Earthquake Reflections - Cory's agriculture trip.

Cory went as an agriculture consultant for Relief International for a few days during our time at Petit Goave. They asked for help in evaluating project possibilities and finding contacts before starting work on agricultural development in the area between Port au Prince and Petit Goave.

One day was a visit to the vegetable growing area in the mountains above Port au Prince. It was planting season for most of the crops and we were in the clouds most of the time so the only clear photos are of Fort Jaques. It had damage from the earthquake and someone said it was closed but we didn't plan to take the time to see the inside anyway. One of the things we learned is that most of the growers in the area rent land for what seems like a high price. If the crop doesn't do well the crop income can be less than what they paid to rent the land. If they can't pay all the rent the landowners wont rent to them again.

The most impressive project we visited was in the mountain area south of Leogane. CODEP Mission has been working there for about 20 years doing reforestation and the results can be seen on whole mountainsides and valleys. The area has been badly deforested and eroded. The project has groups of landowners that improve their land by digging trenches to catch rainwater/erosion and plant vetiver grass to hold the soil next to the trenches. When the soil is stabilized this way, they plant trees from nurseries that the group grows together. There is some payment from the mission, like a part time salary and few bags of rice per year for a certain amount of improved land and surviving trees. This helps the people with living expenses until the trees are big enough to start harvesting, which is just a few years.

We also visited Jacmel and some gardens on the west side of Petit Goave. One stop was to see how improved charcoal stoves are made. In 45 minutes we watched a stove made from sheet metal of an old freezer. It is enclosed with a door to add charcoal so it burns less charcoal than the common open type.

The beach west of Petit Goave sank a few feet so the road is now next to the sea where we come in to town and the beach front houses are in the water. Some roads over swampy areas also sunk from the earthquake.

We didn't visit the island of LaGonave on this trip but here is an impressive photo from the Troyers in central LaGonave. It was a flat field before the earthquake. Interesting since it is so far from the fault that caused the big earthquake.