BioAg Journal #1 - December 2018

DECEMBER 2018 

Bio Ag JOURNAL 

INSPIRING OUR FUTURE HARVEST 

DESTINED TO 

FLOURISH 

THE MAGNIFICENT STORY 

OF ARTY 

page 3 

Young innovative entrepreneurs in the agriculture, green tech and health and 

industries from the Caribbean & Latin America. Their stories. Our truth. 

1 BioAg Journal

WHAT’S INSIDE! 

Take a look inside and be inspired by the creative minds of our next generation. 

Destined to Flourish : Page-03 

The feature story for persons of all ages. Do 

you underestimate how deep the connection 

between humans and plants go? 

Stay Woke About Your Food : Page-07 

Take a behind the scenes look at the quality of 

the food on your dinner table . Do you know the 

person in whose hands you place your health. 

Biocapacity Update : Page-13 

Where was Dominica before the recent natural 

disasters struck and how does relate to the after 

effects. 

A New Wave - cont’d : Page-17 

A national agricultural tribute for Barbados’ 

Independence Day. Written by Bryan Cummings. 

Eco Footprint : Page-22 

What is the ecological footprint, what does it 

have to do with you and why do you care? Find 

out inside. 


Joshua Forte 

Founder & CEO 

Red Diamond Compost 

These stories, news and 

information are, created 

and curated by the young 

innovators, entreprenurs and 

professionals of the Caribbean 

and Latin America. 

EDITORS NOTE 

Unite and conquer is a phrase 

I had began to use in the past 

to combat the mindset of the 

devisive agents working against, 

what appears to be, all that is 

good. 

I am pleased to say that the 

BioAg Journal will be a tool 

at the genesis of creating 

that unity. A unity that will 

be strong enough to last for 

several generations to come and 

thereafter. 

It is the intent that this quarterly 

publication will be the home of 

the “Life of Agriculture”, including 

Green Technology, the latest 

in Health and Wellness and 

Sustainable Living. These stories, 

news articles and the knowledge 

shared here are, created and 

curated by the young innovators, 

entreprenurs and professionals 

of the Caribbean and Latin 

America. 

This is the industry perspective 

for us, by us. This is for those 

focusing on the new way 

forward. Taking all the lessons 

learned from those who came 

before us and entering new 

ground. 

Similar to the name of this 

publication, it may at times 

appear to be living, and I hope 

always full of life. Within any 

given quarter the BioAg Journal 

may be updated throught the 

first two months, after being 

published. 

I thank all the contributors of this 

first addition of the BioAgJournal 

and hope that it inspires many 

more to become contributors 

in the future. To truly create a 

platform that can stand on its 

own and represent the many 

gifts, talents, and brilliance our 

region has to share with the 

world. 


It was like a 

wonderland of plant 

diversity, all packaged 

and ready for their 

new destination. 

DESTINED TO 

FLOURISH 

Do you remember that feeling, when you were picked 

last for that activity or game in school, either because 

you were too short, too tall or the kids just didn’t like 

you? Or maybe, it never even happened to you, but 

you knew someone or you witnessed it firsthand. Well, 

now that you can relate, let me introduce you to Arty. 

Arty went through a very similar experience, but Arty 

isn’t the average Joe, simple because Arty, is a Lettuce 

Seed. I’ll let Arty share his experience with you. 

Hi there, I’m Arty and here’s my story of how I knew 

I was “Destined to flourish.” I grew up with hundreds 

if not thousands of brothers and sisters in Louisville 

County and yes, we were all from the same plant.Mom 

and dad were just really busy, but how did I know 

I was destined to flourish? Well, I just knew, I just 

believed that one day I would be able to do what 

mom and dad did, and have a family of my own. 

It was on June 5th, 1979 the end of growing season, 

and it was time for us to be harvested. It was early 

that Monday morning around 5:00 pm when the 

owners came and pulled up mom and some other 

lettuce plants from the earth. 

Unfortunately, some of my brothers and sisters 

didn’t make it, they blew away, while some others 

and myself managed to hold on. They put us 


in a bucket and took us to the 

Harvesting Room which was 

the 1st stop of our journey. This 

was the place where we said our 

goodbyes, my siblings and I had 

been stripped away from our mom 

as she was discarded as we were 

harvested. This indeed was a sad 

moment, but we knew this time 

was coming as her purpose had 

been fulfilled. 

