Food Traditions

I made what for me was an exciting discovery last night. For pretty much everyone else it probably will seem at best obscure. In a random conversation about food with some people who by coincidence happened to be from the very western end of the southern pennisula of Haiti, a place called Jeremie I learned that they eat a porridge made from breadfruit, corn, or cassava. I've known about the breadfruit porridge for some time, made by pounding the breadfruit into a flour (known as Tonm Tonm) with a pestel and mortar, and then putting the flour in hot water and stirring to make a thick porridge. I did not know about the corn flour porridge (known as zokran) or the cassava flour porridge (known as kafondi) until tonight. What's interesting to me is that they make exactly the same kind of porridge in East and Central Africa from both corn and cassava. Furthermore, the Haitians in this part of the island eat the porridge with their hands and dip it in various sauces prepared with meat. This is exactly how the Africans eat it. And the Jeremie area is the only part of the island where I am aware that they do this. It would make, I think, a very fascinating anthropological study to figure out if there is a connection between this Haitian food and the African food, and why only this furthest part of the island. I have always wanted to visit Jeremie, but even more so now, because I would like to try all three, and also see if the way they eat is the same as in Africa.

Getting ready for the next tree planting

This is one of 100 cistern/nurseries that have been established to produce tree seedlings in farmer's backyards. Depending on the size of the tank, these nurseries can produce between 400 and 2000 seedlings per season. The water in the tank is collected from the roof of the house, and when farmers are not producing seedlings they can use the water for laundry and bathing. This also reduces erosion, since the water collected is not pouring off onto the soil during heavy rains.

This is a larger tank under construction which will have the capacity to produce approximately 2000 seedlings per season

Some huge catepillars eating trees

They looked so beautiful, I couldn't kill them, which I should have to protect the trees.

Tropical Depression

Sorry, no internet last night. Seems to be due to the tropical depression which has been passing through. This is a good thing so far. It has been providing a light but consistent rain which is well timed to water the planted tree seedlings and crops (corn and beans). It is at the same time not so strong as to cause a lot of erosion. I had heard earlier in the season that there were 23 tropical depressions forming, an unusually large number, and that 6 or 7 of those were likely to become hurricanes. I don't know how many of those we have used up already, but having this one pass through gently is just one more that can't cause damage. Our director here in Haiti said to me jokingly yesterday that there will be no hurricanes in Haiti this year, it simply cannot happen. He has to be right, doesn't he?

A Model Farm

This morning the staff were showing me a model farm they have established where they are planning to demonstrate farming techniques which will protect the soil while providing profit and food for a family. One of the steps they have taken is to carefully fence the property to keep animals out. Free-grazing of animals, especially goats is one of the big challenges for tree planting and reforestation projects here. So it was a little surprise (maybe), and some embarrassment when we passed by the same model farm this afternoon to catch a sheep randomly grazing on the property. No one around seemed to know who the owner was, so we transported the offender to the nearest CASEC office, or the equivalent of the mayor for this rural area. Rather than request a fine which we would be legally entitled to, our director has asked that the CASEC give the owner a short lesson on the importance of trees, and the effect grazing animals can have on trees.

Below find some photos of the farm with sheep, and the subsequent "arrest".

Tool Distribution

Today is distribution of tools courtesy of FAO, the agriculture branch of the UN. Floresta Haiti is the distributor on their behalf. As I type this I can hear the crowd outside the office waiting patiently, some since about 7 am to get a pick, a machete, and a hoe. I am guessing there are about 500 people. The distribution is being organized through the locally elected leadership, and these leaders met this morning early to coordinate with staff.

Hey! the organization I work for in the NY Times!

http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/07/12/12greenwire-devastated-haiti-braces-for-an-active-hurrican-11849.html?pagewanted=

Burundi update:

The situation here is calm and explosions have reduced, the president has been elected and communal officials are now being elected to their offices in the whole country. Legislatives are going to be held at the end of the week. The opposition is weakened and some of them are now coming back to participate in Legislatives. However, the situation is still volatile.