On a property that sprouted little more than overgrown bush a year ago, a community farm is flourishing today. The farm is one of six in The Bahamas created by the Agricultural Development Organization, but this farm is special. It has become a neighbourhood gathering spot, a place where the authentic sense of community comes alive, where folks in the St. James Road, Kemp Road area know there is always something growing. And so long as there is a head of lettuce or a handful of kale or cabbage, spinach or okra they will never go hungry – and it is all thanks to a partnership forged between RBC and ADO Bahamas.
“The St. James Road farm is a shining example of what a community farm is all about. It started with a local church offering space, was nourished by a team of enthusiastic volunteers from RBC who did not mind getting their hands dirty and today it is like a neighborhood grocery store without a cash register where during a harvest everyone in the area is welcome to come and gather what they need to feed themselves and their families,” said ADO Executive Chairman Philip Smith. “Every head of lettuce or cabbage, every handful of okra, yams, onions or sweet peppers is healthy, grown right here in their own back yard, no preservatives, no lapse in quality due to packaging and shipping, everything is fresh and healthy and grown with love.”
Smith, who founded ADO Bahamas after nearly two decades of working to end hunger, much of that time as executive director of the Bahamas Feeding Network, spoke to media as the St. James Road farm celebrated its second harvest. More than two dozen RBC volunteers filled the space between rows of green, the largest number to date farming the land they cultivated along with professional guidance from ADO.
“ADO was formed less than two years ago with a mission of restoring and re-awakening the joy of farming among Bahamians,” Smith said. “Since that time, we have distributed 3,200 backyard farming kits, assisted school farm programs at 32 schools, and created six community farms. Our goal is to have a farm in every one of the 39 constituencies by the end of 2026. With amazing sponsors like RBC, we can make it happen.”
“We were a happier, healthier nation when our forebearers raised chickens and hens and grew vegetables in their back yard,” said Smith. “We will come full circle as people begin to appreciate how healthy food makes them feel and the joy that comes with connecting with the earth. Eventually we will have more commercial farmers when we help develop sophisticated supply chain management. Our work is cut out for us, and we are excited about what lies ahead.”
Smith credited RBC for its integral role in creating and maintaining the St. James Road farm that has gone beyond a place where vegetables and produce grow to a place where community blooms.
RBC Bahamas Managing Director Ericka Rolle called the partnership ‘enduring.’
” Through our enduring partnership with ADO, we are on a journey to empower communities and cultivate sustainability,” said Ms. Rolle. “We proudly support two community gardens in Rolleville, Exuma, and the St. James Road community farm, in Nassau. These initiatives are a testament to our commitment to fostering sustainable practices and enhancing food security in The Bahamas. At RBC our purpose is to help our communities prosper and we believe that investing in them is essential. By nurturing these gardens, we plant the seeds for a prosperous and sustainable future for all Bahamians.”
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