Agriculture

Agriculture, Farming, and Reforesting

The island of La Gonave, Haiti is in a serious ecologic struggle. Surrounded by warm Caribbean waters, this 287 square mile island was once a lush, tropical paradise. Once the site of dense mahogany forests and plentiful tropical citrus trees, much of La Gonave has turned from green to brown. Its soil, once organic, deep, and moist, today is hot, parched and thin, unable to hold rainwater because protective cover and stabilizing root systems are no longer there.

We can change this... and we plan to.

By the year 2020 we hope to reforest the island of La Gonave with 287,000 trees and plants... like mangoes, key limes, bananas, avocados, date palms and bamboo. Trees whose leaves will shade and cool the island. Trees whose roots will stabilize and restore struggling soil. Trees whose fruit will provide nutritious food and a source of income for islanders.

By the year 2020 we hope to provide every home (there are some 12 - 14,000 family homes on La Gonave) with garden plants and/or farm animals that will provide food and a source of income.

By 2020, La Gonaveʼs ecologic poverty can be reversed.

How you can help...

• $3 will cover the cost of one disease-resistant banana plant. Each parent banana plant will give off an offshoot in one year and will be producing bananas in 2-3 years.
• $5 will cover the cost of one tree: a mango, avocado, moringa, bamboo, or date palm.
• $10 will cover the cost of providing garden seeds to a peasant family, enough to provide them with food, as well as a source of income.
• $25 can provide a peasant family with 10 chicks which, in addition to providing eggs and meat, will provide organic garden fertilizer and will reproduce.
• $200 can provide a peasant family with one burro which can transport families produce to the village market.

*Costs cover purchase, transportation, and delivery.