Starting your home food garden

Observe and Interact 

Covid-19 lockdown.  How much longer? What the world will be like when this is over? When will we be able to zip around again, without hand sanitiser and mask?

This Coronavirus has brought uncertainty, chaos, despair and loss. But even as businesses fold under the economic pressure, we must remain resilient and do what we can where we are, while staying safe. Let us rebuild where we are, with what we have... in new ways, kinder to Gaia.  We invite you to focus your energies on starting your home garden so you and your family can reap some of the many benefits:

• Engage the entire family - let each member decide what they want to plant, research the optimal growing conditions and work together to devise an integrated plan for a garden that will yield something for everyone.
• Help to ease stress - by shifting your focus from the present circumstances to the future as you plan, plant and care for seedlings.
• Restore a sense of purpose - in these uncertain times, growing food is a strategy that will ensure your family's survival, even as you learn new skills and techniques...and patience - some plants take their grand time to grow.
• Save you money, feed your family, provide stuff for bartering
• Keep you safe by saving trips to the market 
• Enhance the appearance of your home 
• Enhance your property value 
• Provide physical exercise 
  

We Organic TT will be right here to help you grow your garden without synthetic chemicals and the first step is to observe and interact with the designated space.  It may be easy to visualise your site with lush, fully grown plants and you can bring that vision to reality by considering the many factors that affect the growth, flowering and fruiting of your favourite plants.  Observe and interact is the first or 12 Permaculture Principles and this step can save you a lot of time, effort and money.

Whatever the size of your site it will help to create a plan taking into account the lay of the land, the permanent fixtures such as buildings, and how energy moves through the land. So grab a notebook, put on your boots and take a walk through your site.

The purpose is simply to observe without deciding what should change.  Here are some questions to help guide your observations : 

• How is the land used and traversed by humans? 

• What path does the sun take across the site - what areas get full/partial sun? are any areas in shade all the time?
• What animals inhabit or pass through the space?

• How does wind flow through it? Are there trees/structures that will act as a windbreak? 
• What trees, plants and weeds are currently growing there are how are they faring?

• How does water flow across the site? Does it run off quickly or pool in some areas?  
• How does the soil feel? Is it soft and loose or hard and compacted?
• What other factors do you think will affect your decisions about what to plant on the site.

  
  

  Learn more about this first Permaculture Design Principle here and visit WaSamaki for Permaculture in the Caribbean. 

#gardendesign #permacultureprinciples #observeandinteract #howenergyflows #covid19things #wasamaki #permaculture #WeOrganicTT #KindertoGaia 

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  clear area with gradient, bordered by bamboo and a stream

  
  

  

  Fenced backyard with large trees

  
  

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International Compost Awareness Week begins tomorrow May 6, 2018.

International Compost Awareness Week begins tomorrow May 6, 2018.

The pace of daily life can prevent us from carrying out our best intentions- like cooking healthy meals, making those smoothies chock full of vitamins, setting up our organic garden so we know they’re free of dangerous chemicals and composting our kitchen waste. 

Our family is away from home from 6 am to 6 pm - and that's on a good day.  Shuttling children to after school activities often means an even later return to the nest and the quickest dinner solution possible.  

My bucket of organic kitchen waste in freezer.

Challenging? Yes but as I learnt more about growing organic food it became clear that organic waste was necessary to produce healthy plants and it was readily available from my kitchen. So I was determined to find a way to return to the earth that which is hers.  

Inspired by ‘Kiss the Ground’  I came up with a 2-step solution that works for me.  The only tools required are a small container that can fit in the freezer and a garden hoe or shovel. A small effort that has already improved the quality of my soil and plants. 

In celebration of International Compost Awareness Week let's discuss  this important topic share our composting methods and tips on We Organic TT.

Organic Veg Box - A Bi-Weekly Wonder Box

I got my first Organic Veg Box yesterday and I was thrilled with the contents.  The  service deserves 5 stars! Kelly and the team from D' Market Movers do a great job in getting the boxes delivered to you at your convenience.  

