Tag Archives: Jamaica

Peregrine Farm News Vol. 18 #11, 3/19/21

What’s been going on!

Well we were lucky with yesterday’s line of storms that slipped by us north and south and all we got was a short shot of rain.  Such is spring as we watch one front after another cross the state with the storms moving from the southwest to the northeast and we hope that they will split and go around us, which they frequently do.  The old timers say it is because of the Cane Creek Mountains, which fill most of southwest Alamance County, maybe they are high enough to divert the thunderstorms.  For whatever reason we are always grateful when they miss us.

I had an enjoyable Zoom event last Sunday as I spent the evening with a large group of Jamaican farmers discussing tomatoes and other things farming.  You may remember I spent two weeks nearly seven years ago working with the Jamaica Sustainable Farm Enterprise Project.  I was the first volunteer to go down and assess the situation and work with their initial group of farms.  It was an interesting time and I came away hopeful for their success.  They have continued to move forward against big odds and are being very successful in building a core group and getting produce into markets there.  It was great to catch up.

As painful as it will seem, don’t forget that the Carrboro Farmers’ Market goes to it’s summer hours starting tomorrow!  7:00 until noon, be there with us to greet the first day of Spring!

Picture of the week

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Typical upland farm in Jamaica

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Peregrine Farm News Vol. 12 #31, 11/6/15

What’s been going on!

One of those crazy busy weeks with many meetings and trying to get a pile of things done before heading out of town next week.  The three days of board meetings for the Rural Advancement Foundation International (RAFI) fortunately landed during the extremely wet days (another 3.2 inches of rain).  Extremely inspiring and critical work being done by their staff, I would love to talk with those of you who are able, about becoming an individual donor to their work.

Betsy had a Farm to Fork picnic committee meeting, yes the planning goes on year round to make it a great event.  This weekend is the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association Conference in Durham so I am putting the finishing touches on my workshop presentation.

The last of the pepper trellis is coming down and Betsy got the anemones planted and mulched and we pulled one of the little tunnels over them now that they have been well watered in.  With all of the rain, the cover crops look awesome.  The best early growth in years!

We had a great visit yesterday from the folks from Jamaica who I worked with last year on the Jamaica Farm Sustainable Enterprise Project.  In country for a few weeks to both see more organic farms of all sizes and to make connections for supplies, expertise and funding.  They will be talking about the project at the CFSA conference on Saturday.

Picture of the Week

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Nkrumah Green and Nicola Shirley-Phillips in front of the tunnel they helped us slide over the anemones

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Peregrine Farm News Vol. 11 #31, 11/21/14

What’s been going on!

Back from Jamaica, alive and well.  Sixteen days is a long time to be gone and Betsy and Jennie did a great job in keeping everything rolling and protecting all the crops from the unusually cold weather, 14 degrees two days ago, way too cold for this early in the season.

Jamaica was beautiful and interesting.  Enlightening, uplifting and depressing all at the same time.  It is certainly a place of deep contrasts between the touristy north shore and the poverty of the south shore, particularly the far eastern parish of St. Thomas where I was.  A good place to be working with small farmers to help move them both towards organic farming practices but also direct marketing of their products so they can make the most income possible from their efforts and help reduce the amount of food imported into the country.

The farmers were friendly, open, eager, hardworking and looking for a break in what has been a long line of difficulties including hurricanes, drought, diseases and unscrupulous exporters.  The Jamaica Sustainable Farm Enterprise project is a three and a half year effort that will bring in 70 volunteers with both farming and marketing expertise to work with 150 farmers from all across the island but particularly in the eastern end of the country.  I just happened to be the first volunteer to work with the first ten farmers, their fledgling farmers’ market in Kingston and look at the whole project from a 30,000 foot level.

More stories later but more immediately we have this big food holiday coming up.  Two markets in four days for you to get everything you need for the big meal.  Of course tomorrow 9:00 to noon and then Tuesday afternoon, the special pre-Thanksgiving market 3:00-6:00.  The weather looks perfect for both.  If you want to have us save something special for you in advance, for either market, please let us know as early as possible so we can set it aside.

 Picture of the Week

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Showing farmers in the Plantain Garden River plains how to use a walk behind tractor

 

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