Today we had the wonderful privilege of going to see some of the agriculture in Marsh Harbor. What we had learned about the land and the landscape of Abaco is that it is not great for growing. There is very little top soil and then you hit a firm layer of limestone. This makes most types of planting and harvesting very difficult. What we were able to experience today was pretty darn inspiring! It was one of those moments where you got to see God at work in the way he has made each of us so unique and gifted in certain areas. He has definitely given the people we met today the gift of thinking outside of the box when it comes to how to grow in Abaco.
First stop was Driftwood Farms, a hydroponics farm run and managed by Glen and Tracey. They were so welcoming to us and had a day planned where we were able to plant, harvest and recycle and compost. Since Hurricane Dorian, there have not been any local farmers markets in Marsh Harbor and that is something they are working very hard to change. There are so many things that go into the type of farming they are doing that I don’t know that we have enough characters to give you all of the background here (the perfect reason to get a group together to do an IMPACT trip so you can see it for yourself!), but we will give you a small glimpse.
They do mostly above ground hydroponics farming. The goal is to be able to help the community be more self sufficient since almost everything on the island has to be imported. This was a sobering fact as you walked around the grocer and saw so many things we take for granted in the states at super inflated prices. With the wages and work opportunities it is hard to imagine how a family can survive with those prices. So the goal is to create an environment where they can get resources at a reduced price that is grown locally on the island. They live off grid with solar panels and the farm is watered by well water from the property. While our team was there, we were able to harvest enough food in such a short time that they were going to be able to have their first market in ages! What a gift that was to know we were a part of making that happen!
The hospitality on the farm was something to experience. Large picnic tables for fellowship, a sand volleyball court for friends to gather. The community and family vibe on this island really can not be beat. No matter what, you are part of the family and treated as such. Considering the devastation they went through and the organizations that have been in and out since Dorian and COVID, you would think they would be skeptical but the resilient people of Abaco welcomed us with open arms! We broke bread together at the farm and relished in the beauty that was set to feed many families.
Once we left Driftwood we headed to meet up with Nick and Daphne at Abaco Neem. Interestingly, we learned the neem tree is native to India but they brought some to Abaco and have created a beautiful self sustaining oasis. Nick is a tree farmer and has made it his life’s work to bring all kinds of trees from all areas of the world to Abaco to farm them. It was so inspiring to hear him talk about how these trees weren’t native, they didn’t belong next to each other yet they found unity together, thrived together, and helped each other grow together. He likened it to how we as a people should be and it is so profound and true. Nature can find harmony and unity and so should we. No one should be an alien, and God’s word tells us the same. It was wonderful to see how Nick and Daphne used nature to sustain life. They have a goal to hopefully get the Bahamian government to oblige to planting some of the trees they have been growing in and around the community to help the perspective of the people. Instead of seeing destruction, they want to provide beauty in the form of nature. It was very inspiring. Also, Neem is seriously amazing for so many different things and I was so grateful to have a first hand view of the product, how they produce it and the care that goes into it. Again, they are hoping to creat something sustainable for export from the island, rather than relying only on import.
It was also really awesome to see Tom, the Many Hands lead agronomist, just in his element! You could see the wheels turning and Tom figuring out how they were going to find a way to grow in Abaco! What is extra sweet is with the help of these two farmers we were able to see that anything is possible and no soil is infertile for our Lord!
We closed out the day at 321 Ice cream, which was nothing short of fascinating. On the island, it is not uncommon for shops to be ran out of homes. The name 321 Ice cream is the house number where we walked up to the front window and ordered our ice cream. It was a sight for 15 of us to walk up and order some of the most delicious ice cream we had ever eaten!
We were bummed to say that two of the 5 Kamerman’s were down sick with a stomach bug this day. They were disappointed they weren’t able to join in the day but the camp provided rest and a time for them to heal.
We will be forever grateful for our time in Abaco, the people we met both on the team and in the community and for experiencing an IMPACT trip.
