OIC Director Damian G. Adjodha -
Natural Farmer, Specialist in soil science, Agro-ecological disease and fertility Management systems.

I have been farming organically on the volcanic soils of the St. Lucian coastal foothills for the last 8 years. After receiving the honours BSc from the University of Toronto Environmental Science Program in 1999, I moved straight down to my parental homeland in the Caribbean and began growing soybeans and other mixed crops on river valley soils. In 2003, I designed and began implementing various hillslope erosion control / crop production systems with Andosolic soils ranging from moderate to severe slopes. The production system currently includes the following crops in a long term rotation system: Sweet and bitter cassava, sweet potatoes, yam, dasheen (many other root crops), corn, peanuts, pineapple, vegetables, various beans, bananas (and others in family), and about 20 different varieties of fruit trees have all been established with the main focus on household food security in a home garden agroforest on about 2 acres of land. Our production for market takes place within this system of rotation on no more than a half acre at a time and involves the growing of exotic leafy greens (arugula, kale, mustards, endive, etc.) and herbs (basil, tarragon, coriander, thyme, celery, parsley, rosemary etc.)

The aim of the study has been to find and methodize several terrace systems suited to various conditions, to demonstrate improved hillslope land and resource management practises, as erosion has been identified by several studies as a severe threat to the Region’s land resources. The foundation of the system is biomass production. Organic material incorporated in the soil provides for both crop fertility and disease resistance while sequestering carbon. The soil’s massive capacity for storing organic Carbon is arguably the best and most practical way to reduce Carbon dioxide to combat global warming (see Rodale’s institute for more info on agricultural carbon sequestration). Fast growing giant varieties of Leucaena, Neem and Castor bean, are used as fast growing deep rooting- terrace edge stabilizers, biomass producers and nutrient pumps. Vertiver and lemon grass are also used in the stabilization of terrace edges as well as a source of mulch and to control disease. I have pictorial documentation of the evolution of the system and have witnessed the improvement of soil texture, depth, fertility and nematode index. I now am beginning to understand the numerous intricate cyclical relationships that are crucial to making tropical organic farming sustainable. Also crucial to making organic farming sustainable is that the systems used be user friendly that are practical to setup and maintain. I believe there is much more to learn but I know the experience I have obtained is important and needs to be shared.
Currently I am writing a practical illustrated guide book to setting up the organic systems I have described above, for farmers and extension officers. And I look forward to meeting and learning from other natural farmers in the region. My wife and I are also facilitating and helping to design a youth sustainable farming project to be implemented in our home village of Anse la Raye starting January 2009. This large-scale project will be based on and done in accordance with The Food Project (see thefoodproject.org). Since October 2006 we began working with the youth in our community in a garden and wonderful things have grown and will continue to grow.

I am also a member and employee of the Belle Vue farmers coop which is the largest and now most financially stable farmer organization in the Eastern Caribbean, thanks to its organic production for market since late 2006. The coop sells between 10 and 15 thousand dollars of organically grown produce weekly to 34 restaurants Island wide as well as many private individuals, and they still are not close to meeting the demand. I will be working with the coop for the next 3 to 6 months to increase production, improve efficiency, create farm management procedures and crop specific manuals, teach and provide extension services to farmer members wishing to grow organic and prepare the coop for organic certification.
These are exciting times, I am thankful that we are here witnessing the rebirth of sustainable natural farming. It is rare that the all of the driving forces of human society converge to manifest something good. Technology, human nutrition, the fossil fuel crisis and economics are driving humankind to re-master the forgotten art to which we owe our existence.