Ectad Newsletter Greenlight Issue No 9

GREENLIGHT ECTAD NEWSLETTER

ISSUE NO. 09

ECTAD continues its quest toward a healthier, wealthier nation!

ECTAD’S TEAM WORKING TOGETHER TO

This issue will focus on:

CREATE

Evaluation of ECTAD’s pilot project and activities,

AWARENESS

and assessing their overall impact, in order to pave the way towards a possible continuation of these activities

The Eastern Caribbean Trading Agriculture and Development Organization (ECTAD) has been working tirelessly with its strong core of volunteers to support agriculture development in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and its important connection to health and nutrition. Farmers from every corner of the country have been gathering at different points of contact to show support to and participate in this effort. Many persons are now more health conscious and better aware of the importance of good health and its relation to agriculture. School children are now showing interest in vegetable gardening and many have indicated that they are now eating fruits and vegetables. Adults who once thought it easier to eat canned or processed foods are now looking to fresh produce to help with the many ailments affecting them and their family members.

Creation

of home gardens and their relevant importance to everyone involved.

Taking

actions in support of ‘the wellness revolution’ in our communities and our country

Achieving

successes in opportunities geared at development of agriculture, health and wealth of our nation.

Dedication

of ECTAD’S farmers, and their willingness to make rural agriculture and their communities stronger and more developed for future generations

Newsletter Team

Editorial

Miss Sustang Fergus: Research Coordinator

Dear Readers Once more we bring to you another exciting issue of our Greenlight Newsletter, issue number 9. In this issue, we introduce you to the new faces at ECTAD, and take you on a health drive, as we deal with the issues affecting agriculture in St. Vincent. You’ll see all the exciting events happening here, as we lay them out on these pages just for you. At ECTAD, we enjoy the thrill of new ideas and events and more so, we look forward with great anticipation to your reactions as we aim to fulfill your expectations as readers and contributors.

Mr. Jeffrey Trotman : Communication Advisor

With each issue of our Greenlight Newsletters, we enjoy the feedback and advice we receive from you and look forward to continuous upgrade with each moment of time we spend on each issue. We will continue our work in development with great satisfaction and look forward to a brighter future; we expect to see you there. Enjoy! Pethion Greene

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Mr. Monty Roberts: Director/Farmer

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ECTAD ECTAD receives high level attention As ECTAD forges ahead with its advocacy program of Linking Agriculture to Health and Nutrition, it has been receiving close attention and cooperation not only from government agencies but also regional and international organizations that have vested interest in improving health and nutrition worldwide.

Mr. Heiko Bamman Enterprise Development Officer of FAO meets with Mr. Greene

Mr. Heiko Bammann a representative from the Rome based United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), visited ECTAD on July 15 and held informal discussions with ECTAD’s Chief Coordinator, and told about a stint he had just completed in the South Pacific. He said he is now in the Eastern Caribbean to observe possibilities for FAO to assist the region in building capacity for trading in agricultural produce.

Mr. Greene, in expressing appreciation for the visit, informed Mr. Bammann of the various initiatives being undertaken by ECTAD to build capacity among rural farmers, not only in St. Vincent but across the Caribbean. Less than a month later, ECTAD hosted Dr. Ronald Gordon, an IICA Consultant, who was on a two-day visit to St. Vincent to meet with stakeholders in a survey to determine the level of the country’s propensity for food security. Dr. Gordon was accompanied by IICA’s representative in St. Vincent, Mr. Philmore Isaacs, who said IICA is spearheading regional research into food security, for which Dr. Gordon was contracted. Mr. Isaacs said that for years, Dr. Gordon almost singlehandedly ran the CARICOM Agricultural Desk, compiling the basic information, which now forms part of what is called ‘The Jagdeo Initiative’. Dr. Gordon disclosed that his mandate, during his brief visit to St. Vincent, included having dialogue with hoteliers, restaurateurs and farmers’ organizations. Dr. Ronald Gordon, Consultant IICA

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Arnold Bobb “A dedicated dedicated farmer” farmer” Bobb said that his younger son, who like Kenroy is in his mid twenties, also assists him at his farm whenever he returns from Tortola, where he currently resides. The dedicated farmer employs three persons to assist him in keeping the weeds off his crops and to harvest them. Bobb has been one of the more dedicated members of ECTAD and is grateful for the assistance the organization has given him in terms of marketing his produce and to develop a more businesslike approach to farming. Arnold Bobb in his Dasheen field

Arnold Bobb has been farming for over twenty years. He started out planting bananas in a time when the fruit was still regarded as “green gold” in the Windward Islands. But with the gradual demise of the banana industry, Mr. Arnold Bobb found himself diversifying his cultivation.