Top Quality

The boxes of high quality organic produce are put together by ARCTT in the main, assisted by D' Market Movers;  deliveries are made directly to customers from Glencoe to Arima every two weeks and I can hardly wait to see what surprises await me in my next box...D' Market Movers always add a little extra, depending on the season, and...well.... with Carnival and Valentine's day approaching, my anticipation is building.

Great Service

This was my first experience with a local home-delivery service and I was impressed at the flexibility displayed as well at the apparent willingness to meet at my convenience.  After our initial email contact, Kelly had messaged me Wednesday morning to enquire whether I was still interested in the Organic Veg Box.  I was in Port of Spain attending a meeting that would be followed by another and could not say what time I would be in a position to link up.

Kelly was actually in town making deliveries at the time and agreed to make contact before she left town.  In any case she was heading to Barataria afterwards and  I had the option to stop by and pick up the box there, on my way home.  I ended up doing the latter, which worked out fine.

Local Dark Chocolate

I got to meet two other members of the team and learnt a bit more about what they do.  I learnt that they are affiliated with the Brasso Seco Chocolate Company and had the opportunity to purchase the 6 exciting flavors of dark chocolate available: 60% Original, 70% Premium,  Mocha, Espresso,  Dark Crunch and Sweet Crunch - the crunch comes from delicious, natural cocoa nibs.  But I digress. Talking about chocolate makes me crave it.  

Boxed Surprises 

So, what surprises did this box contain?

Grapefruits, lemons and portugals

a range of citrus, for the veg box

Peanutella made by rural women's group in Guyana

Winged beans....treat just as stringed beans, I was advised.

Grapefruits, winged beans and mint selected for
the Organic Veg Box

Assortment of banana relatives: plantains, green figs and silk figs

Silk, green, moko and plantains for the Organic Veg Box

Full contents of box:

A bunch of callaloo bush, 2 large dasheens, a large piece of couche couche that my mum instantly snapped up,  rough skin lemons, portugals ('puttigarls' in Trinispeak) some huge plantains, green figs  (Trinispeak for bananas), my all time favorite - silk figs, a large bag of sorrel, huge grapefruits, winged beans  (never saw these before but was advised to treat like string beans), curly endive lettuce, 1 bag of aromatics including chadon beni, mint and bay leaves, a bottle of peanutella made by a rural women's group in Guyana and last but by no means least, an awesome smelling cocoa ball.  

I know of using the cocoa balls to make hot cocoa but Kelly's advice was to grate over salads and other dishes.   

Contact Kelly and her team for excellent quality produce, top service and the time and effort saved by having the market come to you... Priceless!

Email : thenewruraltt@gmail.com 
Instagram here : thenewruraltt

Phone: 493-4358

Experience an Organic Caribbean Vacation - Kittitian Hills

If you're looking for a Caribbean vacation that caters to your organic lifestyle, then you clicked the right link.  Kittitian Hill is a pioneering community in the St. Kitts, West Indies with a passion for sustainable living. Enjoy beautiful boutique hotels, villas and the world's most edible golf course, set in 400 acres of organic tropical farmland.

“My vision is to bring together community and culture, mindful conservation of natural resources, along with rewarding activities and learning opportunities,” says founder Val Kempadoo. “This means we can offer an unforgettable experience, while bringing lasting, life-changing benefits to the local people and economy.”

KITTITIAN HILL – A NEW COMMUNITY WITH A NEW WAY OF THINKING

The story of Belle Mont Farm and Kittitian Hill begins with a single idea - creating a new destination unlike any existing ‘sustainable hotel’ that would bring people together to form a community that benefits both locals and visitors alike. Life is simple – no rush, no fuss, no hassle, just time and space to really relax and lose yourself in the energizing atmosphere of authenticity and engagement.

People come from across the globe to experience the real West Indies, in a place created from an entirely new way of thinking.  An important part of our the Kittitian Hill community includes a thriving village of artists and artisans that will open up new avenues of expression and foster the exchange of ideas through film, spoken and written word, music and visual arts festivals.

From farm-fresh cuisine and edible golf course to restorative spa journeys and long treks through the tropical rainforest, Belle Mont Farm invites you to experience an island escape, one where you can discover your best self while in harmony with the natural surroundings and the people who call this place home.

