New St. Ignatius school farm expected to promote good nutrition for community, students

A model farm was recently handed over to the St. Ignatius Secondary School in Region Nine, through a programme intended to promote a nutritious, self-sustainable food supply for the community, and particularly students.

The Government Information Agency (GINA) said that the project, which commenced last September, was made possible through the Healthy Practices Programme, which is a collaborative venture among the ministries of Agriculture,Health, Education, Amerindian Affairs and Local Government and Regional Development as well as the Pan American Health Organisation/ World Health Organisation (PAHO/ WHO), Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

GINA said that the farm utilises a combination of shade cultivation and drip irrigation methodologies which have proven to be a good alternative to traditional farming practices in savannah lands of Region Nine. Because of the use of the shade house and drip irrigation methods, the weather conditions would not affect the farm’s progress and food can be produced all year round in Region Nine.  Addressing students, teachers and community members at the handing over, Director of the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) Dr. Oudho Homenauth said that the Healthy Practices Programme is being promoted throughout the regions and is being referred to as “from the earth to the plate” as it emphasises the idea of having a healthy diet. He said from NAREI’s standpoint, the project is a reflection of the appropriate technology being developed by the institution that can be transferred through the country.

Homenauth, according to GINA, highlighted that one of the farm’s benefits is that the students will be taking the techniques learnt to their respective communities for replication.

The shade cultivation and drip irrigation farm established at the St. Ignatius Secondary school, Region Nine. (Government Information Agency photo)
The shade cultivation and drip irrigation farm established at the St. Ignatius Secondary school, Region Nine. (Government Information Agency photo)

GINA said that PAHO/WHO Representative Dr. Beverly Barnett observed that hinterland communities have fewer opportunities to access markets and procuring nutritious food can be expensive.  She said that the global school-based student health survey 2010-2011 carried out by the Ministry of Health with support from PAHO/WHO had identified four nutritional habits and inadequate physical exercise as significant problems among school children, and feeding programmes have been implemented in several primary schools in regions 1,7, 8 and 9 as a result.

Barnett stated that the school’s farm is critical for the improvement of the students’ and the community’s health, and that the handing over of the farm encourages ownership and sustainability so that health promotion and improved nutrition can continue without external support, and the promotion of the ‘Reach one Teach one’ stratagem where students can teach their parents and community about the benefits of healthy eating. GINA said that the project has been deemed as a success by Agriculture Minister Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, who announced that a three-year project to replicate the farm is being developed jointly by PAHO/WHO and the FAO so that 30 other secondary schools in the country could be added to the programme.   He said that the lessons learned from the St. Ignatius integrated farm would be incorporated into the other school farms along with the addition of livestock and aquaculture.

Ramsammy recalled that when the programme was first charted, there was a set goal of healthy living and practices but the spin-off of the farm allows the students to study agricultural science with a practical experience.

GINA said that the St. Ignatius Secondary School has 668 students, most of whom do agriculture until they are in grades 10 and 11, when they select the subjects they will pursue at CSEC.  Over the past six years, the school has recorded 100 percent passes in agriculture—an indication of the emphasis being placed on the subject.

Poultry rearing has now been added to the agricultural practices and the agriculture curriculum will be elevated to the CSEC double award for student performance.

Ramsammy was quoted as saying, “This farm was established not just to produce enough food for the children in the dorm and for the school feeding programme… it was also made to produce excess food that could be sold to the community and the supermarkets and the children will learn business principles and practices, and so long before they graduate they would have some experience.”

Since the beginning of the project, the farm has earned more than $160,000 after harvesting over 1,000 pounds of fresh vegetables, including pak choi, tomatoes and peppers.
Meanwhile, GINA reported that Junior Minister Alli Baksh acknowledged the role played by the supporting agencies and emphasised the need to involve others such as the Regional Democratic Council, the Parent Teachers’ Association and the community to replicate the success of the project.

GINA said that on March 18, head teacher of the St Ignatius Secondary School, Yvette Archer-Alexander paid a courtesy visit to President Donald Ramotar and reported that the students are already beginning to quantify their agricultural yields as the vegetables grown under the project are unlike any other in the region.