Every three months HAFF’s agricultural agent, Millius Hilaire, invites 25 leaders of surrounding farmer groups to special training on a variety of topics. In May, he presented the latest information on new animal diseases and vaccines. He counseled people on the value of using vaccines and calling a vet, as a cost-effective means of protecting the huge monetary investment put into an animal. Bible texts were cited by several in the group about the wrong emphasis on monetary gain, when sick animals are sold in the market without the buyers’ knowledge .
Missionary Carla Wilson then asked questions about the vegetable seed HAFF had distributed in November, which had been generously donated to us by Hope Seeds, Int. Pak Choi or Chinese cabbage was very successful: it gave big crisp leaves, was drought and heat tolerant and didn’t attract insects in the dry season, but is loved by snails in the rainy season. One family brought us a variety of collards called “leaf cabbage” (as opposed to head cabbage) that sets new plants which can then be transplanted for continuous harvest throughout the year.
The farmers in the seminar were also interested in the peppers and tomatoes HAFF is growing in normal plastic shopping bags available at the local market. These bags retain moisture and keep compost and fertilized soil separate from the neighboring alkaline soil frequently found here.
Another crop HAFF grows in locally available dry milk containers is Malabar spinach. It was also of great interest because its eye-catching, succulent leaves regrow quickly once picked, and its 12 foot vines grow well in chaya bushes, which also have nutritious leaves. Very resistant to insects and snails, it likes sun to deep shade, reproduces its own seeds after a long season and can even be grown from cuttings put in soil.
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