Although, he has risen admirably to the challenges, Bobb has expressed concern at the ongoing increases in the price of agricultural inputs such as fertilizers and the scarcity of seeds.

Today, he cultivates over ten acres in Richland Park. He concentrates mainly on dasheen but also engages in some mixed planting with cabbage and tomatoes mingled with the dasheen plants. Bobb, who has raised two sons and are grown men, is adamant that farming worthwhile vocation. He proudly stated he is the father of Windward Islands former West Indies ‘under 19’ left pacer, Kenroy Peters.

now is a that and arm

He also disclosed that Kenroy would assist him on his farm whenever he is home in St. Vincent after his professional stints in England and Trinidad.

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Greene and Bobb examines a sample of dasheen

Successful ‘pilot project’ workshops The four strategy and sensitization planning workshops held by ECTAD as part of its nine month pilot project, ‘Linking Agriculture to Health and Nutrition”, were described as very successful by ECTAD’s communications consultant, Jeff Trotman. During his evaluation of the pilot project at a one day workshop on August 6, to assess the effectiveness of the just concluded pilot program, Trotman said the four Strategy and Sensitization workshops achieved what which was intended and more. “Rather than just informing farmers and the general public about the benefits of eating healthy and purchasing locally produced foods, the workshops went a bit further by attempting to bridge the generation gap with a high percentage of participants being school children and young adults.”

The workshops also served to reinforce and strengthen cooperation between ECTAD and the Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries, the Ministry Health and the Environment, the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Chamber of Industry and Commerce (SVGCIC) and the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI). The Strategy and Sensitization workshops were held throughout four zones in St. Vincent including North Leeward, South/Central Leeward, South Windward and North Leeward and catered for persons within the surrounding communities. The workshop had full participation from over 200 community members who were eager to learn about living healthy lifestyles through eating healthily, exercising regularly and growing foods that can be used to compliment their new healthy lifestyles. ECTAD encouraged the participants to grow their own foods in small backyard gardens. ECTAD distributed vegetable seeds towards contributing to this effort.

A section of the participants at one of ECTAD workshops

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Chamber’s ED speaks of the importance of eating right Mr. Lennox Lampkin, Executive Director of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Chamber of Industry and Commerce (SVGCIC), in his featured address at one of ECTAD’s workshops, highlighted the movement away from traditional farming. He pointed out that he was from the North Leeward Area (Rose Hall) and that his father was one of the first carrot farmers in Rose Hall and that he also planted beet, radish, cauliflower and onions.

better than these oils. Virgin coconut oil today sells in the US for US$175 per gallon and here we are importing corn oil”.

Criticizing the upsurge in canned foods and imported chicken and salted codfish, Mr. Lampkin said: “We need to focus once again on our own foods, reduce the importation of meat that is often packed with growth hormones, antibiotics and other contaminants. Go back to using manure; reduce the import of chemicals so that crayfish could once again flourish in our rivers Lennox Lampkin, ED, SVGCIC and our marine life could thrive at the mouth of the rivers,” he suggested. “We must also He recalled root crops from the North Leeward learn to use local fruits and vegetables instead of Area being exported to Trinidad via traffickers imported fruits and vegetables. and that there were several active 4-H Clubs in the area before he left St. Vincent in 1976 He also stated that sorrel should not only be used in and migrated to Europe. He said that since December since it could be dried in the sun and sold all his returned to St. Vincent two years earlier, year. “Added with ginger or lemon grass, it could make he has focused at the Chamber of Commerce great tea. Why on environmental issues such as food and are we importing energy. Additionally, he has been a strong tea? Sorrel is rich advocate for the reduction of chemicals in in calcium and agriculture. iron, the same thing goes for “For too long we have developed the bad habits of pigeon peas. developed countries and over use chemicals in agriculture/farms,” he bemoaned as he stated that the Mr. Lampkin trend is being reduced in the USA and Europe. He also called for said that he was glad when Mr. Jethro Greene joined more street the Chamber of Industry and Commerce about two markets in the rural areas for farmers to become more years ago and mentioned that ECTAD would focus on involved in direct marketing of their produce to encouraging people to eat local foods. consumers. Noting that the work shop is intended to highlight proper nutritional value from food and to Pointing to the demise of the local coconut industry, Mr. identify the type of local foodstuff that should be eaten, Lampkin said: “Remember when doctors told us that he said that non communicable diseases cause %50 – coconut oil was bad? Today the coconut industry has 60 of the deaths in the country. gone to the dogs and we import corn and soya oil from the US only to discover that coconut oil is actually far

