Let's Build Gonave, Haiti!

One way to help build up the economy on La Gonave is by farming, but not necessarily traditional crops.  Currently we are using modern beekeeping to raise organic honey.  While beekeeping isn't new, using modern hives is something that is new for La Gonave and Haiti.  Using this method will produce more honey, and allow for a safer way to extract honey. Also while on La Gonave, we started the first steps of raising Kiwano.  Kiwano is a wonderful crop as it does will in tropical climate and can do well in drought.  The plant does well in Africa, so having such a crop in Haiti can allow La Gonave to have a strong market in Kiwano.  Currently this crop is already in the small sprout stage and will fruit sometime this summer. Hurko and Let's Build Gonave Haiti loves being the first at what we do.  The first Observation Hive was awarded to an organization on La Gonave, thanks to Hurko getting involved in the process.  The first Kiwano plant is also...

So I recently stumbled up on a fruit called Kiwano, also known as the Horned Melon.  It is native to South Africa, and is part of the cucumber family.  So I immediately started doing research on Kiwano and how to raise the fruit.  The plant, pictured below, is very prolific.  It will spread fast and is on a running vine.  The fruit is green, and when ready to each it is yellow.  It can be harvested when it is green.  The fruit has spikes on the outside, and even the vines has thorns. The fruit is very healthy and is perfect in making smoothies, and drinks.  You can even just cut it open like the above picture and just take a spoon and scoup out the center.  The center is very much like jelly, and if the concept of eating seeds is not appealing, then it may bother you.  Don't let the description fool you, this fruit if very tasty.  When I tried it, it tasted more like a banana with a hint of cucumber. The fruit is expe...

I wanted to discuss the agribusiness plan a little bit.  I have gotten many emails asking what does it look like, how will it happen, etc. As I have mentioned in many different blogs, a cooperative will be setup to handle and govern all of the farming programs.  It helps lower cost and give a strong competitive advantage when you have a cooperative.  So that is a brief overview of how it will happen. It will take a few good farmers to make the co-op work and it will take a new way of doing things to make it work.  While I have discussed beekeeping and tilapia farming, there will also be a focus on actual vegetable and fruit crops.  I mentioned things like the Pinto Bean for example, but I haven't discussed how the fields will be prepared. Major issues such as poor soil, lack of water, free roaming animals, and lack of farm equipment make normal open field farming very labor intensive.  The lack of basic controls really hurt and affect the crop produc...