The next stop was the cleaning 

room, this was pretty fun, and they 

did this thing called “Winnowing”, 

where they use wind to get rid of 

any excess chaff or dirt that may 

have been stuck to us. Then we 

were off to our final destination 

which was the packaging room, 

which was my favorite place of 

the entire process. 

This room was so amazing, I saw 

so many other different kinds of 

seeds: vegetables, fruits, nuts, etc. 

It was like a wonderland of plant 

diversity, all packaged and ready 

for their new destination. When 

we got to our spot, they sorted 

and handpicked approximately 16 

of us and placed us in an envelope, 

then a label was placed on the 

outside, the packaging was sealed 

and they put us in a box with other 

lettuce varieties and we were 

often to our new destination called 

PT’s Garden Store in Callaway St. 

George. 

To my surprise, my other siblings 

weren’t as enthusiastic as I was 

to be leaving the country, they 

wanted to stay in Louisville and 

grow up there. I understood how 

they were feeling, but because I 

knew I was destined to flourish, 

the move didn’t affect me, rather 

it motivated me even more for the 

adventures that laid ahead. 

It took us about a week to arrive 

at PT’s Garden Store and boy was I 

tired, but yet filled with excitement. 

They parked the truck and started 

to unload the boxes. 

That same week, the store was 

having a sale on all the lettuce 

varieties including us, one by one 

I watched as all the other varieties 

fly off the shelves, but we stood 

there, no one picked us. I started 

to get sad because I felt like no 

one wanted me, I started to think 

it was silly of me to believe that 

I was destined to flourish but all 

was not lost. 

On July 10th, 1979, the last day 

of the Lettuce sale, a teenage 

girl with glasses walks up to the 

seed rack scanning the remaining 

Written by 

Philisha St. Hill 

varieties, she pushes past all the 

other varieties and reaches to the 

back and picks us up. My heart 

was racing, the joy that I felt was 

revived again, and this was the 

moment I waited for. She paid for 

us at the checkout and took us 

home with her. When we arrived, 

she placed us in the garden shed 

where all the other seeds were 

located. Two days later she came 

back, picked us up and who would 

be the first to roll out the package? 

You guessed right, me, Arty! She 

gathered her equipment and went 

out back and planted my siblings 

and me in seed trays, days and 

weeks passed and I was the first to 

sprout and outgrow my container. 

So she took me to well-prepared 

bed and it was here I received a 

name, she called me Arty and it 

was from here I flourished. 


Our Green Revolution #1 - Alpha 

Sennon (We.Help.Youth Farm) 

click above to listen now! 

YOUTH ARE 

INTERESTED & 

INNOVATING IN 

AGRICULTURE 

Innovation needs investment. 

Founders need funders. We have 

not been putting our money 

where our mouth is. The idea 

that youth are not interested is a 

myth! 

- Alpha Sennon 

Youth in Agriculture Symposium 2018 


STAY WOKE ABOUT YOUR 

QUALITY OF FOOD 

Malnutrition and Nutrient deficiency is a serious 

problem faced by many people worldwide. “Every 

country in the world is affected by one or more forms 

of malnutrition. Combating malnutrition in all its 

forms is one of the greatest global health challenges.” 

– World Health Organization. 

Although this is such a serious issue, it is one that 

can be overlooked at times when discussing various 

health problems. This is an issue many people may 

be unaware of or even know is affecting them. All too 

often we indulge in what we deem to be the most 

satisfying pleasures this world has to offer, food, 

without thinking twice about what we are putting 

into our body and what impacts it may have on us, 

whether positive or negative. 

In order to get to this source of nutrient deficiency, 

we need to first address where the foods are coming 

from. Today you can be eating what is considered a 

“healthy diet”, by many, but the harsh reality is that 

you can be eating fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds 

and still be deficient in essential and non-essential 

nutrients. How could this be possible? 

If foods that are grown in nutrient depleted soils 

(which most commercial soils around the world are 

today) then the food grown in that soil could be 

deficient as well. Over time humanity has stripped the 

soil of its supply of nutrients to grow a large amount 

of food we require and returning fewer nutrients that 

we took out to start. These habits have caused the 

nutritional quality of our foods to decrease and in 

turn, the quality of our health follows suit. 