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“Enough talk about wellness, It’s time for action” come on board, but they are targeting cigarettes and alcohol while over fifty per cent of the people who suffer from non communicable diseases do not smoke and drink. “I give these examples to show that ECTAD has been promoting linking agriculture with health, with tourism, with agro processing as a fundamental part of our national security. “And, finally, without admitting it, the policy makers and the politicians are on board, we are happy they are on board.”

Chief Coordinator ECTAD, Jethro Greene

Chief Coordinator of ECTAD, Mr. Jethro Greene, in a brief address said, that even before, the pilot project, ‘Linking Agriculture to Health and Nutrition’ was launched in September; persons in the agricultural field had been trying to impress policy makers and their advisors about the importance of agriculture. He said that developed countries ensure their food security by subsidizing their agricultural production. He said Grenada followed the advice of external sources and de-emphasized agriculture only to find that when Hurricane Ivan hit the state, people had money but had to go hungry because foodstuff was not available. Referring to ‘the Wellness Revolution’ that is being pushed by Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves and his administration, Greene said that it is good that the politicians have

He however, said that it would take a lot more to revive agriculture because of the negative stigma that has been attached to the regular agriculture program. Greene added that he is not worried about whether young people would go into farming because he knows that if it is profitable enough they would engage in agriculture as is being done in marijuana production in the Hills. He said the workshops are important to identify leaders and potential persons, who can get the message across. He said because of its advocacy work, ECTAD has been asked to coordinate the whole Caribbean farmers’ network including the Jamaica Agricultural Society, which has over 200,000 members. Greene ended his address by stating: “Everyone present here today must become converted to the fact that we are in a nutrition revolution – we are in a health revolution. We must not only hear words of wellness but we must do the practical action of it including growing a few tomato and cabbage plants.” He promised that ECTAD would approach the Chamber of Commerce with a proposal to start an island wide backyard gardening competition.

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Nutritionist speaks out against the high number of Vincentians suffering from CNCDs Mrs. Terry Regis, Nutritionist from the Food and Nutrition Unit of the Ministry of Health and the Environment, spoke at length on the Nine Dietary Guidelines that have been developed in 2006 by the Nutrition Department of the Health Ministry. She said it is good that people are increasingly becoming aware of nutrition and good health. She highlighted the startling information that the chronic nutrition related non communicable diseases such diabetes, obesity and hypertension, stroke, heart disease and certain types of cancer, chronic and respiratory diseases account for 60% of the 58 million deaths around the world in 2005.

diabetics are expected to die from heart disease and stroke and fifty per cent develop eye disease. Ten to twenty-one per cent develop kidney disease. Sixty to seventy per cent suffer nerve damage and are fifteen to forty times at risk for leg amputation. In 2003, 78.6% of all amputations at the hospital were due to a diagnosis of diabetes.”

