Community News

Cuban agricultural specialist to revive gardening on Saba

Story and photos by Suzanne Nielsen and reprinted with permission of the Daily Herald.

August 4, 2007

"It's actually an agricultural system," says Manuel R. Lopez Cervantes, a Cuban agricultural specialist from the Fundamental Research Institute on Tropical Agriculture in Havana. Lopez is talking about the special type of gardening-organoponico - that he has brought from his country to Saba with the goal of stimulating home gardening on the island.

Lopez arrived on Saba at the end of January to spearhead USONA's poverty alleviation project (NAf. 135,034) designed by Franklin Wilson, President of the Saba Association of Caribbean States (SACS).

The Cuban organoponico system arose out of necessity when the country's foreign aid subsidies from Communist nations disappeared with the 1989 collapse of the Soviet Union. By 1990, Cuba had lost 85% of its imports including agricultural inputs and food: food imports had accounted for 57% of Cuban caloric intake. There was an 80% loss in pesticides, fertilizers--all the gardening chemicals often used so casually elsewhere.

In this sudden crisis, Cuba was forced to diversify farming practices and to adopt methods of organic agriculture in order to feed itself. It is said, problems are the mother of invention, and Cuban pulled itself up by its bootstraps. The government launched a massive program to develop unconventional food supply programs by promoting urban gardening. The results were soon evident. Containers, rooftops, and empty lots were cultivated and soon sprouted tomato plants, cucumbers, sweet peppers, and so on. Since everything was organic, the system was baptised organoponico.

Sounds like Saba

Saba currently imports the majority of its foodstuffs, including vegetables that formerly grew in profusion on the island. Only a few large gardens in Upper Hell's Gate still produce, and hobby gardening for the family dinner table has steeply declined.

In 2006, Franklin Wilson, as President of the SACS NGO, submitted a project to USONA aimed at redressing this situation and giving home gardening a shot in the arm that would carry it forward after the project formally ends. Wilson's familiarity with the Cuba solution prompted him to look there for help.

The formal definition of organoponico sounds a lot like Saba. "Urban agriculture involves low levels of inputs, it does not allow the use of agro-toxins, it is very efficient in its use of water, it takes great care in the maintenance of soil fertility, crop and animal management and in environmental protection."

Just so - Lopez has created his "Little Havana" garden in the former Junior Garden plot on The Level. A Public Works crew helped to create 29 raised beds, with concrete borders, on the large plot. At the bottom of the plot a new, screened green house holds plastic trays full of seedlings. Across a cul-de-sac road, an addition was built onto the existing potting shed, which is used as a plant nursery, but will also be a point of sale when the time comes.

This initial help in setting up the infrastructure was most welcome, and Lopez has been assisted all along by Marvin Simmons. However, only six of the beds are currently available. Soil mix needs to be prepared to fill the remaining 23. Lopez is hoping that Public Works will again assist with this now urgent task, since he has seedlings ready to be transplanted. Lopez is currently on his own, since no Saba counterpart has been found to assist him, to learn the necessary steps, and to carry on when Lopez leaves next year. Lopez is devoted to the project and is now working a 10-hour day, every day, and is on the computer at night to do his research and keep up with his family back home.

Best practices

Lopez starts the seeds in plastic pots, which he then gently water sprays and covers with black plastic so the moisture will not readily evaporate. He will not remove the plastic sheet until the plants have sprouted. "Yes, I did try sowing directly," Lopez admitted. But ants were already lined up, ready for action and immediately carried off the seeds he caste on top of the soil. The ants use them in a nourishing fungus they create in their nests.

He also has made miniature green houses by cutting a plastic bottle down to size, laying the seeds on moist paper, and putting the top back on the little incubator. Once these seedlings are right-sized, he transfers them outside to the screened green house. The screens are regularly cleaned so that the amount of light entering the shed remains constant. Finally, the seedlings are transferred to the beds.

But, back to dirt - The soil preparation and later use of organic mulch are most important, Lopez emphasized. The soil is mixed with ripe manure, compost, and humus. Manure should not be used directly or "before its time," he cautioned since it will burn. He plunged his hand into one of the beds and the soil came up moist and aromatic-"It smells like the rain forest," Lopez said, with a satisfied smile on his face.

The mulch is simply grass that he cuts from an adjacent field. A thick layer retains moisture and cuts down on weeds. "The weeds may sprout, but they won't grow without sunlight," Lopez demonstrated, pointing to a starved weedling.

The six active beds each have a crop mix in them. White radishes are alongside cherry tomato plants and red beets are chums with sweet peppers, etc. Lopez plants these combinations with great consideration. For example, he plants the radishes first and by the time all have been harvested, the tomato plants have grown large enough to take over the entire width of the bed. The initial "crowding" keeps weeds down, and takes advantage of the necessary irrigation. It takes knowledge of species behaviour to get this right and take advantage of plant characteristics. Lopez has a Master's Degree in Agricultural Sciences and has attended specialist courses in Wageningen, the Netherlands, and Obihiro, Japan.

Lopez will also keep the beds healthy by using the colour and scent of specific plants to repel pests. In a bed of cantaloupe, he showed me where the fruit is starting to hang, but also where the leaves had been eaten. In this case, the solution was to hand pick, one by one, the offending beasties off the plant. He has procured a Neem oil spray in the meantime that protects the plant and is completely organic.

Reviving gardening interest

Project initiator Franklin Wilson is well aware of the stumbling blocks-lack of a Saba counterpart, difficultly getting manure, the need for additional physical support. "It's not easy being green," said Wilson philosophically. Wilson has asked for an extension of the project until next May to give the effort time to realize its potential.

Lopez has worked with Saba school children and will begin again in August. An attempt to use garden work as part of community service obligations was not successful. Several people have asked that Lopez' expertise reach a larger audience by a public lecture, or perhaps organized tours of the organoponico space.

Lopez said that many neighbours had asked about his procedures and are looking forward to be first in line to buy the fresh produce at the little shed. Perhaps this final result will be the encouragement needed to start individuals on their own gardens. It won't be long now.

The garden has 29 raised beds, a new green house, and addition to the old potting shed. Click here for a larger version of the photo.	Once the seedlings reach a certain size, Mervin waters them carefully with the hand sprayer. Click here for a larger version of the photo.	Project leader Franklin Wilson (right) chats with Lopez on the progress of the seedlings. Click here for a larger version of the photo.
Manuel Lopez shows off the first harvest of white radishes. The radish leaves may also be used as salad greens. Click here for a larger version of the photo.	Lopez recycled a plastic bottle and turned it into a mini-green house. Note air holes in the lid. Click here for a larger version of the photo.

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Story and photographs © Suzanne Nielsen, 2007.