ORGANIC GROWERS AND CONSUMERS ASSOCIATION OF BARBADOS

 

Getting to know the farm

 

Location

 

St Lucy

 

 

Background and history 

 

Mike bought his land 27 years ago, which was originally just covered with trees and grasses. Over the years and as a side job at IICA, he started to turn the land into a productive farm until 2001, when he decided to quit his job and dedicate his life to his passion: farming. The overall goal of Ras Mike is to be self-sufficient on his farm, to grow food to help people, and to take care of the land.

 

 

Kinds of produce

 

Fruits (soursop, 10 different varieties of mangoes,  grapefruit, citrus, breadfruit, ackee, figs, coconut), medicinal (moringa, blue verveine,  purslane,) vegetables , animals (goat, sheep, chicken - not for sale, mainly for manure used on the farm)

 

Where youcan  find his produce

 

Cheapside market on Saturdays and Holders on Sundays

 

Why organic farming

 

Ras Mike was born into farming. Since young he enjoyed putting his hands in the soil and being close to nature. Organic farming is part of his philosophy of life, his passion and inspiration, and the farm is a manifestation of his support of god - an Eden on Earth (hence the name of the farm).

 

Challenges

 

Pests like monkeys and the white butterfly, especially during the rainy season.

 

Special practices

 

One of Mike's magic tricks for his farm is to put ripened fruit into a gallon bucket, add a little bit of water and let it ferment for as long as he wants (he has his fermenting for 3 years!), and then sprinkle it on the young trees, which will make them grow twice faster. Also, intercropping tomatoes and sweet pepper will prevent the spread of weeds because those two crops take up different spaces together.

 

Contact

 

phone #285 9927  rasmike49@yahoo.fr

 

Fertilizing method

 

Manure from his sheep (applied twice a year on the field)

 

Pest methods

 

Mike uses a mixture of garlic, neem and hot pepper to repel bad insects