“These are things that can rob people of their lives, rob them of productive years, rob them of just being around with their family for a good long time,” Mrs. Regis said, pointing out that CNCDs are the main causes of death in St. Vincent and the Grenadines with an estimated 8,000 persons suffering from diabetes. “One in every thirteen persons over the age of thirty five has diabetes,” she said. The nutritionist further disclosed that 14,000 Vincentians suffer from hypertension. She said that hypertension and diabetes have been on the rise for the past five years and they are continuing to increase even among younger people. She said even children are at risk for ‘type two diabetes’, the risk factor is obesity, and this is based on what they eat. She said that she is scared because she sees a number of obese children even at the kindergarten level. She continued with the daunting information: “So, one in every six persons in our country suffers from hypertension. Eighty per cent of

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Referring to the country’s population of 110,000, Mrs. Regis said too many people are suffering from nutrition related diseases that can be prevented. According to her, inexpensive and cost effective interventions can prevent 80% of the heart disease, stroke and type two diabetes and forty per cent of cancer. “An unbalanced diet and physical inactivity are important risk factors in the cause of these diseases and there is strong scientific evidence that a healthy diet and sufficient physical activity play an important role in the prevention of chronic diseases.

“It was because of these problems in our region the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) consented to sponsor and fund food based dietary guidelines in four Windward Islands based countries – St. Lucia, Dominica, Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. We did some surveys and we canvassed people throughout St. Vincent and the Grenadines and we found out that there was a lot of fat being used, a lot of salt being used, sugar, fried food, fast food, and a lot of people were not using high fibre food.” Mrs. Regis said that a lot of Vincentians derogatorily call high fibre food, ‘hog food’. “The foods that are high in fibre are the roots and tubers that we grow here in St. Vincent – sweet potatoes, yams, cassavas, dasheen, Tania, eddoes.” She also explained that local high fibre foods that grow above the ground include breadfruit and green banana and other foods of the banana family.”

According to Mrs. Regis, the breadfruit was overwhelmingly selected by Vincentians who were asked what they would like to see their food displayed on as replacement for the pie chart. They said the breadfruit is the national food and they love it. She stressed that one should eat a variety of food to get a balanced diet but the majority of food should come from staples because they are high in fibre and nutritious to the body. She recalled her childhood days, eating the sweet potatoes her grandmother planted on a bank in the sand on Union Island. She said that Union Island did not have bananas or any of the other ‘hard food’ that is grown in St. Vincent. “They sweat the sweet potatoes and they got sprat and they had cassava and they made farine and cassava bread.”

She pointed to farmers vending their produce then taking the proceeds to purchase white rice and cook it with chicken or chicken back and rejoice at having ‘a belly full’, which is not healthy. “You don’t eat to get a belly full,” Mrs. Regis said admonishingly. “You eat for health. Anything you eat should be nourishing to your body because you are responsible for these bodies because God is going to hold you responsible for them. He said so in the Bible. Your body is His Temple and you should take care of them. If you don’t, He will destroy you, you are what you eat. So, if you eat garbage, that’s what you are. So this is our dietary guideline. Now we have nine of them.” Pamphlets and posters of the Nine Dietary Guidelines were distributed to participants. The guidelines consist of the various food groups placed in recommended proportion in which they should be eaten on a breadfruit plate.

She claimed that nine year old girls need brassieres nowadays because the chemicals that are used to make the chicken grow quickly “are bloating up our children and making them grow before their time”. She also opined that contemporary parents allow their children to dictate to them and the TV plays a major role in that dictation. Consequently, there should be more local television advertisements promoting nutritious foods with children to influence more children into gravitating towards nutritious food.

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Project evaluation evaluation workshop On Wednesday 6th August 2008, ECTAD hosted a ‘Project Evaluation workshop’ with the intention of reviewing activities carried out under its pilot project “ICM Skills to Enhance Linkages between Agriculture, Health and Nutrition”, to assess their overall impact and pave the way towards continuation of the activities.

launching of the project and through hearing the jingles and other radio and television program put on by ECTAD and articles carried in the newspapers.

The representative from the Ministry of Agriculture did slide shows outlining different aspect of food security issues, with the A section of participants a the one day workshop representative of the Greene Nutrition Unit explaining the dietary guidelines and their importance. The workshop gave ECTAD the opportunity to highlight which activities were undertaken Some of the main recommendations coming successfully under the project and to launch out of this workshop include: its series of publications.
Local food, fruits & vegetables prepared in culinary styles in our hotels and Over fifty persons including farmers, teachers restaurant. and young people from the rural areas of the
Promotion of agriculture in schools, country attended along with representatives and encourage young people into from the Media Houses, CARDI, SVG business farming Chamber of Industry and Commerce, the
Promotion of home gardening and Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Health, healthy agro processing. Nutrition Unit and the Ministry of Education.
Crop production planning linking into marketing. Participation in the workshop activities were
Need for production of small extremely high as persons from the different ruminants. areas shared their experiences, asked questions and took notes. Observations of the pilot project have shown that the people are now getting involved in the Many persons explained about the different promotion and utilization of local root crops, small projects that they have been doing since fruits and vegetables and home gardening. the launching of the pilot project in This is just a small step towards achievement September 2007. They related information of a greater objective which would need the about the positive things they have been collaboration of both the public and private doing to support all they learnt during the sectors. ECTAD will work towards this.

