A back-yard gardening project, initiated by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), and jointly executed with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, will conclude at month-end.
The project, which ran from October 28 to November 27, sought to encourage householders and others with limited space at home to become involved in the growing of food for their own consumption.
Fifteen participants from the Haynesville Youth Club were trained in Haynesville, St. James, and 10 from the Deaf Heart Project, founded by former Barbados/Universe contestant, Che Greenidge, received instruction at the Irving Wilson School, The Pine, St. Michael.
They were trained in the required skills and techniques for undertaking various forms of back-yard gardening. These included soil preparation, the planting of seeds and seedlings, fertilising, reading and understanding labels, installing row covers, vegetable and root crop production, aquaponics and pest management. There were also related practical sessions.
Collaboratively, the Ministry and IICA established a demonstration backyard garden in the targeted communities of Haynesville and the Irving Wilson School, and IICA provided back-yard garden starter kits, which were distributed to all project beneficiaries.
The closing ceremony for the project will be held this Sunday, November 29, at 3:30 p.m. in the Haynesville Play Park, Haynesville, St. James.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Terry Bascombe, will deliver remarks on behalf of Minister of Agriculture, Indar Weir, while Member of Parliament for St. James South, Sandra Husbands and IICA Barbados Representative, Ena Harvey, will also address the event.