Monday, October 4, 2010

Join The "Farm to Fork" Revolution

 We would like to share our commitment to healthy eating
 and food security with you. In 2009, we started Asante 
Adonai Farm: The Home of Jahmganic Farming’
Our farming activities are guided by Spiritual Principles
traditional Jamaican farming practices and the organic 
farming system.


The Spiritual Principle
  • We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children  - Lakota Proverb (Native American Indian)


The Jamaican Traditions that we have adopted are:
  •  Rain Water Harvesting
  •  Grassing for weed control
  • Chop & Drop for mulching
  • Intercropping for Pest Control
  • Planting according to lunar cycles 
  • Allowing a field to rest/lie fallow to restore soil health


The Organic System Practices that we use are:
  • Crop Rotation 
  • Organic Pest Control methods
  • Use of renewable energy: Solar and Wind
  • No Burning or Use of Herbicides for land clearing
  •  Green Manure & Composting to improve soil health


We put in the long-term and legacy plants first: Avocado, Ackees, Nutmeg, Pimento, Coffee, Bissy, Cinnamon, Citrus – oranges, grapefruits, limes & lemons.

Our Fruit Forest was next: Cherry, Guava, Lychee, Sweetsop, Naseberry, Soursop, Jackfruit, Ribena Berries, Otaheite Apple, Tamarind, Custard Apple, Starapple, Guinep & Jimblin.
 
Then we put in Banana, Plantain, Peppermint, Pomegranate, Yellow Yams, Sweet Potatoes, Red Peas, Pineapples, Pumpkin, Corn, Okra, Sorrel, Blackberries, Pak Choi, Callaloo and Carrots.



Introducing you to the Community Supported Agriculture(CSA) Movement

The primary means by which we will market our produce is via a Community Supported Agriculture group.  This is a socio-economic model of agriculture and food distribution. A CSA consists of a community of individuals who pledge support to a farm operation where the farmer and consumers share the risks and benefits of food production. CSAs began in the early 1960s in Germany, Switzerland, and Japan as a response to concerns about food safety and the urbanization of agricultural land. In the 1960s, groups of consumers and farmers in Europe formed cooperative partnerships to fund farming and pay the full costs of ecologically sound and socially equitable agriculture.  The idea took root in the United States sometime in 1984.  The concept has been quietly growing in Jamaica since 2007.

The core design includes developing a cohesive consumer group that is willing to fund the budget of a growing cycle in order to get quality foods. There is a Shared Risk And Reward Agreementi.e. that the consumers receive what the farmer grows even with the vagaries of seasonal growing. There is weekly delivery, to a central location, of vegetables, fruits and ground provisions.

If you currently buy foodstuff at a local market, are not concerned about whether or not they were sprayed with toxic pesticides or grown with chemical fertilizers and willing to put the true cost of food to your healthcare budget, then this may not be an option for you. But if you are concerned about the quality of what you eat, read on.

Advantages for You the Consumer
  •  Food that has been grown WITHOUT synthetic fertilizers and pesticides
  •  The food is ultra-fresh as it comes to you within 24-hours of being reaped
  • A fixed price for food for 10 weeks
  •  You will receive information on the health benefits of the food items
  •  Exposure to recipes to maintain the flavor and nutrients of your food
  • The opportunity to learn more about how food is grown and visit ‘your’ farm at least once a cycle

Advantages for Farmers
  •  Marketing activities are completed before the production planning cycle. A guaranteed market ensures that no food is wasted.
  •  Able to focus on growing the crops that the CSA members want
  • Pre-payment helps with the farm's cash flow
  • Knowing the people who eat the food we grow enables feedback and improvement

Details for the Asante Adonai CSA

§  A 10-week Cycle starting December 1, 2010

§  Each week the basket of produce will include:
    Pak Choi or Callaloo         Carrots            Red Peas or String Beans  
    Corn          Pumpkin         Green Bananas      
    Okra          Yellow Yam    Hot Peppers       Escallion
   Other items will be added as they become available.

§  Number of available shares this cycle – 20

§  Cost per Share (a basket of produce for 10 wks) J$25,000.00 Payable in 2 parts.  First Payment due – 5 weeks before the first delivery 
              Second Payment due -  First Week of Delivery


We know that this model is not for everyone. 
 Most people want the cheapest food NOW and the most expensive medical care later…    
but if you see your food as your medicine and your medicine as your food…

We invite you to partner with us from farm to fork”.
Call Leahcim and Cecile at 756-1806 or 997-2595 or 383-5627