THERE WAS produce aplenty for the taking as these ladies found out. 

by Justin Marville

With Barbados' food import bill soaring, one church is doing its part
o encourage
ubsistence farming.

Under the theme Building The Community Through Caring, Sharing, the Shorey Village New Testament Church of God has been stressing to its members the importance of supporting the community through farming.

Now the residents of the district are literally reaping the benefits.

During their harvest earlier this year members of the congregation received various fruit and vegetable seedlings and on Saturday afternoon, brought their yields to the church to sell to the community.

The project, however, has had a long-lasting effect in the St Andrew area. What initially began as a "one-time event" has now grown into a way of life for the Shorey Village community as the members of the church are looking at continuing the marketing aspect of the project every Saturday.

"I felt so good two Saturdays ago when
I went to the supermarket and bypassed the vegetable section," said Denise Sobers-Boyce,
a member of the church.

"I had tomatoes, I had cucumbers, I had sweet peppers. I didn't need any of these things."

Bishop Nigel Harris described the project as a success and hoped the rest of the country would follow suit.

"At a time like this when everyone is complaining about the high cost of living,
if we can get members
of the church and the community to be involved in actually growing some of the things that they eat we believe it will go a long way in helping
with the high cost of living" he said.

"A penny saved is indeed a penny earned," Harris reasoned.