Here's your link to this neighboring Caribbean paradise .  

New Earth Organic Enterprises

NEO Cafe serves up tasty meals using all organic products

"I feel a lot better, than when I came in," remarked the you youthful female client to New Earth Organic Enterprises manager, Samantha Antoine, as I entered the store.  "That cup of tea really helped..."  Not surprisingly, Samantha had known exactly what brew would work to help clear up the girl's sinus congestion, in this case it was a blend that included turmeric and ginger.  Perhaps it was the quaint, little Woodbrook house the store is located in, or the burnt orange walls as the backdrop for the burgundy-gold Christmas decor...not sure, but the interaction was so congenial as to seem like an aunt taking care of her niece.  But as I was soon to learn, that was simply Samantha's 'way' of dealing with clients as well as suppliers and employees.

New Earth Organics Enterprises Limited (NEO) has been around for about 10 years or so, having evolved from one of T&T's earliest ventures dedicated to Organics.  In fact, in its previous life it was known as Sun Eaters Organics a name synonymous with Organic cocoa production and one of the few people I know who's dedicated to the organic lifestyle and helping others on the path.  

Infuse Pure Therapy - Locally produced organic aromatherapy 

Bearded Trini - Locally made beard grooming

Remember to take your reusable bags and containers when heading to NEO to shop bulk grains such as my fave, mung beans, red lentils, brown rice and black rice which I promised myself to try next time.  You can get a wide range of local produce that are grown organically by farmers that have had a long relationship with Sun Eaters/ NEO.  Dasheen, eddoes, cassava, tomatoes, pumpkin, patchoi and callaloo, cucumbers and lettuce are just a few of the local produce available, while broccoli, carrots and apples are some of the imported produce.

Have you heard of Infuse Pure Therapy? and Bearded Trini products? NEO is the only bricks and mortar store where you can get products from these local manufacturers.  Otherwise you will have to catch them at one of the artisan markets.  

For ladies by BT (Bearded Trini) 

I expect like True Trinis many of you are still cleaning and prepping your homes, getting ready for Christmas.  

Take the toxic out of cleaning with Seventh Generation green cleaners.  Click for more on their products.

All of the above and more available at NEO (New Earth Organics).
80 Robert St Woodbrook, 622-3643

Home Grown Organics - Our first workshop

Our first workshop stemmed from the need to find a more affordable alternative to store-bought organic products.  After all, safe food should be available to everyone regardless of our wallet size. We offered the home grown solution - If you grow it, you know (what went into) it and you get to eat it, share it or sell it with pride and confidence.  And, as we learnt at the workshop, you don't 'bong to have' a garden plot; even a balcony could be set up for growing some of the food needed to sustain a family.  

But the venue was perfect... in every way.  It belonged to an avid horticulturist who had attended the various workshops held by La Souce over the past year.  The orchid garden was simply beautiful and the bromeliads, the most unusual varieties I have ever seen.  Interesting features like the stone-filled tyres forming a pathway to the kitchen garden where we planted the herbs and the tree stump that was repurposed as a home for a stunning assortment of bromeliads... and the pond built by La Souce at their last workshop.  This was Some of our participants were able to purchase a few plants.

Tree stump repurposed in a magnificent way

As the aroma of Appolonia's Select Organic coffee filled the air (special thanks to Ryan and Appolonia Stollmeyer for supplying us with samples ) as participants began to arrive, excited to meet one another and the organizers.  In fact, I have not seen a more enthusiastic gathering in a long time.

Nicholas Mohammed

Jameel and Ciele of Green Thumb provided the seedlings which participants would later sow into the new organic bed under the guidance of Carlson of La Souce.   Following brief introductions, the first speaker Nicholas address took the floor, delivering a dynamic introduction to organic gardening as he focused on the need to treat the earth and all the creatures dependent on it with care and consideration.  Organisms work hard to make soil healthy for plants to grow as well as pests and  how to encourage natural predation in our gardens (think ladybugs devouring the dreaded mealybug).  According to the IUCN human activity has already forced 869 animal species into extinction.  Nicholas' plea was, "don't kill them, just control them'. 

