The vagaries of farming are many and never ending. Most recently we reported on the challenges of not having access to enough water on the farm to keep our heirloom tomatoes and other crops well watered.

Well, after two raging tropical storms, farmers were bawling for the opposite reason. First there was Otto, which initially brought the kinds of showers that had this farmer literally dancing around with joy.

Then the showers continued on and on and on until most of us began to beg for a break. By the end, the flooding caused such damage that most of our tiny seedlings and plants were either washed away or developed root rot.

After the rains ceased and the ground was nice and soft (and therefore easier to work), many farmers and growers set about replanting and sowing seeds and transplanting those few seedlings that survived.

No sooner than we had it all set up, here came Hurricane Tomas, not with a direct blow but with a long tail full of rain that went on for a week. This is where the woes really hit hard.

By the time the last drop had been expended from Tomas, farmers were hanging their heads wondering if it was worth trying again or whether it would just be better to allow the ground to dry out then go fallow and skip a season.

The soggy earth rotted whatever roots were left in it. However, much of what had been replanted was simply washed away, as the seeds and seedlings could not withstand the torrential waters.

This farmer was fortunate. I had been given some sorrel seedlings by my neighboring farmer, Washington Gumbs, and had planted them on the slope of the farm in the area designated as the orchard.

So while my tomatoes continued to struggle to hang on for dear life after their roots became exposed to the elements after the topsoil was washed away, the sorrel was somehow able to hang on and survive.

Usually by the time December rolls around, V.I. markets are filled with the beautiful rich red-burgundy color of pounds and mounds of sorrel ready to be turned into the traditional holiday drink or into jams and jellies.

This season the crop is very late and few farmers have sorrel that survived. As a matter of fact, few farmers have much of anything to show at this critical time when chefs and cooks are looking for produce and herbs for their holiday meals.

The effects of the storms were so devastating that the annual Ag Fair held jointly by U.V.I. Cooperative Extension Service and the Department of Agriculture on the grounds of the Reichhold Center had to be cancelled because of a lack of response from farmers. There simply was not enough produce to make the event worthwhile.

The only element that survived strongly, were the weeds. Leaving the question, how can we turn this bane of our existence into a cash crop? Livestock farmers who have pasture were fortunate to have been left with lush vegetation for their animals. Crop farmers tightened their belts and went about the business of starting over to try to salvage a late harvest in the 2011 season.

June Archibald owns and operates Precious Produce Farms with locations in Dorothea and elsewhere in St. Thomas. She may be contacted at june.archibald@gmail.com or visource@gmail.com.

Located on the north side of St. Thomas is a tiny plot of land that was chosen by the Department of Agriculture as the site on which I would be permitted to develop my farm. When I first saw the land I was excited but dumbstruck. There was nothing but bush and brush and acacia, known as “casher” as well as ketch-n-keep. Thorns galore! Like so much of St. Thomas, the terrain was sloped.

A giant acacia almost gone.

Through the unwanted vegetation roamed pigs owned by the livestock farmer operating on the site directly adjacent to my little plot. Through the brush one could see what looked like a couple of mango trees and a soursop tree. There was a glimmer of hope of what could be. In my vision I saw beds of greens, veggies and flowers. But that would be a very long way off.

The department had the pigs removed, so on a sunny Sunday several friends, including farmers wielding machetes, shovels and pick axes descended on the tiny plot to begin the process of removing the unwanted brushwood. Among the band of volunteers was one of the first families of farming in St. Thomas, headed by Benita and Lucien “Jambi” Samuel. Jambi created a set of steps so that all who had assembled could access the land to begin the daunting challenge of whacking away at the brush. At the end of that session we had cleared a small portion of the overgrown brush and the potential of what was this tiny plot could begin to be seen.

After the land clearing began we realized that the site had no access to the water provided by the department to farmers in the area, although there was a pipe running through the farm that allowed farmers downhill and to the side of this plot to have water. So, without waiting for the department to correct the problem, plumbing materials were purchased and a department staffer installed a pipe from which water would flow when the crops were eventually planted.

Jambi Samuel attacks the acacia one branch at a time.

Well, several months went by before we could get back to the site and in the interim, all that was accomplished on that Sunday was once again overgrown. In planning what would become of the plot, it was determined that after the land was cleared, terraces needed to be built to accommodate any crops that were being contemplated. Enter Jambi Samuel, master farmer and magician. Jambi agreed to take charge of the process and what has transpired in a few weeks is nothing short of miraculous.