Organic VS Conventional 

To avoid confusion, when referring to conventionally 


grown foods I’m referring to foods 

grown with the use of any synthetic 

chemicals such as pesticides, 

fungicides, herbicides, which tend 

to be toxic, and practices such as 

tilling and monocropping. 

On the other hand, when I refer 

to organically grown foods, these 

are foods grown with natural 

alternatives such as (compost, 

plant or animal based fertilizers, 

or other nature-derived organic 

and biologic crop protection 

solutions). 

Conventionally grown crops leave 

us at a disadvantage because the 

toxic chemicals used to grow 

these foods can not only have a 

negative impact on our health but 

weakens the foods they were used 

on as well and the plants are less 

able to provide optimal nutrition 

to nourish our body. 

Additionally, growing foods 

without these chemicals, but in 

deficient soil does no justice to 

provide the complete nutritional 

benefits our food should deliver 

to us. Organically grown or 

nutrient dense grown food is the 

best choice you can make once 

available. Providing the plant with 

a wide spectrum of nutrients and 

trace minerals the plant take what 

they need and this allows them to 

grow at peak health. 

The healthier the plants the 

greater your health. Foods, which 

have been grown nutrient dense 

are power packed with nutrients, 

enough to give our body the 

strength to fight off infections and 

diseases with a healthy immune 

system. Though knowing whether 

the food you are consuming is 

nutrient dense can be difficult if 

you did not grow it yourself or 

have to tools to test it. No one 

wants the stress of testing every 

piece of food they consume. This 

is why knowing your farmer and 

their practices is key or purchasing 

from a farmer that is well known 

for growing quality toxin free 

crops. 

Nutrient Deficiency along with 

toxicity work hand in hand to being 

the common underlying cause of 

all disease. The simple equation 

brought to us by Dr. Joel Fuhrman 

tells us that our health expectancy 

is related to our nutrient to 

calorie ratio. Our level of health 

is proportional to the nutrients 

per calorie we consume (H = N/C 

intake). It is very important that we 

get as much fresh organic whole 

foods into our bodies and focus 

especially on leafy greens as well, 

that we may live our lives with the 

best health possible. 

Furthermore, the thought that only 

in poor or third world countries is 

malnutrition an epidemic is a long 

misguided thought. It is more so 

in countries where there seems 

to be an overabundance of food 

available and where people’s 

appetites and waistlines seem to 

be ever increasing. Consuming 

foods that are empty and lacking in 

adequate vitamins, antioxidants, 

minerals and more, nutrients that 

will truly allow you to live life to 

its fullest. The truth is many of 

us are severely undernourished, 

whether we choose to admit it or 

not. 

Thankfully, the awareness of 

such an epidemic is growing and 

solutions, which have been here 

from the start, are becoming 

mainstream. One by one people, 

communities and societies are 

becoming aware of the truths that 

seemed to elude them, becoming 

aware of the choices that appear 

to have been taking out of their 

hands. People are taking charge 

of their lives, making their voices 

heard and together demanding 

the positive change we all want 

to see in the world. Though the 

battles and challenges of such a 

revolution are not over, the light 

at the end of the tunnel is in sight. 


Our Green Revolution #2 - 

Philisha St. Hill (Seed 101) 

click above to listen now! 

THE COOKIE 

CUTTER SYSTEM IS 

NOT WORKING. IT 

WILL NEVER WORK. 

The youth are the face 

of agriculture. You have 

to know what you have 

been called to do and run 

with it. It requires a lot 

of sacrifice, but once you 

lay the foundation right, 

you can then use the 

leverage. 

- Philisha St. Hill 


INTERCONNECTEDNESS 

The word “Interconnectedness” isn’t usually the first thing 

that someone would think of in relation to Agriculture, it’s 

more synonymous with human beings, but if you look closely, 

you will indeed see interconnectedness in nature. I would 

even dear say, that nature is the prime epitome of showing 

us how important interconnectedness is and what can occur 

when connections become disrupted. Let’s discuss at least 

three (3) of these examples of interconnected in nature. 

Example #1: Trees- The lungs of the earth for all humanity 

The first two lines of the lyrics to Christian singer Michael W. 

Smith “Breathe” goes like this “ This is the air I breathe, This 

is the air I breathe ”, whilst he was referring to the power of 

the Holy Spirit, for this example, we’re going to be applying 

these lyrics to our trees that God has put here for us. We’ve 

always heard how important trees are, but sometimes I 

wonder if we really believe it? Sometimes I wonder if we do 

know that the trees provide the “air we breathe”. 