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Young Canadian students join ECTAD team of volunteers The Eastern Caribbean Trading Agricultural and Development Organization (ECTAD) is benefitting from the contribution of two young Canadians. Laird Herbert and Paula Hearn arrived in the country on 21st July on a six month attachment with ECTAD as part of the COADY International Youth in Partnership Program, which is funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). Herbert, who is from British Colombia, did a four year undergraduate program on global studies, including international relations and politics. He wants to become a farmer and he feels that his six-month stint in St. Vincent, doing rural development work with a farmers’ organizations such as ECTAD would stand him in good stead when he pursues his ambition to become a farmer.

Laird Herbert

Meanwhile, Hearn, who hails from just outside of Toronto – one of Canada’s larger cities - said that she was attracted to the COADY program because of its excellent training sessions and high level internship. She attended one of the best agricultural schools in Canada, the University of Guelph, where she studied international development with an emphasis on rural and agricultural development. She is especially taken in by the warmth and friendliness of the Vincentian people and she particularly likes “the unusual experience of travelling on the mini buses” here.

Paula Hearn

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ECTAD launches publications

As part of its on-going exercise of building capacity amongst rural agricultural farmers and in keeping with its advocacy of linking agriculture to health and nutrition, the Eastern Caribbean Trading Agriculture and Development Organisation (ECTAD) has published a number of publications. The publications were launched during the project evaluation exercise of the nine month pilot project, “Linking Agriculture to Health and Nutrition”, which was held at the Peace Memorial Hall on Wednesday 6 August 2008. On display were publications written by a core of ECTAD volunteers. They included the ECTAD’s Greenlight Newsletters, which has been running since June 2002.

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The display of publications featured a ‘Resource Booklet – Boosting Longevity, Fighting with Food’ a timely guide on foods for health, wealth and development in the multi island state of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. ‘Living Healthy Eating Right – A Simple Nutritional Guide’ was another resource booklet along with pamphlets that were featured at the launching exercise. During the exercise Pethion Greene donated copies of ECTAD’s publications to representatives of Primary Schools and Resource Centers.

Pethion Greene donates health pamphlet to these appreciative Children! The spearhead of ECTAD’s publications, Pethion Greene, speaks with other facilitators in front the publications display at the one day evaluation workshop.

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“Home Gardening gives me pleasure” says Monty Roberts Roberts Most people refer to it as Backyard Gardening; I like to call it "Home Gardening", because I practice it all around my home. To me, there is no other activity practiced around the home that gives me the most satisfaction than home gardening.

Believe me, you don’t need to have land space and fertile soil around the home, this will not deter one from practicing home gardening. You can use empty containers and fill them with soil, utilizing the peels and waste from kitchen, as fertilizer for the home garden.

Here are some of the benefits of a home garden.


Makes one feel closer to nature




It supplies a regular fresh health supply of nutritious fruits and vegetables and even on a smaller scale some root crops




It reduces drastically




It could bring one a lot of pride, joy and satisfaction




It supplements income




It improves the aesthetic beauty of the home environment




It increases the value of your property




It provides shade during hot days




one's

food

and

bill

cooling

It enables one to improve their knowledge in agriculture.

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Monty Roberts in his home garden

One does not have to allocate or ever cut or adjust working hours to practice home gardening. All you need is a half an hour in the morning attending to the plants, which sets the tone for a good days work, and there is nothing like a half hour in the evening to help you relax and wind down after a long day’s work. Personally, I do not consider home gardening to be work; it is more fun and relaxing than work. I appeal to all the readers to start a home garden today. I guarantee you that once you get started you are going to increasingly enjoy it, while at the same time fostering greater family unity.

