Demonstration Gardens

We established 8 demonstration gardens in the branch as a preliminary part of the Food Initiative. We transplanted onions and tomatoes from our garden and then left a space for planting seeds of their choice.  We'll use experience and enthusiasm from those involved in these gardens to spearhead the Initiative we hope to implement branch wide over the next year.

This is taken at Dickson's Paradise Beach Garden Farm which is a 10 acre plot that he established in the swamp.    This is where about 3,000 of our onion transplants were planted.  They are under drip irrigation  using the Chapin humanitarian bucket drip system which Rob had sent to us.  He also planted a lot of tomatoes and bell peppers from our garden, besides carrots, cabbage, eggplant and many other vegetables that he started from seed.  All of these have been started during the dry season and then when the rains come, we won't have to irrigate any more but the plants will already have a head start and will be ahead of the direct seeded gardens.

We planted  the first garden at Christopher's.  He is building a new home but found us a spot  where we could put a little garden.  Justin and Steven were our helpers.

Christopher's neighbor children

Christopher's new home that he is building and works on when he has money.

Along with the drip irrigation from Chapin, we experimented with plastic water bottles with holes punched in the sides  near the bottom, allowing water to drip out into the root zone of the plant.  Loosening or tightening the lids on the bottles regulates the flow of the water.

Onions and tomato plants along with a marigold we found blooming in the dirt nearby and transplanted it with the vegetables.  The empty square in the plot is prepared for carrots or whatever other seeds they might want to plant.

This is where we planted a garden for Charles and Lilly.

There are always neighbor children watching what's going on.

The children sang for us "We are Soldiers in the Army of Jesus".  We taught them how to sing "I am a Child of God"

The children love for us to take their pictures and then they always want to see them on the camera.  They always laugh and laugh when they see themselves.

This garden required a fence to keep goats and dogs and kids out.

President James' place.

A tea kettle is a good thing to use to fill the water bottles.

Gabriel and his mother, Esther

Esther's Garden.

John and Grace's Garden

Walter's Garden 

The neighbor's loved to watch.

Brenda's Mother's Garden