AGRICULTURE & FARMING
Promoting stronger economic growth in the St. Suzanne area through the creation of sustainable jobs has always been one of the most important goals of HBHH. Because farming is one of the pillars of that economy, HBHH has started an agriculture program to make this goal a reality.
This program has several elements:
Shade Nursery: In the summer of 2007, the teen and young adult mission teams started this program by building a shade nursery. This first step was taken after extensive research and discussions with local farmers identified shade nurseries as a key first step. Why? Because shade nurseries protect potted seedlings from direct sunlight and heavy rains until they are mature enough to be planted in fields by local farmers. This step was made possible by HBHH collecting donations to provide lumber and agricultural supplies, sponsoring engineering drawing, organizing a mission trip and land provided by the local Catholic Church. p
Expertise: In February 2008 a team of four Haitian agriculture experts came to St. Suzanne to teach a seminar on "ti fore" (little forest). This program taught the farmers ways to create immediate income and a way to help stop the deforestation that is so rampant in Haiti. The result was thousands of trees were planted and distibuted. This created many "ti fore" pilots in the St. Suzanne area of Haiti. This project is being expanded so that thousands of trees will continue to be planted each year.
Pilot Programs: Property is being purchased to start a coffee co-op that will create jobs and income by providing local farmers access to coffee seedlings, fertilized land to raise coffee plants and transportation to markets in nearby villages to sell the harvested beans.
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A cabbage and yam pilot was started in the fall of 2007 to help feed the poorest of the poor. It was very successful and each year additional families are added to the program in a pay-it-forward method.
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Another pay-it-forward program for raising goats began in 2009 with 32 families receiving a pair of goats and instructions on caring and breeding the goats. The first born of each pair is returned to the local committee, who then incorporates new families into the program with each new generation of goats. After the first-born, additional goats born to each pair are retained by the family, and thus they have on on-going source of meat and milk.