Green Alert ECTAD to take part in National Agriculture and Agro based industrial exhibition 8th

12th,

On October to ECTAD will participate in the National Agriculture and Agro-based Industrial Exhibition at the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Boys Grammar School Playing field in Kingstown. ECTAD, along with many other agriculture and agro-based organizations, will showcase their many activities, crops, fruits and vegetables. This venture will be hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and fisheries and is expected to be great.

Marketing still ongoing ECTAD’S Farmers are still doing well in their marketing of Dasheen to the United Kingdom.

Development of an ECTAD farmers’ booklet ECTAD is in the process of developing a Farmers’ booklet that would feature farmers groups throughout St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The booklet will focus on each group and the activities that are being done to develop rural agriculture. It will also focus on the youths in each area and their specific needs, for example, literacy, computer training, self development training and other programs that will help to enhance their skills and foster their abilities. Each group and village leaders will have the opportunity to voice their opinions, concerns and plans for their community development.

ECTAD reports success

Their efforts are still strong and their community spirit and togetherness are inspirational to other farmers throughout the country.

Jethro Greene is satisfied with the success of the pilot project, “Linking Agriculture to Health and Nutrition”.

Mr. Jethro Greene, Chief Coordinator of ECTAD says while ECTAD has been receiving increased competition by private traffickers and other organizations, ECTAD’S farmers have not given up, they are going strong and supporting each other in marketing.

Greene said that since the nine-month project was launched in September 2007, there has been a series of newspaper articles, aimed at sensitizing Vincentian to purchasing local fruits and vegetables for healthy eating and enhancing the wealth of rural farmers.

He states that with the way the farmers have empowered themselves, they are confident that they can and will continue to succeed in their marketing ventures.

He now urges everyone to stop talking about wellness, and to start living well, by eating right by utilizing the country’s local food production.

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WORD PUZZLE P U I L H F O O R J H A R V E S P T R E F I Z E

O B R E A D F R U I T T T A S N I M A T I V R W

B N N P M O A V R A H T C A E W V G H A T C A P

A S S M N W V E S O P J U K L A F N G V N A O L

G N C A A P A P Q D H C C M B L R I A U G V O B

E O I A U G U W T A O I L P N L U W O A B O L R

F T O Y L H G A k C A B B A G E I O B G T M L I

G T C B M I D L A O T G E O H E U S C N E P D S

E U O G L O R L G V R O B M A N T I V B E S S E

V M R P U O L T N A I O Y H T S E V R A H A E L

S L R N N A T T O F N R A N G L K R T O O P E B

S E E L L O V B N Y U O N C E H A M A N G K E A

O H A O T T E R E Z I L I T R E F X F R A W D T

P S O K C G G B A X H K A T W G H L R O B O S E

C A S S A V A L L I C J B S A V U S P O B S Y G

T D B T T P A W P A W C B S Z G U V A I N G S E

L S B S E L B T E G E V E A L L I A A D L A U V

K P A S L C C E T O L R G L P T R R M R I W J F

I G D O O L O L T O R R A C C S H O R O G A O Y

E M A N G O E S Z O Q B V U J C E H M I N T N N

G S O P S G R E R J B W A T E R R E E D A E R V

WORDS 1. Avocado 2. Breadfruit 3. Cabbage 4. Callaloo 5. Carrot 6. Cassava 7. Dasheen

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8. Fertilizer 9. Guava 10. Harvest 11. Irrigation 12. Mangoes 13. Mutton 14. Pawpaw

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15. Planting 16. Seeds. 17. Vegetables 18. Vitamins 19. Water 20. Yam

A A L L E T T A D F L T E I R R I A D I V A T E

B V O V E A H C U P L A N T I N G T I S L A T G

B U O U W M A Y N G I O N T V B G N I U L R L E

LOCAL RECIPE ½ cup of red onion, minced. 1 tablespoon of fresh cilantro. 1 teaspoon orange peel, grated. 1 teaspoon ginger root, minced. 1 teaspoon garlic, minced. Pinch of salt.

