COME NEXT YEAR, Barbados is expected to have 45 acres of land under agricultural production in St Lucy that will not only redound to the benefit of the island but student learning as well.
This was revealed today as Education Minister, Ronald Jones got a first-hand look at an educational garden at Ellerton Primary School, St George, designed in association with Slow Food Barbados (SFB) under its 12 Gardens in 12 Months campaign.
Explaining one intended usage of the land there, he said: “But even before that infrastructure is put down one of the favourite foods of Barbadians on a Saturday will be planted. We are going to take ten acres out of that 45 acres and place it in breadfruit production.”
The project at St Lucy, he said, was conceived with input from stakeholders including the 4-H Movement who would be able to visit and “might find themselves with a small plot”, which they could utilise for educational purposes. He also noted that, Government conscious of the substantial wastage of good food would also be considering a small cannery so that surplus produce could be canned in a hygienic environment and for those times when fresh produce may be scarce.
“So it is a fully integrated project which will allow persons who are studying agriculture and who want to be part of the whole entrepreneurial movement to utilize some of those 45 acres of land. And, if that is too small an amount we can then expand it because we have over 345 acres in that place being used now for cattle-rearing.”
“There is still so much that we can expand, to involve and integrate more and more persons. Secondary school students who are involved in CSEC Agricultural Science would also be able to see what is happening and beyond the gardens, which they have at school, will see commercial production, teaching, the science of agriculture, all of that within that space.” (BGIS)