Kevin's Agricultural Adventures: 10 Months in 5 Paragraphs

Slowly But Surely

Day One at Demo Farm

Hello? Is anybody still there? It has been nearly a year since I have blogged, so I surely understand if you have stopped checking in for updates. I don’t know exactly why I stopped chronicling this Peace Corps experience. I guess with blogging you don’t really get much feedback about what you are sharing and I don’t care to feel like I am talking to myself (except for when I am intentionally talking to myself). However, I do recall being taught that reflecting on experiences is an important part of internalizing the lessons learned from them. So…I’m back.

Food Afield

Last I shared a blog, I was about to embark on helping the farmers’ group implement a climate change adaptation and alternative livelihoods grant project; one for which I helped them earn the funding. We wrapped up that project back in October and wow what a hectic seven months. You see, there was also a commercial-scale aquaponics project in the works for the group prior to my arrival and the donor finally got around to starting it at the exact time the funds were awarded for our grant. It is taxing enough to coax people with low incomes into volunteering time to a project when they could/should be using that time toward their regular livelihood activities. It is doubly difficult to do this when there are two projects that need lots of attention. But, we did it. After months of digging holes, slashing weeds, mixing and carrying concrete, procuring equipment, setting up an office, and hosting Farmer Field Schools, we have much to show for our sore muscles and strained household finances.

Clearing Brush from the Farm

Because of the efforts over the last ten months, the group now has a one-acre organic demonstration farm equipped with water catchment and drip irrigation. With the improved equipment we purchased they are also able to more efficiently manufacture value-added products. Several members of the community attended our Farmer Field Schools and learned about the impact climate change is having on local rainfall and some practical on-farm mitigation strategies. Here are some photos that may help you visualize this project.

The farmers’ group was responsible for implementing the climate change adaptation and alternative livelihoods grant, but the aquaponics project is being managed by a sub-contractor of the donor. One of the conditions for receiving the system was that we provide an in-kind contribution of labor to construct the unit. I have never seen so many 40, 50, and 60+ year old men and women work like I saw these Jamaicans work on this project. We dug holes with pick axes and shovels and inside the holes we built forms and poured concrete for tilapia fish tanks. Since we could only afford occasional help from a backhoe operator, we also leveled land with farming hoes, shovels, and wheel barrows. When it was time to pour concrete, it was men and women sweating in the sun until clothes were soaked and biceps were burning. Finally, the laborious part is over and yesterday a few thousand tilapia fingerlings were delivered and soon hundreds of seedlings will be planted and then transplanted into the grow beds. The system takes up less than a quarter acre, but can produce as much lettuce as 2 acres under regular terrestrial cultivation. With ideal conditions, the group should be able to sell 2400 tilapia fish per year in addition to the vegetables.

The aquaponics system will become an important source of income generation for the group, but it will be some time before members receive benefits commensurate with the level of effort they put into this project. It has definitely caused me to adopt a more nuanced view on the mandatory in-kind contributions demanded of low-income persons in developing countries. I think donors need to be careful that they don't mistake local cash and in-kind contributions for real beneficiary buy-in or ownership. After all, these are people whose livelihoods are fragile enough that one unexpected event can send them reeling. What if this project fails because of an error the donor made or a design flaw in this rather experimental aquaponics system? Will these men and women be reimbursed for all the valuable time donated to a failure they are not responsible for? Remember, they could have been using that time to work their farm or do day labor. This is definitely something I will consider as I proceed with my career in international agricultural development. Just one of many lessons learned from my time here in Jamaica.

Putting on the Roof

That's all for now. Sorry for the hiatus and that this blog is so long yet too short to adequately describe the last ten months. Tune in again soon as I describe my philosophy on hitting the milestone of 30 years on this funny planet.