Avocado and Papaya Salad 2 large avocados. 1 small papaya fruit. 1 ruby red grapefruit. 1 small head of lettuce. 2 tablespoons of olive oil. 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Salt and black pepper, to taste. Peel the avocados and the papaya, and then remove the pits and seeds. Cut the fruit into one inch pieces & mix them together. Using a sharp knife, peel the grapefruit, then segment it, removing the thin membrane from each of the segments. Cut the segments in half then add to the fruit mixture. Wash the lettuce and break into leaves. Place the leaves on a platter and put fruit mixture on top of them. Whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, salt & pepper together to produce the dressing. Drizzle the dressing over the salad. Serve.

Orange Salsa 2 large oranges peeled and cubed. 1 tomato seeded and cubed. ½ jalapeno chili, minced.

Combine all of the ingredients, except the cilantro, in a bowl. Place in a refrigerator for 30 minutes, until chilled. Stir in the cilantro and serve as desired.

Cabbage and Garlic Soup 8 cups of chicken stock. 6 cups of shredded savoy cabbage. 1 cup of long-grain white rice. 3 tablespoons of minced garlic. 1 teaspoon of freshly-ground black pepper. Salt, to taste. 6 croutons. 2 tablespoons of minced parsley, to garnish with. In a medium-sized saucepan, combine the garlic, 2 cups of chicken stock and rice. Bring to a boil over moderate heat; cover, and then reduce heat to maintain a simmer, and cook for 20 minutes. Transfer to a blender or food processor; then add 4 cups of the stock and blend. Return to saucepan; add remaining 2 cups stock and cabbage. Simmer for 15 minutes over low heat. Add freshly ground black pepper and salt. Place croutons in individual soup bowls and ladle soup over. Garnish with parsley and serve.

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FARMERS’ CORNER Q

Legumes such as pigeon peas, aside from fixing nitrogen in the soil, are often touted as some of the best nutrition around. What are the health benefits of eating beans such as pigeon peas? A Legumes are one of the best sources of soluble fiber, and an excellent source of protein. They are low in fat and high in good quality protein. The soluble fiber in beans helps lower levels of damaging LDL cholesterol in the blood, thus lowering heartdisease risk. Soluble fiber maintains blood glucose levels, which is especially valuable to people with diabetes. Legumes are also rich in folic acid, copper, iron, and magnesium -four nutrients many of us could use more of in our diets. In addition, dried beans and peas are generally good sources of iron. In addition, when eaten with a whole grain such as rice, beans provide complete protein, which is particularly useful for a vegetarian diet, or in order to reduce cholesterol.

Q

Tomatoes are known to contain lycopene, which is a strong antioxidant. What are the health benefits of tomatoes? A Tomatoes contain large amounts of vitamin C, providing 40 % of the daily value. The red pigment contained in the tomatoes is Lycopene. Lycopene is one of the strongest antioxidants and it is very beneficial in neutralizing free radicals.It is also very beneficial to the health of the heart, prostate and pancreas. Study shows that men, who consumed ten tomatoes per week, reduced their chances of developing prostate cancer by 40%. Other studies indicated that people who consumed more than seven servings of raw tomatoes lowered their risk of developing stomach, rectal or colon cancers by sixty percent. Research also indicated that the lycopene in tomatoes can help older people stay active longer. P U I L H F O O R J H A R V E S P T R E F I Z E

O B R E A D F R U I T T T A S N I M A T I V R W

B N N P M O A V R A H T C A E W V G H A T C A P

A S S M N W V E S O P J U K L A F N G V N A O L

G N C A A P A P Q D H C C M B L R I A U G V O B

E O I A U G U W T A O I L P N L U W O A B O L R

F T O Y L H G A k C A B B A G E I O B G T M L I

Answer s to Puzz

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G T C B M I D L A O T G E O H E U S C N E P D S

