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Our club is continuing to support the Partners in Agriculture Program in Haiti, whose mission is the elimination of Malnutrition in the Plateau Central. We have supplied seeds and other necessities to this project, which started with nothing, and now produces enough food to feed poor and malnourished folk in the central plateau of Haiti.

The food is distributed to Hospitals and communities indicated by centers of Malnutrition, on an ‘as most needed’ basis and involves bananas, corn, beans, cabbage, spinach, manioc, peanuts, and vegetables of various types.

The project is also busy educating the local farmers in Sustainable Agriculture, and supplies seeds and tools to assist them in establishing viable food producing farms for themselves.The project has many needs and the contribution of our club has been of great support and appreciated by the Haitians.

The wet season terminated in October in Haiti and we saw significant progress in the production of bananas. Peanuts were satisfactory for the first harvest as were the papaya and sweet potatoes. Some 10% of all produce was sold in local markets, to offset the cost of production and begin to give a business basis to this project.

November was the month of preparing the fields for the dry season plantings of vegetables. All work was done by hand as the tractor borrowed and used on prior occasions gave out. The drip irrigation system was finally released by customs (after 12 months) and installed on ten acres allowing irrigation of all vegetable patches on a consistent and less labor-intensive basis. The other crops were watered by flood irrigation pumping water from the Arbonite River (1/4 mile). It has become evident that the 4” pump we purchased is sufficient only for watering the vegetables, and we are examining the possibility of purchasing a larger 6” pump which would be able to irrigate the remainder of the farm. At the moment we are using a borrowed one.

All sections of the 40 acres have now been prepared for planting or are in production; the area has been fenced and secured. There are 14 employees, and teams of day labor and contract laborers, who work seasonally. The production now being harvested and picked is very gratifying and supplied to the hospital and clinics as well as the centers of Malnutrition. The produce includes Spinach, Tomatoes, Cabbage, Carrots, Beans and some special Haitian crops such as Manioc, Aubergine and Peppers. Seedlings for the program of reforestation of the countryside are being started in the shade house.

Moving forward seeds, insecticides, fertilizer and farming implements will be necessary and will increase production by 50%.

Private donors have supported the project with substantial gifts of a Toyota pick-up truck and a tractor with plows. These have helped enormously, as has the support of Rotary Clubs.

There has been a good start, and after two years the project is meeting expectations. It must continue to be supported to meet the goals of sustainable agriculture, eliminate malnutrition and teach the people farming methods which will help them to become self-sufficient.