Market Madness

We started off our Monday with a trip to the local market. You could find everything from rice to super glue to hogs. Several of the group bought some souvenirs. The group tried to buy a goat, but the price jumped drastically when we were part of the purchasing group. We held off and are still in search of a goat to purchase for a local family. At the livestock auction at the market the following prices can be expected: cow = $1,000, horse = $300, donkey = $200, and hog = $250. At the conclusion of our time at the market we swung into the community bakery and enjoyed some delicious fresh baked bread. 

Following the market we had a short walk to Saul's irrigation gardens and the gardens being utilized by the UCCC students. We will return to these gardens tomorrow to do some planting and pull soil samples. We got to see a variety of crops being grown from citrus to egg plant to cabbage. There is a cement channel that runs through the gardens where they can then pump water up the hill and let it trickle back down the hillside. While at the gardens we were able to see the tilapia ponds that are being dug by hand to be utilized by UCCC. Below is a picture of the group at the irrigation gardens. 

After lunch we stopped over to the elementary to assist with teaching English to some first graders. It was a great experience for our group and the Haiti students were thoroughly entertained by our excellent dance moves. 

From there we traveled to one of eight feeding centers that UCI is in charge of. At this feeding center children can receive two meals per week. This is an essential nutrition savior for many children. As the food finished cooking we spent time tossing a frisbee around with the children. When the meal was ready each child pulled out a bowl and spoon from their backpack which they handed to us to be filled with a rice and beans mixture. Below is a picture of us filling bowls for the children. 

Next we returned to campus where we met with the dean of agriculture at UCCC planning out the remainder of our time in Haiti. This evening has, also, been filled with planning agriculture lessons to share with the elementary students. 

Sunday Fun Day Haiti Style

Today was our first full day in Haiti. We started off this morning by attending a church service here on campus and seeing the traditions of the Haitian culture. On Sunday our cooks have the day off so Craig and Julie prepared a spectacular lunch for us.

After lunch we traveled to one of the eight feeding centers that UCI supports. Upon arrival we had the opportunity to distribute Christmas gifts to the children at the feeding center sent from sponsors all over the United States. These feeding centers provide much needed food and nutrition to youth in Haiti. JeanJean stated that they want the food at these centers to be grown in Haiti and be self sustaining if possible. Now much of the food is donated and imported in. Students at UCCC are working with the feeding center to start a garden and produce much of the food needed. This project is just in it's beginning stages and will be expanding. The picture below shows the start of the garden and the area it will expand to reaching the back tree line. 

Next we visited several irrigated fields/gardens. Currently we are experiencing the dry season in Haiti so if you want to see much success irrigation is needed. We first visited a garden growing black beans under the shade of papayas due to the heat. Papayas can be a fruit or vegetable. If harvested before they have ripened they are considered a vegetable and if harvested after they have ripened they are considered a fruit. Below you will find a picture of this garden. 

Following inspection of the papaya and black bean garden we made our way to a farmers field where he was growing black beans following corn. This farmer used to have to split his time between Haiti and the Dominican Republic in order to support his family, but since UCCC has stepped in and shared production practices he has improved production greatly! This has allowed him to stop traveling to the DR and spend the entire year in Haiti with his family farming. With the increased production the family is supported and they even have product left over to sell to others. He grows corn, black beans, plantains, millet, etc. While we were there we were able to witness millet being ground to be turned into mush for human consumption and explore his black beans that were growing with irrigation following his corn crop. He has to irrigate the beans about every eight days and the plantains about every 15 days. Below is a picture of JeanJean explaining this farmers practice. 

After our time in the fields we made our way back to campus and enjoyed a spectacular chicken BBQ. After dinner we gathered around the tree out front and got to hear a story from a former witch doctor who has since converted to Christianity. He shared the struggles he had faced in his previous life and the negative affects that voodoo had on his family, community, and country. 

Level Z Roads

After a short night in the Miami airport we boarded our final flight to Port au Prince, Haiti. We arrived on schedule to Haiti, but long lines awaited us in immigration. After grabbing our luggage we loaded up the van and started the three hour trek north to the Caiman area. From Port au Prince to Caiman we travel on National Highway 3. This highway is paved 3/4 of the way to Caiman, but the last 1/4 is a little rough. As our host JeanJean states, "In Iowa you have level B roads. In Haiti we have level Z roads!"

Haiti countryside 

After arriving in Caiman we enjoyed lunch mid-afternoon before receiving a tour of campus from Kristie. She shared the incredible story of UCI and how it has grown from nothing to what it is today. Today they have nutrition centers, a preschool, a elementary, church, and the university (I am sure there is much more that I am missing). We were able to see many of the agriculture projects on campus from demonstration gardens in agroforestry, grafting of citrus trees, tree nursery, and the papaya garden. 

UCCC Campus

After our tour many enjoyed a friendly volleyball match with locals before enjoying a delicious dinner of chicken, rice, beans, red sauce, and plantains. As this is posted we are sitting under the tree outside our dorm visiting about the challenges and opportunities facing Haitian agriculture. We look forward to a great Sunday in Haiti tomorrow!

