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  • From: karen sutherland <karen AT rootsfarm.info>
  • To: Market Farming Community Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>, Western Massachusetts Permaculture Guild <westernmapermacultureguild AT lists.thepine.org>
  • Subject: [Market-farming] 2017 summary/update
  • Date: Sun, 31 Dec 2017 23:01:32 +0000

A quick update and sincere thanks to the many who have sent their good wishes after Hurricane Maria -- 18 September 2017 -- now 3.5 months ago but still with us constantly in almost all conceivable and many inconceivable ways.

Nature and beauty are returning to this oh-so-devastated island.  Basically all 1st growth rainforest is gone, but being replaced by pioneering species so green is again the dominant theme in this part of the island. (I understand that other parts still look/are? dead.)  Impact on wildlife not fully known but our 2 indigenous parrot species and other birds have clearly taken a beating.  Weather continues to be freaky -- uncommonly rainy and windy for this time of year.  

The human recovery is happening, slowly, accompanied by extreme suffering and stress. Most houses are still without roofs and many of the aid gifts of tarpaulins are now flapping and shredding with the continuing  violent weather.  Jobs are mostly still on hold as businesses try to regroup and families despair of having income to fix what is broken and pay off the mortgages and other loans they still owe on the damaged houses, cars, businesses, farms.  Food remains an issue for many in this formerly verdant land (even if one includes the imported mprocessed and chemicalized products as "food.")  Electricity has been restored to a small section of the country, most of the rest of us are without, with the wealthier using petroleum burning air- and noise-polluting generators.  Water has been restored to 80% of population.  Supplies in stores are still scant and capricious and wait times to do/buy anything enormous. Port functioning, but still frustratingly clogged. No wifi -- only expensive data packages for cell phone for connectivity.

Like almost all Dominican farmers, we have had our farm -- a loving but exhausting labor of 17 overworked, hopeful years and heavy investment (now debt)  and a joy of just maturing both common and exotic fruit trees -- reduced to rubble.  Herculean effort to get a short term crop garden replanted was successful for output but current economic and market conditions make much of our produce unsellable. Like a trophic cascade, the ripples from MARIA impact everywhere and every when.  Folks don't have refrigeration to store vegetables and prefer to spend their few $ on belly-filling high carbohydrate "provisions."   Because no tourism happening and many of our expat snowbirds have not returned, market is further decreased. An increasing number of heartsick Dominican farmers have allowed their land to be tenant-farmed by poor Haitian immigrants who care not for the land, environment or seemingly the consumers and crowd the market with heavily sprayed foods at unsustainably low prices.   Government aid for agriculture, other than some seeds and seedlings, has not yet materialized despite lofty talk.  

But is not entirely hopeless. The Dominican people go on, grateful for life and whatever they have.  Externally, the human landscape is still full of smiles and laughter.  Like yawns, this is contagious and healing in itself.  There is a crisis-fueled goal of building back better -- resilient, sustainable.  (Whether the aid-givers will support this rather than supporting domestic corporate wellbeing and whether the assistance acceptors can resist Trojan horses remains to be seen.).  

But what I really want to say to all of you is that this can happen anywhere as a result of weather or terrorism or ?? and it is sane to prioritize  relatively simple survival strategies like an alternative energy source (with some storage, if possible) to at least  power communication and connection and any necessary medical devices.  Have a (rotating) stock of food and water for people and animals.   Have important information (e.g., first aid, phone numbers, how long to boil water for safety, etc., etc.) on paper --not just electronically stored -- and preferably stored in waterproof containers.   (It is truly amazing how much is totally disrupted by our dependence  on electricity and Internet.)  Have extra critical medications and nutritional supplements.  Have seeds!  

What I realize, despite rigors of life  as a dirt farmer, is how very, very privileged I have been.  That situations like this are common to those less privileged, to most of the world.  And that my privilege was derived by a system which exploited wherever and whenever it could leaving vulnerability and disruption behind its profit taking.  Dominica is now playing the role of canary in the global warming mine.  Wishing the world could be influenced by those who care more about life than profits.

Wishing that all of you will be spared this, that you will go on growing in ways that support life, and that you will enjoy health and happiness in the New Year and beyond.

Karen


--
Karen Sutherland
Roots Farm Organic Produce
  fruits, roots, vegetables & herbs
Cochrane, Dominica
767-449-3038 (before 7 P.M.)


  • [Market-farming] 2017 summary/update, karen sutherland, 12/31/2017

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