Let's Build Gonave, Haiti!

Hurko and La Gonave Honeybee Association is researching the building of an app that the public and local beekeepers can use.  The idea would be to explain what our association is about, the island, and projects that we have. This app will help link local beekeepers to important resources about beekeeping on the island, maps, and trainings/meetings.  We will decide by Summer of 2016 if this is a project that we are going to move forward on.  Currently we are also researching a virtual newsletter.  This newsletter is mainly for educating people outside of Haiti about the honeybee project to increase revenue and investments, however locals will be able to access the newsletter as well.  We are still looking into a potential website that would link from the app, and would contain the newsletter.  A website would be built from cooperative funds and have forums so that the association members would be able to help each other with issues that come up.  Las...

Observation Grant that we talked about in a previous blog for $1,500 plus $150 for the purchase of honeybees, has moved on the the final stage in the process of approval. The beecause.org has approved the first phase and the information that was provided.  We are now on to the next one and we are extremely happy.  This observation hive will set La Gonave apart from many areas in the Caribbean and even the United States.  How many schools, colleges, or universities have observation hives? We are committed to Haiti, and La Gonvae.  What started off as talk and hope has lead to the joining of Hurko, a relationship with a not-for-profit, and now an emerging economy on La Gonave.  Once the hive is put in place we will have photos.  Not only will you see the hive being assembled, installed, but also the honeybees being placed in. Go Gonave!

This is the type of minibus that we are hoping to put on the island of La Gonave, Haiti.  This video will show you have fast the vehicles can go.  Keep in mind that they are all electric and can even have a solar panel on top. Click here to see video Go Gonvae!

One of the goals I have setup is to have the cooperative be able to build a subway franchise on La Gonave.  Not only would the cooperative be the majority owner, we possibly would have a series of private owners.  When looking at the map, there are currently no Subway franchises in Haiti, however Dominican Republic does have a few. La Gonave would need to make many improvements within the future to make landing a franchise possible.  Surprisingly the financial aspect and even the prior restaurant requirement isn't a problem.  The biggest issues are infrastructure problems as well as regional incomes.  To overcome this issue, the island would need a higher amount of locals who have some disposable income.  The infrastructure issue is one that is being looked at and could be solved pretty quickly.  In fact we are also solving the income issue as well when you look at the business incubator program, potential tourism, and farming jobs.  Putting th...

About a month ago I got connected to a Haitian American who has been working with coffee exports in Haiti and now they have started their own mead.  Mead is basically a honey wine.  While the product does exists, it uses a series of secret Haitian spices, and local honey from Washington State.  The investor wants to change where the honey is obtained and is looking closely at La Gonave and our budding industry. I had an opportunity to sample his mead, which was amazing.  Next weekend I will visit the meadery that made the product.  While talking to the investor about our plans for the honeybee operation he had mentioned that he would possibly be interested in our honey production and possibly putting the meadery on La Gonave. One of the things I have been pushing from a far is that La Gonave is the best place to do business as it is a blank canvas where you can put various ideas.  The honeybee project is starting to create a rippling effect, which is w...

The Backyard Beekeeper which is one of the many honeybee books we will have purchased. Through many of the projects that I have been researching there are books and magazines that are very important to developing agriculture on La Gonave.  Many of these books have provided detail guidance on next steps. We have started the process of purchasing some books that will go into a small Agricultural Library.  Since our first project is in honeybees and deforestation/reforestation, the first books will pertain to those subjects.  The first set of books should arrive on Dec. 2.  We will set a budget for future purchases of books that will be for the library on La Gonave. This Agricultural Library is only for members of the Cooperative.  So regardless of what type of farming they are in, if they are part of the cooperative then they would have access to this library.  The books can not be checked out and taken out of the library.  Members can read the...

This is an image I took today on my exercise walk.  This is one of many semi-paved walking paths in the city of Seattle.  Tomorrow I will show a modern paved bike only path and how it is served by transit bus.  Now while the image I took is mainly used for walking, bicycles often take this path, and in fact the path goes around a lake and used for many as a bike and walking/jogging path. In more rural areas such a path as mentioned above would work.  Now this path is about a little larger than 3 feet wide, so building a 5 ft. or so wide path would be the way to go.  The small gravel will allow for both pedestrian and bike traffic.  Even moped could use path/bikeway.  Possibly creating a distinction between rural and urban bikeways.  Something like what is shown above is more of a rural bikeway.  Not only are these type of bikeways very fast to build, they are also very affordable.  This will allow for proper water drainage, good tra...