E U O G L O R L G V R O B M A N T I V B E S S E

V M R P U O L T N A I O Y H T S E V R A H A E L

S L R N N A T T O F N R A N G L K R T O O P E B

S E E L L O V B N Y U O N C E H A M A N G K E A

O H A O T T E R E Z I L I T R E F X F R A W D T

P S O K C G G B A X H K A T W G H L R O B O S E

C A S S A V A L L I C J B S A V U S P O B S Y G

T D B T T P A W P A W C B S Z G U V A I N G S E

L S B S E L B T E G E V E A L L I A A D L A U V

K P A S L C C E T O L R G L P T R R M R I W J F

I G D O O L O L T O R R A C C S H O R O G A O Y

E M A N G O E S Z O Q B V U J C E H M I N T N N

G S O P S G R E R J B W A T E R R E E D A E R V

A A L L E T T A D F L T E I R R I A D I V A T E

B V O V E A H C U P L A N T I N G T I S L A T G

B U O U W M A Y N G I O N T V B G N I U L R L E

ECTAD Executive Volunteers Chief Coordinator: Administrative Officer: Accounts Manager: Technical Project Officer: Information/Media Communications: Agricultural Resource Management Specialist: Agriculture and Communications: Research Assistant: Office Assistant: Coady Institute Intern Coady Institute Intern

Jethro T. Greene Nyasha Durrant Pethion Richards Telojo Onu Jeff Trotman

North Windward Fancy

Juney Baptiste

Owia

Avalou Baptiste, Deon Osment

Georgetown

Vanda Lewis

Candice Ramessar Winston George Sustang Fergus Ronalia Jackson Paula Hearn Laird Herbert

ECTAD Directors Chairman: Deputy Chairman: Director: Director: Director: Director –Leeward: Director - Diamonds Village: Director -Richland Park Director - Rose Hall Director – Georgetown: Director - Spring Village Director: Windward Director: Greggs Director: Vermont

Area Representatives

Jethro T. Greene James Clarke Telojo Onu Pethion Richards Nyasha Durrant Norgie Tucker Valcina Fergus Rebecca Peters Francilo Wyllie Vanda Lewis Maria Porter Billidorn Haywood Vanessa Joseph Keisha Malcolm

South Windward Greggs

Vanessa Joseph, Billidorn Haywood

Richland Park

Carmel Williams Rebecca Peters

Diamond Village

Valcina Fergus Totsie Douglas

South Leeward Vermont

Keisha Malcolm James Clarke

Penniston

Princina Mitchel

Retreat

Louise Charles

Barroullie

Cherly Smith, Sydney Joseph

Collaborating Partners • • •

• •

• • • •

Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) (ACP-EU) Caribbean Farmers Network (CaFAN) Caribbean Agriculture Research and Development Institute (CARDI) Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries, Windward Island Farmers Association (WINFA) Oxfam GB (Barbados) Grenada Marketing and National Import Board

North Leeward Spring Village

Miranda Porter Marleen Ashton

(GMNIB)

Chateaubelair

St. Lucia Association of Farmers Cooperatives (SLAOFC) National Development Foundation (NDF) SVG Chamber of Industry and Commerce (SVGCIC)

Norgie Tucker Pat Ottley

Rose Hall

Nicole Morris

The Eastern Caribbean Trading Agriculture Development Organization (ECTAD) is a registered non-profit farmers' organization that was established in 1995. Its mission is to improve the quality of life for rural farm families throughout St. Vincent and the Grenadines and the Caribbean. It has over 60 volunteer coordinators and over 1000 members/project participants covering over 18 villages. ECTAD believes in building and strengthening local capacity at village level so that farm families can become more independent and stronger and in turn, the community will be developed and involved in all aspects of issues affecting them and the country in general. Please send comments to: EASTERN CARIBBEAN TRADING AGRICULTURE AND DEVELOPMENT ORGANISATION (ECTAD) Tel: (784) 453-1004 ● Fax: (784) 453 1239 Beachmont, P.O Box 827, Kingstown St. Vincent and the Grenadines, West Indies [email protected] or [email protected] http://www.ectadsvg.org

We look forward to meeting partners who can help provide training, financing and technical assistance for our development programs.

On behalf of the farmer s thr oughout the rur al villages of St. Vincent and the Grenadines we extend special thanks and appr eciation to the Technical C entre for Agr icultur al and Rur al Co-oper ation (ACP-EC) (CTA). CTA has been a maj or contributor to ECTAD’S development dr ive to help small farmer s in S VG, without which we would not have gotten this far this quickly. Thank You!

This document has been produced with the financial assistance of CTA. The views expressed herein are those of ECTAD and can therefore in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion of CTA.