The story of our summer was chaos, which is a common theme here in Haiti. You see it on the roads, in the filing systems of government and elsewhere. Yet, the struggle oflife here is so real that chaos is almost welcomed, as it means that life is moving about.
As Americans, we long for structure and routine and we work hard to implement those things into our systems and projects. And yet, we must also go with the flow and adapt to the culture so as not to impose and Americanize anyone or anything. Our job is to bring forth ideas and systems to create fresh, organic food in a sustainable way to those who are in need of it; and we remain focused on this.
The summer has been long, hot, and dry. You can imagine that was hard on the farmers, gardeners, and of course the Harvest107 micro farms. But good things always arise, as we have been studying new irrigation techniques that we are hopeful to bring to our projects – techniques that are sustinable, would lessen the amount of water needed, and simple to implement. Additionally, seeds have been harvested from our hardiest crops, ensuring stronger future crops.
The Maison micro farm has been our main project here in Port au Prince to date, and we have learned so much from it. As the new season rolls in, we are revamping, reorganizing, and restructuring that project site. Our agronomy resident, Daniel, is working alongside before/after school and is grateful for the chance to start another school year. The Zanfan Lakay project had been postponed for quite some time due to flooding on their property. They have relocated and the micro farm will finally be installed this month!
A test/demonstration micro farm has been on our radar since the beginning. In the next month, that will finally come to fruition here in Port au Prince. Haiti Communitere has invited Harvest107 to use their rooftop to create this much-desired project. It is a place where we can do what we do best, as well as implement some new techniques or systems and see what happens without fear that someone may not be able to eat because it didn’t work out.
Our philosophy has always been that we want to be invited into a community to work. We have always felt, and continue to, that relationships must be forged before partnerships can be developed. We are pleased to share that we have developed a new relationship with another Nashville-based organization, myLIFEspeaks. We absolutely love what they do and are excited about partnering on a special project at their base in the small village of Neply in Leogane, Haiti. We are looking forward to sharing more with you in the coming month about how this project will impact the community of Neply.
What a blessing to be in this beautiful (yet challenging) country – to learn so many amazing things, to live amonst our partners and new friends, to understand their life and struggles, to love them and to be loved so well.