In honor of Haitian Agriculture Day, we want to introduce you to our friend, and resident agronom, Daniel. He is also an excellent bass player. (So you know he and Gary, our Exective Director, hit it off immediately.)
We met Daniel shortly after planting the initial rooftop garden at the Maison orphanage. As the son of a farmer, and an agronomy student, Daniel had only been familiar with conventional farming techniques. He was intrigued by the garden on a roof and began spending time there, learning, and lending a hand.
Today, Daniel works with Harvest107 to get hands-on experience during his schooling. He is learning about nutrition and the importance of organic growing practices. He says, “I am studying agronomy and I am so happy to have an arrangement be here every day and to learn how to do agriculture very well in Haiti.” With a degree, Daniel’s potential wages increase dramatically – from less than $100 USD/month as a farm hand to at least 5 times that as an agronomist!
Daniel is particularly excited about the rooftop project (which is on the same property where he plays bass in a church band): “It is very good for the kids. When we harvest vegetables, the kids are very happy to get them and to eat them.”