us know it from having been or being part of dynamic groups based on mutual exchange, learning, development and respect. In this talk, we give examples from North Europe and East Africa on an approach to farmer groups, which is owned by the ones who use the approach, and discuss it broadly in relation to social capital building and empowerment.