Jambi recruited his stepson, Ahmad, and son, Lucata and together they cleared the site and began the process of building the terraces using rocks that were available on the site as well as blue bit rocks brought in from the quarry. The end result is the beautiful carving of a working farm out of very rough terrain. What amazed this writer and farmer was the manner in which Jambi approached the tasks at hand. The giant acacia trees which were thought to need a chain saw were dispatched with a hand saw, a machete and clippers. Jambi deftly and quietly took them out one by one.

After the land was cleared I was struck by the sheer beauty of the view, which looks down on Hull Bay. It also showed that there was more land space than originally seen. It was quickly determined that at least five terraces could be created. Each day it was exciting to watch the farm take shape. It remains an exhilarating journey.

Even the fruit trees on the property seemed to breathe easier after the brush was removed as they put out new leaves and fruit. The plan is to create beds for vegetables and flowers and along the western slope to create a small orchard to grow local fruits.

Opening the sea view to picturesque Hull Bay.

As soon as the terraces were completed seedlings were transplanted and seeds were sown. A very long hose was attached to the pipe installed months earlier but alas there was only a trickle of water flowing. There simply isn’t enough water pressure to create the flow necessary to provide water for this farm

Jambi, who has had experience with such matters suggested that a valve be installed so that the flow could be limited for a short period while the plants were watered, after which the valve is left fully open and the water was allowed to flow unimpeded. This worked like a charm. Now, don’t get me wrong, the flow was still slower than you would imagine, but at least the watering took about 45 minutes as opposed to having to load up gallon bottles of water and truck them to the farm.

Lo and behold, the installation of the valve was questioned by the department's plumber who was sent to inspect the mitigating device. He explained that he fully understood the need for the valve, however, his supervisor ordered that it be removed. And removed it was.

Why then was this farm permitted to be developed if water couldn’t be provided? The plumber explained that the configuration and installation of pipes was done while this farmland lay dormant. Thus, no one was aware of the problem until PPF moved in. So as of today this beautiful, new and burgeoning farm has no access to the water which flows right through it every day.

Recently, two friends stopped by and wondered why they could hear the water flowing in the pipe but my hose emitted not a single drop. Simple! Not enough pressure. I know a little about soil-less farming, but waterless farming …never ever. My very small water tank will soon run dry and I will be up the proverbial creek. Hopefully my appeal to the Commissioner of Agriculture to allow the mitigation will be honored and water will once again be allowed to flow onto our new home in Dorothea. Or some other solution will be proffered and installed by the department - with dispatch.

If you’re in the area, stop by and say hello. We’re the second farm on the right going down the hill next to the location of the Dorothea fire station. Precious Produce Farms is up and growing….at least until the water in the little blue tank runs out.

June Archibald is the owner and farmer operating Precious Produce Farms in St. Thomas. Contact her at june.archibald@gmail.com or source@viaccess.net

While V.I. schools buy some local produce, the V.I. Agriculture Department's plans to increase school sales under the Legislature's new Farm to School Act are on hold until arrangements can be worked out with the Education Department, farmers and officials told a Senate panel Monday. 

Helped by the 2006 V.I. Sustainable Farming Act, the department has launched and expanded many services to farmers, Agriculture Commissioner Louis Petersen told the Labor and Agriculture Committee, meeting on St. Croix. Although there has been a small resurgence in agriculture the past several years, the goal of growing and selling large amounts of produce in the schools and to private distributors remains elusive, he and other witnesses testified. 

"The school lunch program has been talked of as a ready market for local produce," said Dale Brown, president of the V.I. Farmer's Cooperative. "But it is not as easy as we thought."
Federal lunch program funding means there must be contracts with suppliers and distributors, "which makes it difficult for any one farmer," Brown said. 

Technically, any farmer can bid to supply the school system with a certain crop at a particular time, so there is a large potential for growth in sales to the schools, said Agriculture Marketing Director Daniel Stanley. But ironing out the details has been troublesome. Farmers are stymied right now because the relevant officials in the V.I. Department of Education haven't worked out how procedures or funding will work, Petersen said. 

"I will speak to [Education] Commissioner [LaVerne] Terry directly for assistance in resolving this," he said. Sens. Michael Thurland, Usie Richards and Nereida "Nellie" O'Reilly were vocal in decrying the difficulty in selling to the schools. "The school lunch problem is one person," said Thurland, suggesting an unnamed official in the Education Department's lunch program was being uncooperative. No Education officials were at the Agriculture hearing to respond or comment.

O'Reilly said she was "disappointed" the V.I. Farmers Co-op did not have a way to sell to Education yet. 

"Please make it a priority," she asked Petersen. No votes were taken at the information gathering oversight hearing. Present were: Richards, O'Reilly, Sens. Sammuel Sanes and Craig Barshinger. Thurland, who is not a member of this committee, also attended.