Good post! Composting is essential to replenish soil that has supported monoculture (ie sugar cane) for decades. Permaculture, aquaponics and clean, commercial scale, inland aquaculture is the future of food in the Caribbean region. I read the research paper prepared by mcgill university and bellairs several years ago and remain heartened that aquaponics is still alive and well in Bim. Expansion of the aquaculture sector in Bim is long overdue…with it must come incentives to use renewable energy sources in order to reduce costly petroleum based inputs. Thanks again for this post.

I’ve been thinking a lot about kick-starting domestic agriculture on the home level and the more I envisage how this could work, the more I believe we need to look at it from the other end. Rather than set up a system from a commercial, governement or funded angle and have the youth take part, perhaps we should set up the youth in their own back yards and send those who know how TO THEM..to help them set it up right, right on the spot with composting areas, teaching the backyard agriculturalist about natural pest-control plants and showing them how to integrate these when planning their kitchen gardens, helping them plan and organise…teaching why and how, inspiring and motivating, sharing ideas, problem-solving together, giving the skills to ensure successful efforts, helping them succeed in feeding their families, encouraging community involvement and educating them in the business aspects of growing a backyard business. So rather than a land investment, there is a knowledge investment – people helping people with their time and knowledge…getting other small businesses and people to help with soils, seeds and basic supplies – a very small contribution really and this could be community-centred. When you invest in education and monitor its progress, you teach the man “how to fish” and he has a vested interest in sustaining his environment and a community sees the benefits and starts to look after itself and protect its efforts. The great prizes would not just be more food but the skill to grow it successfully, building on the natural entrepreneurship mindset that is inherent to most Bajans and the great sense of self-worth which seeing what you can do with your own two hands, will foster. We are people rich in BIM and it costs little more than time to share knowledge; in these times I believe we should all be thinking about how we can give back so that we can all survive and this is one way that is a win-win however you look at it. Its all about the synergy and starting simple…just a thought…

@David
Even in my old age my memory is still good and I can’t understand how people forget things that are before them. Government and private enterprise have constructed a waste separation plant at Vaucluse, I think it cost almost thirty million dollars., that not only separates garbage into reusable and compostable, but composts, things like coconut shells etc, and packages and sells compost. If you go to the hardware stores you can get compost made at this plant. Instead of getting on as if the country is so backward, carefull enquiry would show that these things are already here but are not supported by the general population because they forget that these things are in existence. As far as the teaching is concerned, don’t the children get such instructions at school where every primary school has a kitchen garden where they grow vegetables etc? there are many 4H clubs around the island are these things taught there? And David, why is there always talk about giving people “incentives” to get things done. If I want to save which should be my incentive, and want to bathe in warm water, that should be my other “incentive” to get a solar water heater. If I don’t have all the money then I should look toward a loan, not an “incentive” grant of funds.

David wrote “Has the government mentioned or incentivised this approach to agriculture (home gardening)?”

Please tell me why GOVERNMENT has to incentivise people to grow vegetables in a kitchen garden?

There is some incentivisation coming soon. It is called the Inevitability of a lack of imported food due to insufficent forex.

David do the primary schools still have kitchen gardens?

Teach the children how to grow vegetables at primary school and they won’t forget when they become adults.

Where the FIVE (5) John Deere tractors Mr. Minister? Like pulling teeth this one, when the head Ministry has adopted a pragmatic approach to all that’s left to feed us…Take a look at Guyana for some directives….surely we must give agriculture some worthy consideration NOW ! Alvin you need to call Estwick personally and talk some sense into him…

island guy | April 20, 2013 at 2:05 PM |

Alvin you are correct about the plant . I think a truck load of this compose is about $85 .

Island guy …where you just come from? I would really like to meet you. We could meet at The ackee tree for a drink. Interested? Doan let Bushie and lemmie know so keep it quiet.

To whom it may concern..Island guy is not related to me Islandgal in any way form or fashion!

David the people who need help from Government are the poor and those with small plots or living in housing schemes.

The middle class will get dirt on their hands when the supermarket shelves are empty.

Composting is a great idea as is growing your own food.

@Hants

Your last comment is correct of course BUT the prevailing view (and mindset of many Barbadians) preached by the intelligentsia is that it is cheaper for Barbados to buy/import food.

david wrote “preached by the intelligentsia is that it is cheaper for Barbados to buy/import food.”

I have no doubt they are correct but what will they do when there is no forex to buy food from overseas?

Food security is the best hedge against the difficulties facing Barbados.

We are not discussing some mega project for Agriculture. We are talking about a viable way for ordinary people to improve their lives.

Even if they are lazy like me they can still plant things that grow with very little effort.Passion fruit,bonavist pun de palin and pumpins. pelt some seeds during the rainy season and you might get lucky.

