Day 70. Terraces, planting, weeding

New terraces

After last night's thunderstorm dumped one inch of rain, the guys do not have to haul water buckets for the trees today.

We continue to pray for rain for other parts of Haiti, as many spring crops desperately need the water.

The guys remain busy moving rocks and dirt for a few more terraces.

Planting corn, beans, popcorn and more

They also planted beans and corn in a new area that they cleared last week, we are calling that patch Hilltop.

Fritz, Cory, and I have also been busy planting: vegetable seeds, flower bulbs, seedlings, and trees. 

Seeds include: sunflowers, beets, green beans, lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, sweet mustard, onions, turnips, carrots, broccoli, egg plant, kale, okra, zucchini, pumpkin, cilantro and grapefruit.

The apple trees have acted afraid to come out of dormancy probably due to the dry weather.

Chayote trellised on our house

A few are blooming and they should start leafing out better now that the weather is acting more like summer - warm and humid.

In addition to the good plants growing, the rain has stimulated the weeds.

 Fritz sits in a chair doing school for 1-2 hours in the morning while I weed. 

In the afternoons after school is done we head outside again. Fritz to play, move rocks, and empty my 5 gallon-bucket when it is full of weeds. 

School is going well for Fritz. Increased concentration results in shorter school days.

Hilltop garden. This dark soil type is the most fertile,
 but there is only a few inches over rock.

Some weeds are tiny things with a mat of shallow roots that you have to scoop up; beggar's ticks just take a easy tug; vines climb over everything-one type start out with a slender hair like vine- we try to get the roots/bulb; some have thorns so put on leather gloves and try to get the roots.

Watch out for fire ants!

Anna finished up her sophomore year at Calvin strongly and will enjoy a full 4 days off before starting summer class.

No shortage of rocks to make terraces

Covid-19 cases officially diagnosed now number over 1,300 with over 30 deaths.

LaGonave Wesleyan Hospital had their first suspected case who was sent home with masks and told to quarantine but was seen the next day playing dominoes outside his house.

Hunger continues to grow with folks not able to afford food and limited food available.

We continue to pray for the Lord's mercy, not just for Haiti but world wide.

Still many plants in the nursery to plant or share

May this be a time of prayer and reflection.

May many turn to God.

28 Asparagus from seeds planted in January

Day 43 Garden Progress Photos

May Day is also Agriculture Day in Haiti.

So thankful for the recent rains so that my favorite Agriculturist can start planting trees!

No watering for a while and the cistern water level is up more than 6 inches from this week's rains.

The guys worked on the garden and after they left for home we planted: onions, tomatoes, garlic, chaya, garlic chives and a Mexican oregano plant.

Today the guys are working to finish the upper terrace of the kitchen garden. The path around the house is slightly shifted away from the house.

The red dirt for the garden came from a pile behind the house - rejected seams of soil from the gravel pit.

Additional steps will be added in time both in front and in back of the house.

Next the planting of trees will begin!

Topsoil (not much there) removed at bottom
of terrace and filled in with unwanted stones.

Rocks for next wall.

Short wall for upper terrace.

Gravel layer on top of rock layer

Then add red dirt and topsoil. There was only a few inches of
original topsoil above/between rocks in most of the terrace area.

Moving the dirt from pile.

Working on the upper terrace.

Kids love guavas. Fritz helped plant a 'Ruby Supreme'
and 'Barbie' on May day

Purple leaf mystery by Cory

Local gardens being prepared, this one is unusually free of rocks

I used what looked like good topsoil from the yard to fill vegetable seedling trays.

The seedlings are very slow to germinate in the cool winter weather and many are pathetically slow growing.

The tomatoes soon were a deep purple color.

They didn't improve when transplanted into the garden.

If I hadn't seen tomatoes growing in the weeds in the neighbors yard and producing well all year I would have thought tomatoes weren't adapted here.

Tomato, this one less purple than some others

But many of the local weeds and trees have the same symptoms.

Checking on-line confirms it is phosphorus deficiency, which tends to be aggravated by root damage or wet and cool soils.

Now I regret not bringing some fertilizer.

Glad the neighbor's currently empty chicken coop has a supply of dry manure.

Sweet potato. Its pretty severe when sweet potato shows a nutrient deficiency.

Guava

Even the most common local shrub sometimes gets purple old leaves instead of yellow.

Weeds with purple older leaves

Common beans, the main crop around here. Beans don't need much phosphorus.

Fava bean grown for evaluation

Elderberry and black raspberry growing well, benefiting from
 rabbits living on the other side of tin wall

Happy Thanksgiving.

Due to the political protests that started last weekend the vet clinic did not happen nor will we travel tomorrow for meetings with the national church leaders.

Dirt for garden and work on drive/turnaround

Please be praying for Haiti's leaders and her people during this time of country wide unrest.

Global Partner's missionaries on the mainland are basically shetering in place while LaGonave remains calm.

Praying for the Lord's protection and His will to be done. His wisdom and peace are needed in big ways to transform lives and the political situation here.

First level of garden area

Other than not traveling we've continued with our week. School went very well with Fritzlin and I passing the 30% mark of our school year.

Cory's guys have started the rock wall below the house and he has put up electic fence around his plant nursery to keep our dog Kona from chewing plants and the shade cloth.

Today, we'll enjoy some family time and special Thanksgiving foods. We were able to video chat a bit with Eli and Anna and some of my family this morning. Hope to connect with some of Cory's on Saturday when our kids are there.

Newsletters still sitting here waiting to be mailed. Will get them out when we can but we can e-amil to anyone who wants them electronically. Due to various issues in changing our Haiti MFI mailing address we've not received  mail since early August.

So very grateful to the Lord for all His blessings in our lives. Thankful for you!