We have entered into an agreement to start the purchasing of honey processing equipment.  We will not be harvesting honey on the island until 2017, but we are gearing up now for the equipment purchase.  While the equipment we are purchasing will not be the for the production facility, it will be equipment for an interim facility. It has been a long journey but we are excited that we will have the ability to not only raise honeybees on La Gonave.  We placed a fodder program in place to make sure that honeybees will have ample food.  We will be placing hives on La Gonave in February.  Education will be offered to the first 4 beekeepers that will form our program.  Finally we will have the ability to harvest honey that is generated from the island.  How exciting! We know that locals will be very excited by this, and we will see the fruits of our labor soon. Go Gonave!

Given that connecting the two largest cities on the island if a logistical challenge, how do you connect two cities that are about 20 land miles away?  Pointe-a-Raquette would be a contender for a honeybee expansion, however the logistical nightmare prevents this from being a reality.  Pointe-a-Raquette could help add tremendous revenue to the cooperative and to the island of La Gonave due to location and due to the population size. Just looking at Pointe-a-Raquette it boasts a population of about 23,000 people, and has access to some of the best scenic beauty.  Many beautiful beaches line this side of the island and given that it faces the vast ocean, trash and debris is not as plentiful on the coastline.  So Point-a-Raquette can also serve as a perfect location for tourism.  Again, however, logistics is an issue. In previous posts I mentioned paved roadways connecting the two cities of Anse-a-Galets and Pointe-a-Raquette.  A commuter minibus line wou...

One of the major issues facing La Gonave is the lack of supplies for the coming honeybee industry.  When you look at the numerous items needed to run a hive, everything we need has to be imported in.  We got many items shipped from China to Seattle.  The supply chain is strong enough between Seattle & Tacoma Ports and Chinese ports that many times shipping is free.  We obviously don't have that advantage in Haiti. There are ways La Gonave can stand out and make a major impact on the honeybee industry.  Many items will be produced on La Gonave.  From bee food, hives, frames, etc, these items can easily be made on the island.  Even so, a beekeeping supply store is needed on La Gonave for the future of beekeeping on the island. Most items that can't be built, can be purchased and sent to Haiti.  This will put La Gonave on a different format.  A beekeeping supply store maybe the only one in all of Haiti.  This not only makes La Gona...

Part of the basics in understanding bees will be through education.  This will not only educate about bees, but also protection of the bee's habitat. The bee courses will be broken down into Biology, Management, and Industry.  Based on which track one follows will determine their role in beekeeping. With that said, there will be different levels of a beekeeper.  Some will be apprentices and work under someone to gain a better understanding of bees and ways to improve the bee's habitat.  The apprentice would not own bees, but would assist in the bee program.  Below explains the different levels of being a beekeeper. Apprentice - As mentioned an apprentice is someone who is just getting into beekeeping.  This is someone who has some or no hands-on knowledge of beekeeping.  This person also may not have had any formal education with beekeeping. Certified Beekeeper - Is above an apprentice.  They have taken at least two cours...

If you don't know what co-working spaces are, they are usually a facility that houses multiple different companies at the same time, under the same roof.  These can be startups to well established companies.  They can be from a single worker/owner to a company that has over 15 employees.  Parts of the co-working space allows for the business to have an office with four walls, or they can choose to have a dedicated desk in an open air room, or sharing a space with someone else who is with a different company. Usually all of the businesses will have access to the same conference room for a fee, access to printers, and wifi.  So the question is, could Hurko Co putting it's headquarters on La Gonave lead to a co-working space? Hurko Co could build the facility and base it's operations there, and then lease out other space in the facility for many startup businesses that exist or will exist in Anse-a-Galets.  I mentioned the Business and Innovation Park in a pr...

One of the ways to finance a project with less risk is to do get donations and investments.  While we are doing that, we have to understand that grants are also very viable. When you look at the entire project everything has been from private financing.  These grants will add a new layer to the project.  Grants are a way to say that we have a strong project that these agencies believe in.  Not only that, but as I mentioned it propels the project faster by providing money that can be immediately injected into the project. Just yesterday I talk about the pollinator grant, which totals about $1,000.  Now it is up to that agency to decide if our project is worth the grant.  Like other things, even if we are not awarded the grant, the honeybee highway and pollinator gardens will still be built.  Albeit much slower.  What would take less than a year to build could take 5 times as long.  The honeybee project is going at a much slower pace due...

