By NAVARDO SAUNDERS
FREEPORT, Grand Bahama, August 22, 2020 – the Hon. Iram Lewis, Minister of State for Disaster Preparedness, Management and Reconstruction and Member of Parliament for Central Grand Bahama, along with the Hon. Michael Pintard, Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources and Member of Parliament for Marco City Constituency, on Saturday, August 22, officially launched the Central Grand Bahama Community Garden and Nursery initiative by distributing backyard farming kits to residents of the Central Grand Bahama constituency.
Addressed the many residents lining the area, Minister Lewis said, “This is an especially important day. It speaks to us being able to provide for ourselves. This speaks to the food security initiative being operated by my colleague Minister and we hope that this will be the start of many more to come.”
He encouraged residents to be active participants in the Garden that is expected to include a Nursery, a production area, and a Farmer’s Market twice per month. During the Farmer’s Market, tips on preparing healthy salads and smoothies will also be given. It is projected that the Farmer’s Market Pavilion will be erected before the end of the year.
Mr. Lewis added that before leaving, they would receive their kits along with instructions on how and where to plant and how to maintain their gardens moving forward.
Congratulating the Central Grand Bahama residents on the work they have been doing with the backyard farming initiative, Minister Pintard said, “The Central Grand Bahama Nursery is going to be the primary nursery for all of the backyard farming initiatives throughout the island of Grand Bahama.”
Residents, he said, will have available to them seeds, cuttings and engaging in plant propagation, enabling them to learn how to graft two different types of plants at the same time.
Led by Minister Lewis, the Central Grand Bahama Team will assist with ensuring the same thing occurs in other areas of Grand Bahama. With the current clean Grand Bahama program presently ongoing through the Disaster Reconstruction Authority, as sites are cleared, areas are being sought for possible sites for Community Gardens.
“We would like to encourage residents of the Grand Bahama community to meet with your neighbors, look at doing this not just to shave some of the expenses relative to your household spending on food, but look at the possibility of you entering this as a means of income generation,” he said.
The program will assist in reducing the amount spent on importing food into the country.
The backyard farming kits presented included seed trays, a bag of pro-mix that assists with growing, liquid fertilizer and four varieties of seeds, a hard line and drip system for irrigation.
It was stressed that these are not the only seeds available as “millions” of seeds are on island in a variety of crops and will be distributed during the second phase.
The location, at Bahamia Services on the Mall Drive, was secured through an agreement with Bahamia Services Company to use the property for the initiative.
PHOTOS BY: SURGE MARKETING
AUGUST 22, 2020