The next speaker wished not be highlighted on the internet and so his name will be withheld but we must acknowledge his erudite contribution on selection of plant species and varieties for the soil available.  His simple, sensible message: "Instead of planting what we want to grow (we should) ask, what does the soil want to grow?"  

Gillian Goddard

Our third speaker held our attention for over an hour.  This special lady's name is apparently synonymous with 'organic lifestyle' in T&T because everytime I had spoken to someone about the We Organic TT journey,  they referred me to Gillian Goddard, '...she owns a cocoa estate, Sun Eaters organics' and 'that's the person you need to speak to'.   And as she spoke, I understood the reason.  Gillian is dedicated to living a zero waste and organic lifestyle and  to helping others along the path.  She works with the farmers with the Alliance of Rural Communities (ARCTT) who prepare 100% organic CSA baskets every other week.


Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenewruraltt/

John Stollmeyer

We were fortunate to also have in attendance John Stollmeyer of Wa Samaki Permaculture Eco-Systems, the focus of a recent movie, Quiet Revolution, by Rhonda Chan Soo and Edward Inglefield.  Wa Samaki has become a teaching and learning hub for ecological agriculture and sustainable community-based living.   Their next Permaculture Design Course will be held over 2 weeks in March 2017.  Read more

Participants listening attentively

Carlson Teloka

Carlson Teloka conducted the practical session with discussion and demonstration of each step:  The quality and composition of the soil required for growing organics, how to prepare the ground for proper drainage, how to select and plant the seedlings.  Some participants assisted in preparing the organic vegetable/herb bed and planting the seedlings while others took photos.

Armed with a lot of new knowledge to put into practice at the end, all agreed it was a day well spent.

Preparing the bed for planting

What is Organic Gardening? Prelude to Workshop

Tomato seedlings for a home organic garden

Preparations are in full swing for our first Home Grown Organics Workshop to be held  in 4 days time.   As the excitement builds I thought it will be useful to discuss what Organic Gardening is and what it isn't.

Organic gardening is not:-

• Using Roundup to get rid of the grass in the garden bed, then buying seeds or seedlings from your neighborhood agricultural shop and just planting them. 
• Having a random fruit or vegetable plant grow effortlessly in your yard.  If you don't know where it originated you can't really say it is organic.  It might have come from GMO see.  Genetic modification is used in large-scale farming to have crops develop particular desired traits, produce insecticides in their tissues or to be immune to particular herbicides.  While this may sound like a great idea, the real concern for those against GMOs is that the process of gene splicing introduces to one species genes from an entirely different species, something that would never happen in nature as their reproductive organs don't match.
• Spraying synthetic pesticides or fertilizer only when the plants are young and treating them as though they are organic afterwards.  

Nutrient-dense, organic soil

Organic gardening is:-

• Growing plants for human and/or animal consumption using natural, organic fertilisers, and natural means of controlling weeds and pests.
• Using organic or heirloom seeds to start seedlings fore the garden.
• Ensuring the soil you cultivate has not had synthetic chemicals applied to it for at least 7 years; in the US this time frame has been reduced to 3 years.  This includes avoiding sewerage sludge, irradiation (read more) and conserving wetlands,woodlands and wildlife.

Challenges

Care must also be taken to ensure that neighbouring yards do not use the chemicals and seeds that you avoid; imagine that you are downwind from a garden to which synthetic chemicals are being applied and understand that the your plants and soil will be affected by this.  GMO seeds can also reach your garden by travelling on the wind.

The Home Grown Organic Garden

For the organic home gardener the emphasis is on developing practices that nurture the ecosystem which in turn sustains and nourishes the plants, microbes and beneficial insects.

It all begins with improving the soil by adding organic matter.  This is done by mixing compost into the soil to increase its water and nutrient retention. This introduces microbes into the soil that are essential for healthy plant growth.  Compost can be made from grass clippings, leaves, organic yard debris and kitchen scraps.  

Pest control is achieved by such means as companion planting or natural concoctions such as cayenne or garlic spray.  Click here are a couple of tips to try out.

To learn actual Organic Gardening methods, register for our workshop to be held in St. Joseph, Sunday November 20, 2016.  Find out more.