I mentioned that our partner has applied for a grant to supply an observation hive, which would be over $1,500 grant.  If approved, this hive will head to La Gonave, and be installed in a community center.  There it will help train future beekeepers, children, and adults in the community. Another grant in the amount of $1,000 is also being offered.  This grant is a Pollinator Grant, which would be wonderful for our honeybee highway that we want to build on the island of La Gonave.  This would propel the project and expand the amount of area where we can help fix the damaging effects of deforestation.  This will allow for more native plants to come back to La Gonave, and give precious food for bees, wasps, butterflies, and birds.  We may get our partner to also apply for this grant to double the efforts for the honeybee highway. By applying for this grant, it allows us to make a long lasting impact on the island of La Gonave.  While we are not sure...

Before I wrote about an Innovation Park could be what La Gonave needs to spur economic development.  A business park is also something that could also help spur economic development.  In fact, it could be possible to combine the two parks into one.  Imagine the La Gonave Innovation and Business Park.  This could be an opportunity to have both tech and non-tech companies to work together. I bring up the idea of a business park because we are planning to build a honey processing plant in the city of Anse-a-Galets.  While the plant is a couple of years away, honey will be processed on the island well before a true plant is built.  The small extraction center that we will open initially at the start of 2017 will help make the case to get financing for a much larger and faster extraction plant.  Couple this with the need of having warehouse space, and you get the point. A business/innovation park is needed as a place where roads are built, dedicated po...

A honey production facility would be needed on La Gonave to process the honey that will be produced on the island.  While the processing of the honey is a year away, steps are being taken now to ensure that we have the needed resources and financing for the facility. While we will start with a small amount of hives initially, we hope to expand rather quickly beginning 2017.  We also hope to have high quality honey that we can sell in Haiti, but also make products from mead to food products.  We plan to have the production facility to grow along with the hives.  Our initial system will be large enough to have over 20 hives at a time.  This initial system will have an electric hot knife as an uncapper.  The extractor is large enough to do 9 frames at a time, which will cut down on processing time.  The straining system will allow for different grades of honey from chunky to sparkling honey.  It then allows that honey, free of wax, to then be ...

La Gonave will build its own economy by small businesses and farming.  The importance of the business community can't be denied.  When looking at the Haitian landscape, many area businesses don't have the support needed to add to the growth of their businesses. Many key things can play into growing a business, but having a business community close by is often something that is overlooked.  The importance of creating synergy can make a work environment exciting and inviting. We feel that networking is one of the biggest ways of building and creating ideas.  These ideas will foster not only stronger relationships, but a stronger well connected business.  La Gonave is currently a blank canvas so the introduction of good business practices will help develop strong businesses that are deeply rooted in the community. We are working on a few different plans that will help foster such a business community. Stay tuned! Go Gonave!

 Beach side cabins like these could be easily done on La Gonave to promote tourism.  This open bay window would be perfect to face out toward the beach.  Retail shops could also be located nearby which would serve both tourists and locals. The idea of building large hotel buildings on La Gonave is not one that can be done easily.  Yes there are actual hotels on the island, however building a highrise structure on La Gonave has it's own logistical problems.  Many travelers like the idea of having their own cottage on the beach.  The idea of having your own "mini house" is something that tourist usually seek when they go camping.  So having these type of small cottages is like a home away from home. These structures are seen all over Key West, FL.  Like Haiti, the Florida Keys are battered by hurricanes as well.  We can even design these structures to be movable as well and loaded on the back of wheeled trailers. The ide...

These are large pipes that are used for sewer lines in the US.  The pipes have the ability to handle wet conditions, and can have a protective spray to handle the excessive heat that Haiti will put on it.  The covered bikeway in S. Korea appears to have used a PVC type system over their bikeway. These pipes would go into the ground into concrete, and then partially filled with concrete as well.  We will experiment first initially to see how well the system holds up to the stress on the island.  The solar panels would then be on top of the structure. PVC pipes offer an inexpensive alternative to steel and wood.  Also the light weight material will be easier to transport to the island.  It is also available in Haiti, so supply of the pipe will not be a major issue. Part of building this type of system is to get the biggest bang for the buck.  We can build a quality and innovative system that doesn't have to cost $80,000 per mile or more. Go Go...

