FARMING BETTER
Concurrent with reclaiming the land, we work with farmers to improve their farming practices in order to produce better and more sustainable yields. This is difficult on land that is far from suitable for agriculture, but it is land they have. No point dreaming about Iowa.
THE KEY LESSONS FARMERS LEARN
Adopt practices that protect and restore the soil and water assets of the land
Grow trees with sustainable forestry
Grow food and trees together (Agroforestry)
Grow a diversity trees and plants and co-mingle them ecologically
Increase food security with crops that can stand drought and be stored after harvest, like tropical yam.
Make a farm business plan - what, where, when to plant, money in, money out
Work cooperatively with others in the community
Agroforestry has traditional Haitian roots and ecological logic
An agroforest co-mingles trees with seasonal crops
A cashew tree in an agroforest
Planting an open patch in an agroforest
A yam and a tree in an agroforest
Planting a true yam, which produces food for decades.
A 12" sapling after one year's growth
A patch of plantains in an agroforest
JP agronomists and farmers making a farm plan
Just planted pineapple will soon be erosion buffers
Twig to tree in one year
A farmer prunes his woodlot to grow poles
Cashews being grown for a farmer
Coconuts being grown for a family farm
We teach kids, they're future farmers
Cacao
Mango