Getting Back to Backyard Farming: The Rewind Ep. 4

• In episode IIII of The Rewind – an Our News Digital Podcast – hosts Jhanae Winter, Jasmine Lundy, and recurring guest Kriston Saunders dig into backyard farming.
• Our Special guest, Owner of Sunset Organic Farms, Whitlyn Miller, also gets down and dirty while showing us the basics of backyard farming.

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – Farming has been growing in popularity and demand in The Bahamas over the past few years and all for good reason.

In September 2019, category 5 hurricane Dorian demolished parts of Abaco and Grand Bahama leaving hundreds with no way to support and feed themselves. Then, in January 2020, the novel coronavirus swept across the globe killing millions, destroying economies, and disrupting food production. 

The series of unfortunate events prompted governments worldwide to look into more self-sustainable ways to boost the economy and overall survive. Since then, the Bahamian government, private organizations and businesses have developed initiatives to combat food insecurity. 

In this discussion, we talk about the importance of backyard farming and how you and your loved ones can get on the road to feeding yourselves if you haven’t done so already.

See the video below.

Where to Start with Backyard Farming

Whitlyn Miller, a seasoned farmer, shares the process of backyard gardening. She says it’s something anyone can do.

Here are a few tips to help you get started:

Do’s of Backyard farming:

• Purchase soil from a plant nursery
• Use a planter box
• Do not plant small seeds deep into the soil
• Do not overwater / underwater the soil
• Start of with easy growing crops

Don’ts of Backyard farming:

• Don’t start off with a big garden 
• Don’t use soil from the inside of your yard
• Don’t plant seeds directly into the ground

Miller also encourages guardians to get kids involved. She advises choosing crops children would like so they can enjoy the activity while learning.

We’re Heading in the Right Direction

Several initiatives were rolled out over the past few months by private and public entities, supporting backyard farming. 

Local organizations placed shovels in the ground to help communities return to backyard farming. 

For example, in June 2022, the Agricultural Development Organization (ADO) announced a $50,000 donation in supplies to boost farming at government schools throughout The Bahamas. Schools on the Family Islands will also benefit from this initiative.

In addition to this venture, in December 2022,  Minister of Marine Resources and Agriculture, Clay Sweeting, joined the Agricultural Development Organization and the Church Commercial Farming Group as they gave 25 kits to students and 70 to the wider public.

Executive Chairman of Ado Bahamas says the goal is to have 50,000 backyard farms in Grand Bahama – a step toward a self sustaining future. 

Just recently Prime Minister Philip Davis announced a new agriculture initiative for the production of eggs in the country and broke ground for The Golden Yolk Project which will aim to produce more than 27 million eggs per year locally.

The prime minister insists this will reduce import dependency by import bill by $12.5 million. 

In addition to the government’s egg venture, Grand Bahama-based Berkshire Bahamas Farms has recently expanded into egg production. They’ve imported 2000 chicks with the goal of producing at least 1000 eggs per day. 

These initiatives will help to decrease the cost of eggs for consumers as the price has risen to between $7 – $14 locally.  

These are just some of the many initiatives designed to increase food security in The Bahamas.

Benefits of Backyard Farming

If you are not yet convinced to join the bandwagon, try considering the benefits:

• You save money
• Gardening is a natural stress reliever 
• Fresh produce are better for your health
• Gardening is a form of exercise
• Gardening improves the quality of our air

Have we Piqued Your Interest?

Are you now interested in starting your garden but don’t know where to start? Well, farmer Miller advises to start with easy growing herbs such as cilantro, basil, and thyme.

On the other hand, if you’re looking to grow veggies, she suggests starting with lettuce, sweet peppers, and tomatoes.  

Look out for the next episode of The Rewind, dropping the last Sunday of every month on the Our News Bahamas YouTube channel.