One of the newest popular modes of transportation in Haiti is the motorbike.  Some of the dangers of urban traffic in Haiti is due to the motorbike, and many injuries and accidents happen as a result.  While the motorbike is used as personal taxis, they are not regulated, so injuries can and will happen. These motorbikes as well as dirt bikes are on La Gonave.  Given the island rough terrain, lack of roads, and the affordability make motorbikes and dirt bikes common.  In fact other types of ATVs (all terrain vehicles), such as 4 wheelers are often used on the island. Building a bike trail is a system that would allow for easier movement and could bring the same hazards that you see in Port-au-Prince.  Proper planning could prevent this from happening.  Banning most motorized vehicles is key to lower accidents especially when someone is using a bicycle and someone has a motorcycle driving 80 mph. One of the proposed rules if such a bikeway is created ...

We are working with our partner to get a grant for an observation hive on La Gonave.  This hive is being supplied by thebeecause.org.  This not-for-profit also put hives in the Bahamas, however this grant is only for an observation hive. The grant is a $1,500 project for a custom made observation hive.  It comes with a feeder and hive cover.  In addition a $150 monetary grant will be supplied to cover incidentals for the first year, which can be used for purchasing bees.  The grant also allows for partnership and consultation. Photo of Observation Hive from: (thebeecause.org) If awarded, this hive will be put into either a school or community center with the not-for-profit that we are working with.  This will not only teach school kids, but also will be used to teach new beekeepers. Not to be confused with the observation hives that we are putting on La Gonave, this hive will add to the programs that are being setup for La Gonave. The observa...

Given that I have talked about so many forms of transportation ideas on La Gonave this honeybee highway has nothing to do with the conventional sense of a highway.  The honeybee highway is a program where we build an artificial flight path for honeybees and other pollinators.  We design the highway with an idea of where farms are located.  The highway will bisect these farms, allowing honeybees to pollinate these farms. These highways also ensure that the bees will have the needed food and pollen needed.  By artificially planting specific flowers we are planting flowers that bloom year round, which will aid in the bees overall health and food. Well we officially started the beginning and end portion of the highway.  The beginning of the hive is at Greater Good Haiti, in Anse-a-Galets.  The end is about a quarter of a mile away along the hillside.  So when we connect both ends it will cover the full width of the city.  We will put up a map alo...

This mini paver works best in walking and bike trails, driveways, sidewalks, and road repair.  They can widen out to 8 ft or more and lay asphalt 2in thick or more.   This could be an option for La Gonave.  Look at how fast it lays down the walking path in this video. Go Gonave!

The minibus and bikeway system will be a move forward for La Gonave.  To my understanding there is no minibus system in all of Hispaniola (Haiti and Dominican Republic).  I am not aware of any bikeway system in all of the Caribbean.  So this system will be very rare, and unique in the world. Couple this with the fact that even in the United States, while there are many different bike paths that cities get involved in, rarely do those paths extend out into the countryside, with the exception of states like Oregon.  Oregon has many bike paths and trails that show the world the beauty of the wilderness. La Gonave, if built, would have a bikeway system that would rival many places in the world, and duplicating an existing system in S. Korea could even make the bikeway very advanced.  Adding solar panels above the bikeway will serve many purposes.  One it could generate enough power to light the bikeway at night, but also provide power to the many villages ...

  Bike cages, which is the top picture, and the bottom bike storage pictured below is similar to what you will find on the bikeways on La Gonave.  These will typically be near minibus stops. These bike cages/storage center will not offer any services, other than storing bikes out of the elements.  You will also find system maps for the bikeway and the mini bus route.  Some container retail maybe near these bike storage centers.  The retail would be owned and operated by the minibus system, which will not only pay to expand minibus service, but also expand the bikeway system as well.   As you can see in the bottom picture the structure is built with outdoor bike parking as well.  The facilities will have ventilation and more than likely built from wood, with a concrete pad under it. Currently we have blue prints as to how these structures will look.  One section of the proposed minibus starter line will run along side the bikeway...

I talked a bit about mini bus transit in previous posts.  This type of transit is key to moving people on the island.  I also mentioned that bike paths (bikeways) are also important as they are faster, and cheaper to build than the roads that mini buses and vehicles will use. Dual Transit Connecting the mini bus line with bikeways is important as it will connecting different types of transit together.  Keep in mind that these bikeways will also have benches, restrooms along the route, bike stations, bike repair shops, vendors, and will connect to minibus transit stops.   This bike lane shows a bike crossing with another mode of transit.  The signage shows pedestrian crossing.  This lane allows for bi-directional bike direction, connection to bus line, and even a walking path.  This is something that could implemented on La Gonave with the minibus system.  Bike Stations   This bike station allows for indoor bike storage as we...