First Class Crew

We have a first class group of individuals heading to Haiti to kickoff the New Year! January 1st 8 of us made our way to the Eastern Iowa Airport to begin our trek to Haiti to work with UCCC (University near Caiman) developing agriculture projects. Over the next week we will work with students and faculty at UCCC in agronomy, animal science, alternative energy, and meshing agriculture and health. This is an ongoing partnership that is always developing and expanding. Upon arrival at the airport the airlines heard what our group was up to and upgraded us to first class seats!

Our travels have us with an overnight in Miami, before we make our way to Haiti in the morning. We will have two farmers from Iowa joining us later on Saturday night in Haiti for a week of learning and teaching. We will also have a delegation from Community Health Initiative (CHI), who has health projects in Haiti, join us later in the week to see where the Global Agriculture Leaning Center (GALC), UCCC, and CHI can collaborate. 

Check back daily for updates from Haiti. Be sure to look for pictures of our experience on Facebook and Twitter. 

Climate Agreement and Agriculture

Everywhere you look in the media lately you see news on the new agreement coming out of Paris regarding climate change. This will no doubt have an impact on farmers and agriculture around the globe. Review the linked article and use the discussion points provided below to guide your conversations in your classrooms and communities around the world.

Can the Paris agreement protect farmers?

Discussion Points

• What is the African farmer, Purity, doing to overcome and battle climate change on her farm?
• What can agriculture success and improvement mean to small farm families in developing countries?
• What are the expected ramifications of climate change on the Philippines in the coming years?
• Traditionally why has agriculture been left out of climate negotiations? 
• Why is the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) welcoming this recent agreement in Paris?
• Why are small farmers (especially those in developing countries) more at risk to climate change than larger farmers (in developed countries)?

Additional challenge:

We often hear the doom and gloom projections of climate change and it's impact on agriculture and food production. On my recent trip to Nicaragua I was told that it is projected that by 2050 no coffee would be grown in the region I was visiting, that heavily relies on coffee production, due to a warming climate. I am an optimist. This statement is assuming that everything will stay constant and no change/adaptations will be made. My first thought is what can we do to change this trend? And this is my question for you to think about, discuss, and take action. What can we do to change this trend?

Discovering Nicaragua

Last week I had the opportunity to travel to Nicaragua to explore agriculture and life in Nicaragua. It was a quick trip with only two days in country, but a lot was accomplished and we look forward to returning with groups to learn more about agriculture in Nicaragua and some of the challenges they are facing. Nicaragua is the second poorest country in the Western Hemisphere with only Haiti coming in below them. Nicaragua is also the largest country, by land area, in Latin America, but is the least populated. It was also noted that Nicaragua is known as the safest country in Latin America. While Nicaragua is known as a poor country I was blown away by the beauty and lush landscape of this great country.

View from a coffee farm we visited in the providence of San Roman. 

I spent my first full day in country exploring the San Roman area which is a mountainous region. On our way to San Roman we passed many processing facilities for coffee and rice along with some tobacco farms. The major crops produced in the San Roman area are: corn, coffee, beans, cocoa, passion fruit, malanga, and vegetables. Beef cattle production is seen throughout the country. Climate change is a major challenge that Nicaraguan farmers are facing. I was able to visit with a foundation in the area that works with farmers to battle climate change and other challenges facing farmers. I, also, was fortunate enough to visit some local schools to see what is being done to improve young lives in Nicaragua. 

On our way to San Roman. I was impressed with much of the infrastructure in Nicaragua. 

We started our second full day in the San Roman area by visiting another organization working with farmers to introduce technology in solar power and irrigation. Soon after we made our way to the city of Leon. As we traveled from San Roman to Leon we left the mountainous areas to lower elevations of the flat lands. As we reached lower elevations we found a lot of rice, peanuts, sorghum, sugarcane, and chia being grown. Cattle production seemed to increase as well.  We enjoyed lunch in Leon before making our way to Los Alpes Ranch where we discussed agriculture and agricultural education in the region.

Active volcano Telica in the background of roaming cattle.

After our time at Los Alpes Ranch we returned to Leon where we met with a gentleman developing and engineering technology in renewable energy and food processing. Elmer shared his work in solar energy, wind energy, and stove technology. We then returned to Managua so I could catch a flight out the next morning. We look forward to returning to Nicaragua with a group to learn more about agriculture in Nicaragua. Thanks to our great hosts with Sister Communities of San Roman, Larry and Anjie. We look forward to our return. 

Elmer showing off his solar powered dehydrator for food preservation. 

Climate Change is Here

Many have heard about the recent global talks on climate change that are taking place in Paris. In the past some have argued the validity of climate change and a warming planet, but as science has shown our world is warming and many are starting to take note. The linked article takes a look at how climate change is effecting food supply and chains around the globe. Use the discussion points provided to guide your conversations.

Big Food Feels the Threat of Climate Change

Discussion Points

• How is climate change impacting farmers in the state of Vermont in the United States? How could this in-turn impact the consumer?
• What is happening in Ethiopia in regards to climate change and farming?
• How is Mars Inc., producer of candy, being effected by climate change?
• Why is Mars not immediately concerned about the effects of climate change on production of chocolate, but more concerned for the farmers on a local level? What are they doing to help?
• Why is it important that large companies are joining together and demanding something be done in regards to climate change?
• Have you seen climate and weather pattern changes in your home area? If so, how has this affected agriculture? In not, why is this the case?