When I was a boy my mother used to grow, lettuce,thyme,tomatoes,carrots and beets in one little garden.
It ain’t difficult.

So my love for the land started when I was a toddler.

Gabriel Tackle wrote “its razor thin majority is more concerned about the numbers game and thus survival”

That is the single most important thing for them to do. The voters of Barbados elected the DLP to govern the country for the next 5 years.
For the next 5 years the BLP can oppose and build credibility that would win them the next election.

Wunna have lots of time to plan.

How can one deter monkeys?

Joyce……there are covers to deter monkeys…..

Hants……………The golden apples in Barbados are amongst the sweetest i have ever eaten, I heard with my own ears officials from Min of Agriculture including ministers talking for hours about exporting the juice or apples themselves ra ra ra, back in 2009, why am i not surprised that they are now importing the apples that they don’t need.

Best way to rid of monkeys is chicken manure …or some awful smelly stuff like a dead chicken…..or shoot one and leave it….

islandgal246 sure why not , i am usually an observer but i had to stay on this one .
Don’t let the fellows stress you. islandgal246.

Oooooh …islandguy thank you wink wink….you too sweet. Bushie tek dat!

@ Bushie

You ever see a 3 foot pig yet? Take my foolish advise, one of them legs done get bite off. Cou cou in a soursop bowl.LOL

@Pat
I recall when my father and other gardeners in the area, used to border the garden beds with other plants, and the Leek was one of them. Also grown nearby were plants such as Tumeric, Ginger and Arrowroot.

Colonel Buggy | April 20, 2013 at 9:29 PM |
the last lines in the last post should read
“…Its only when and if, they visit Grantley Adams, Princess Margaret etc etc …………..”

I have concluded that all we have learned as a subject colonial people is not at all bad.All of what you contributors have posted is what was part of the Primary school curriculum.All Primary schools had a kitchen garden attached and all students were required to plant,water,and otherwise care for the garden.Our’s was enclosed and set apart from the school and we were required to walk about 200 yards to its location.When the master turned his back we’d pluck a carrot,hastily remove the soil and eat it as Sparrow sings ‘in less than no time’.My point however is that the education system of old encouraged self sufficiency in agriculture and students were encouraged to plant fruit and veggies as well as rear animals,commonly referred to as stock(s).These were the look- down- upon- and- frown- old- colonial days which made most of us men of substance.The education system made sense.Attend Primary school in your district and Grammar school or Technical school nearest to your home.For many of us that was in Bridgetown.Without being frivolous, teachers are now occupied with removing Principals and have no time for imparting knowledge
any longer.

“Hunger is a great teacher.”

Well Well that is very true, it may teach some of us to grow our food and it will teach some of us to go thief our food.

Pan Cart Man …you are too funny and yuh right yuh neva see a three foot pig! Bushie ent know eff it is he wun get cut off. LOLL

I am pleasantly surprised to see so much people interested in agriculture. WE must do some more promotion of kitchen gardens, because it is the first step in making Barbados feed it self, witch is a very easy task.

Kitchen gardens are the answer for us because for one people don’t thief from a kitchen garden because it is usually close to a house and not enough of a single crop to thief, a truck load of bananas from a dark hole is a much easier target.

A dog could provide full time protection for a kitchen garden from mammal pest (read monkey) I personally think we should eradicate them all they serve no purpose but as something for a visitor to point and say “look at the 2 cute monkeys let give them something”

If the government could fix agriculture it would have all ready.

Its up to us. The government pays up to %30 rebate for new crop technologies for REGISTERED small farmers. A kitchen garden is enough to register you as a small farmer.

You could buy a truck load of compost for $85 and pay the $200-500 for shipping and handling, remember this compost is separated from our main garbage and was compressed with all the bleach and oil bottles and all the other dangerous stuff you don’t want near your micro herd. This compost is viable for large operations but the home gardener wants/needs more control and a much higher quality compost for our usage, then there is all the pollution you cut out from shipping/sorting that compost.

On the topic of schools teaching agriculture its OK, its not up to schools or up to government, its up to the family. But if that is the case lets push agriculture in the 4-6 certain secondary schools that make up the blocks i am sure it would work out in the long run.

@ready Done

In most countries, agriculture is a subject on schools curricula.

@Colonel Buggy

When I was at West, they had the garden and chickens, I dont remember pigs. My brother got an ‘O’ Level from Oxford and Cambridge in Agriculture from West. You should see his garden in Oakville.

@Alvin Cumins

The garden waste for composting in Bim is made by a separate pickup. the regular truck will not take it. You have to call for the special pick-up. This truck will also take bottles, old pots, etc. I know, my 15 foot fig trees were left at the curb and when I phoned to complain, it was all explained and the truck came the next day.