Let's Build Gonave, Haiti!

Currently Hurko is designing a product that would be manufactured in Haiti, and more specifically La Gonave. It has been a while since I have been blogging, but behind the scenes I have been busy working.  Currently a product, which I can't mention, is being researched to be developed on La Gonave.  This is wonderful as it increases the island's presence, and it also stimulates the economy.  Together with the honeybee industry, the island economy is starting to grow. Not all the people on the island will feel the immediate impacts of development.  It takes time for any community to see results from job growth, but it is starting to grow. Stay tuned as we develop more information. Go Gonave!

We have built the La Gonave Honeybee Association page which is set to go live March 1st.  I will be releasing the page via here today so that you have a couple of hours chance to see the page before everyone else. For those outside of the US, I apologize as it is already March 1st where you are. Website:  lagonavehoneybee.tk Go Gonave!

We found existing hives on the island of La Gonave, which was great news.  These hives however are kept in logs and rocks by the beekeeper.  This "Old World" style of beekeeping isn't effective in honey production, hive maintenance, and brood production.  We will be working with this beekeeper to supply our stock of bees, since the deal in Arcahaie fell through. While on the island I successfully trained 6 people in beekeeping with 4 becoming beekeepers.  This is a major success as I had originally planned for only 4 people to be training.  With the help of a translator and using Greater Good's Campus, we were able to build a beginning honeybee project and officially launch the La Gonave Honeybee Association. Also I was there and put up the observation hive for Greater Good Haiti.  I assisted in applying for a grant that launched made this observation hive possible.  This hive will be great in teaching young students, new beekeepers, and the commun...

Let's Build Gonave Haiti is ending the year on a high note.  We have seen so many developments and have laid a good foundation to build on.  We have and will continue to support building up the local plant and tree population on the island of La Gonave.  Not only to support our current honeybee program, but future programs. We will look into rabbit rearing when we visit the island of La Gonave to see if this would be a viable industry.  We talked about Talipia farming, which is still something that we are interested in, however the lack of water is a major concern.  Finally we are hoping to put programs in that will allow for more sustainable farming, and ways to overcome issues with the poor soil. By this time next year we will talk about visiting the island next year and harvesting the honey.  Our hope is to start building a marketing campaign that will get locals involved and understand honey and beekeeping.  If our partner organization obtains...

Moving honeybees from the mainland of Haiti (Arcahaie) to La Gonave will be the longest movement of honeybees that we have even undertaken.  Currently we are researching ways to move the honeybees from the distance.  Logistically it is a major challenge due to moving the bees across water.  Simply put we see this as a challenge but one that we are very excited about. The hives could be several hundred pounds each.  Moving the bees have to be done at the right time of day, right temperature, and right weather.  We also want to make sure that we move the bees with the most amount of forager honeybees.  These are the honeybees that search for nectar, pollen, and water.  Without these bees, the hive will die.  Loosing a few isn't a big deal, but loosing too many foragers is disaster. So what is the best solution?  Moving the honeybees at night.  While this still has to be done with care, night offers cooler temperatures, honeybees are t...

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!

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...

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...

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...

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 ...

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...

Our first year of honey operation will start next year, however harvesting honey probably won't start until the following year.  Why?  Well one way of providing a good insurance policy is to allow the bees to collect honey in their new environment and keep it all.  This new territory of La Gonave will have different flowers, trees, temperature, etc than what the bees are use to.  The bees will have to scout the land to find locations of water, pollen, and nectar.  So literally the first year the bees will be getting use to La Gonave, and their hive setup. During that year however, we will be building hive boxes, building the honeybee highway, and continuing education for those interested in beekeeping.  We will setup workshops that will educate people on ways to harvest honey.  Also during that year we will be planning locations for our expansion, building/planning where the observation hive will be, and of course raising more money for the progra...

The La Gonave Honeybee Association will follow the International Queen Marking Colors.  In many beehives the queen honeybee is marked so that she can be quickly locate the queen, but also it can let you know the age of the queen, or when it was introduced to the hive. This is very instrumental in how future beekeepers on the island raise bees.  By introducing established international practices it will allow the association to set recognized standards.  Below are the color codes that we will start with on La Gonave. International Queen Marking Color Code: Color: For Year Ending In: White (or gray) 1 or 6 Yellow 2 or 7 Red 3 or 8 Green 4 or 9 Blue 5 or 0 Given that the hives will be introduced on La Gonave in 2016, the queens will be marked white regardless of their age to represent the year hives were in operation on the island. Go Gonave!

The video above shows you how far the plant has come.  We are excited that we successfully grew this tropical plant from seed and will be the perfect plant for La Gonave, Haiti.  This plant not only has new growth on the existing branches, but also new growth is coming out of the soil.  This plant had been put in my garden in the planter at the early part of summer and I feel really helped our vegetables and fruit plants by attracting many bees and pollinators. Go Gonave!

A partner that is helping Let's Build Gonave Haiti, and Hurko has distributed sunflower seeds on the island of La Gonave at different remote villages on the island of La Gonave. What you need to understand about Sunflowers are they love the sun, hence the name, but also can provide oil, seeds for humans and chickens, but also the plant is loaded with pollen.  Often sunflowers will have so much pollen that the green leaves are covered in pollen dust.  Also the sunflowers produce nectar as well.  The plant is really a one stop shop for honeybees. By giving seeds away to different villagers, it allows the plant to be established, and then grow into a strong plant.  As the honeybee hives expand on the island, there is already established hardy plants for which the honeybees can rely on.  Even with no hives in the immediate area of the sunflowers, honeybees will explore the island to find what is within their flight range from the hive.  These sunflowers wi...

When we setup our hives on La Gonave, most of the honeybees will be in the form of brood.  Brood are the honeybee larva that are put into the cells from the queen.  Within the frame will be some drone, worker, and queen comb.  This is the best way for the island to develop it's initial honeybees. Some may question why not put full active hives on the island.  When you look at 80,000 honeybees foraging for food, it can potentially tax out the food system we are developing on the island.  That would then mean death to the honeybee hive.  So by starting with mostly brood and a few thousand honeybees say, 8,000, you have enough that can take care of the hive, and build up the hives food stores.  Logistically transporting full hives can be difficult due to getting from the mainland to La Gonave is done by boat.  So transporting a heavy hive will be very difficult.  Having a few frames of honey, brood, and bees will be easier and safer to move...

Additional honeybee equipment has been purchased.  We are getting hive tools, and several queen cages shipped in all the way from Hong Kong.  The purchase of the actual hive boxes will be this month in Seattle.  Shipping is usually more than the hives themselves so these larger items will be picked up in person. We e many different types of plants and fruit plants that will make it's way to Haiti.  We have done some research to see how to best grow these crops and how to best make soil amendments.  Not only will diverse food be available for local Haitians, but also honeybees will make it possible for these crops to exist. Our orders are now 3 months behind due to the volume of items we are purchasing, and the distance they are coming from.  Our Seattle office is the perfect place to get these shipments in due to our location to Asia.  This drives down the cost of doing business in Haiti, which will set our cooperative apart from most of the ones ...

This is what the Bidens Pilosa look like today.  The other two buds came out, and the original bud, had lost the flowers.  So now it has just a yellow center.  These plants bloom pretty fast once they start, and then loose the white pedals after about 2 weeks. The next stage is for the original bud to go to seed.  One of the interesting things about the Bidens Pilosa is that it is actually two flowers in one. Stay tuned! Go Gonave