Tag Archives: climate-smart agriculture project

GEF SGP Highlights of 2023 GARD Center’s Project Field Visits

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GARD Center GEF Small Grants Programme project themed :   “Increasing food security by reducing the impact of drought and improving security.” practical training on field visit to Blaire Christian’s Backyard Garden in Bolans April 20, 2023

GARD Center GEF Small Grants Programme project themed :   “Increasing food security by reducing the impact of drought and improving security.” practical training on field visit to Birchfield Osborne’s Backyard Garden in McKinnons, May 9, 2023

Composting Demonstration with Facilitator Ms. Efuru  Elihu, a Backyard Gardening Technician in the Ministry of Agriculture

Press Release: GEF Small Grants Programme – Increasing Food Security

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The Gilbert Agricultural and Rural Development Center (GARD Center) recently received funding from its partner the GEF Small Grants Programme, implemented by the United Nations Development Programme for the project: “Increasing food security by reducing the impact of drought and improving security.”

This 8-month project officially began on 6 February 2023 and will be completed in October 2023.

Focus of the project emphasizes these main areas:

·         To increase public awareness about Climate Smart and sustainable Agricultural technology and approaches, by producing and distributing brochures.

·         Training Workshops will be conducted using Climate Smart Agricultural Practices.

·         Repair and upgrade current hydroponics unit and to construct secured fencing around its perimeter.

·         To increase production of crops locally adapted ground provisions such as sweet potatoes and cassava varieties.

CSA Course Highlights – Sandals Foundation Sponsor

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Our Sponsor for this Project

The Sandals Foundation sponsored 20 persons in Climate Smart Agriculture for Youth with Hydroponics and saw 14 successful participants who received training. The course started on 30th May 2022 and sessions were held every Monday – Wednesday from 5:00 – 7:30 p.m. at GARD Center. 

The latter part of the training encouraged participants to engage in practical, hands-on training. In addition, field visits were made to Hydroponics Farms and Backyard Gardens. The practical components of the course encouraged persons to construct raised beds and a Mini Hydroponics Unit as part of a Start-Up Kit. Another part of the practical sessions encouraged participants to engaged in planting seeds as well as transplanting seedlings into raised beds. 


The course ended with a Completion Ceremony on Wednesday 31st August 2022 at GARD Center and the participants received a Mini Hydroponics and Backyard Garden Start-Up Kit with other complimentary tools to assist with their Backyard Gardening and Hydroponics journey. 

Completion Ceremony

Group photo with sponsor (Sandals Foundation), Ministry of Agriculture Representative, Trainees and GARD Center Staff



Hydroponics top student award, Fellisa Simon

Building Raised Garden Beds

  • Practical session and field visit for Back Yard Gardening & Hydroponics. Building of raised garden beds
  • Planting of Seeds

Introduction to the Hydroponics System

Backyard Gardening Field Visit to Mr. Osborne

  

GARD Center Hydroponic Programme for Strengthened Food Production – sponsored by Sandals Foundation

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News Release

Youth Hydroponic Programme to Strengthen Community Food Production and Livelihood Opportunities

The GARD Center (Gilbert Agricultural and Rural Development Center) is a grassroot non-profit, non-government organization which operates under the auspices of the Methodist Church in the Caribbean and the Americas (MCCA).  The Center is very pleased to announce its continuous partnership with the Sandals Foundation through its funding of the “Climate Smart Agriculture For Youth- Hydroponic” Project.

For the past thirty-two (32) years, the Center has been working arduously with at-risk youth, men and women in the community to engage them in various forms of sustainable agriculture for the 21st century.

With a primary focus of raising climate smart agriculture practices amongst young people towards long term food security, the Climate Smart Agriculture for Youth – Hydroponic programme seeks to:

  • Create awareness of the present and future threats related to climate change and agriculture.
  • Make youth aware of the contributions they can make in the agriculture sector for a better future, especially through the application of climate-smart practices in agriculture, during this COVID-19 period.
  • Train a total of 20 youth in hydroponics systems.
  • Build the capacity of participants to construct a hydroponic unit and provide a starter kit to include seeds, rockwool and a water pump.

The programme support forms part of the Sandals Foundation’s 40 sustainable community projects being executed across the Caribbean to commemorate its parent company’s 40th anniversary. Through its broad scale investment in a number of farming and agriculture educational programmes, the philanthropic arm of Sandals Resorts seeks to strengthen the Caribbean’s food security and livelihood opportunities.

About the Sandals Foundation

The Sandals Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Sandals Resorts International (SRI), the Caribbean’s leading family-owned resort company.  The 501(c)(3) non-profit organization was created to continue and expand upon the charitable work that Sandals Resorts International has undertaken since its founding in 1981 to play a meaningful role in the lives of the communities where SRI operates throughout the Caribbean. The Sandals Foundation funds projects in three core areas: education, community and the environment. One hundred percent of the monies contributed by the general public to the Sandals Foundation go directly to programs benefiting the Caribbean community. To learn more about the Sandals Foundation, visit online at www.sandalsfoundation.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

This partnership is in collaboration with the Agricultural Extension Division of the Ministry of Agriculture, Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA).  The GARD Center will expand its Climate Smart Agriculture programme that focuses on Hydroponics systems.

UNDP Sponsors Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) Course for Youth

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“Climate Smart Agriculture for Youth – Hydroponics:  The Gilbert Agricultural and Rural Development Center (GARD Center) has been awarded the above-mentioned project, and the contract was signed on 3 December 2021, in the amount of US$15,000.00.   The Center is truly grateful for this timely donation and the opportunity to partner with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).   

The major aim of this project is to ensure the integration of sustainable livelihoods in the face of climate change.   This Course is geared to train 10 persons between the ages of 17 – 35 years with CSA techniques in mulching; composting; no-dig beds, etc.  In addition these participants will have the opportunity to go on Field visits to see how established gardeners operate.  The participants will also get to construct mini-hydroponic units which can be used as either a Deep Water Culture (DWC) or Kratky unit.  A Business component will also be taught, with the anticipation that the soon-to-be Backyard Farmers would be in a position to provide quality food for not only their families but also to the community.

Once again, the GARD Center would like to thank the UNDP for investing in the improvement of Livelihoods of the Vulnerable Youth in Antigua and Barbuda.”

Kid Unlimited School Visits GARD Center Hydroponics

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Two teachers of Grades 4 and 5 along with over 30 students from the Kids Unlimited School visited the GARD Center and its Hydroponics Unit on Wednesday, 4 March, 2020.

Mr. Ika Fergus, Extension Officer in the Ministry of Agriculture delivered a presentation on Hydroponics, which was very well received by the children.  During this tour they were able to see firsthand how lettuce is grown using this medium.  They were also able to receive a head of lettuce.

Thanks to Kids Unlimited School for being a part of our campaign to spearhead the ‘Hydroponics movement’ under the Sandals Foundation ‘Climate-Smart Agriculture Project Combating Effects of Climate Change’ on the local Agricultural Sector.