Trees were created with the ability to absorb Carbon 

dioxide (CO2) which is a colorless, odorless gas found in our 

atmosphere, our bodies, and many other places. As CO2 is 

released into the atmosphere trees take it from the air and 

convert it to Oxygen (O2) for us to breathe. 

Now if there are no trees, due to rapid industrialization, and 

due to the fact that individuals no longer replant trees, then 

guess what, our air supply becomes smaller and smaller and 

the air becomes more and more toxic as life progresses. But, 

that’s only one of the many functions trees perform. Other 

functions include providing food for us and other wildlife, 

making rain, providing building materials, recharging our 

groundwater, shading us from the hot sun and the list goes 

on and on. 

Example #2: Manure from the land animals = soil building 

nutrients 

There’s the saying, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure”, 

in this case, “Our animal’s excrement is our treasure. Allow 

me to explain, the manure from the farm animals such as 


horses, cows, sheep, goats, chickens etc 

are very, very powerful natural sources 

of fertilizer, produced by nature for 

nature. 

What usually would happen is that the 

manure would either be composted or 

added to compost before it comes in 

contact with the soil and plants. 

Once it comes in contact with the soil 

the manure gets absorbed and nutrients 

are released. This, in turn, enriches the 

soil, which in turn helps the plants to 

grow. But, this is only one of the many 

benefits. 

Others include but are not limited to : 

(1) increased soil carbon and reduced 

atmospheric carbon levels. 

(2) Reduced soil erosion and runoff . 

(3) Reduced nitrate leaching and (4) 

Reduced energy demands for natural 

gas-intensive nitrogen(N) fertilizers, 

just to name a few. 

Example #3: Patterns in nature are the 

hidden clues for effective design in a 

progressive civilization 

God left us clues in nature, not only to 

show us how nature itself works but 

also to aid us as we developed and 

progressed as a people. 

These clues, I like to refer to as patterns. 

Our responsibility was to study and 

innovate some of these same patterns 

as we progressed. 

We were to work with nature rather 

than destroy it, which is essentially what 

some would refer to as Biomimicry. 

Janine Benyus, Co-founder at the 

Biomimicry Institute stated, “Biomimicry 

is innovation inspired by nature. In 

a society accustomed to dominating 

or ‘improving’ nature, this respectful 

imitation is a radically new approach, a 

revolution really. Unlike the Industrial 

Revolution, the Biomimicry Revolution 

introduces an era based not on what we 

can extract from nature, but on what 

we can learn from her.” 

We have seen 

and are still 

experiencing the 

repercussions of 

the disconnected 

connections. 


In the end, as we all can 

see Agriculture is indeed 

an intelligently designed 

interconnected ecosystem. 

I know that was a mouthful. 

We ourselves, are a part of this 

system and were placed in the 

system to diligently manage the 

connections, ensuring that they 

were kept connected, rather than 

disconnected. 

We have seen and are still 

experiencing the repercussions 

of the disconnected connections. 

Nature, however, is able and 

willing to heal and help itself, 

once we make the necessary 

reconnections. Let’s get back to 

the interconnectedness that is in 

nature, so we can build a brighter 

future for ourselves and the 

generations to come. 

Written by 

Philisha St. Hill 

Sources: 

• Dictonary.com – Compost 

• Gardening Know How: https://www. 

gardeningknowhow.com/composting/ 

manures/the-benefits-of-manure-in-yourgarden.htm 

• Articles Extension: http://articles. 

extension.org/pages/14879/environmentalbenefits-of-manure-application 

• AZ Quotes: http://www.azquotes.com/ 

quotes/topics/biomimicry.html 

• Biomicry.com - https://biomimicry.org/ 

what-is-biomimicry/ 


DOMINICA 

BIOCAPACITY UPDATE 

(2014 data set) 

POPULATION EST. - 72,341 

GDP PER PERSON - $6,951 

After the passing of Tropical Storm Erika and 

Hurricane Maria over the island of Dominica 

in 2015 and 2017 respectively, the resulting 

biocapacity is not yet known. Although we can 

estimate from these events that the total deficit 

has increased. Serious regenerative action needs 

to be taken to address this. 

Biocapacity per person - 

Is the productive area that exists 

per resident in that country. It is 

their ecological income. 

Ecological Footprint per person - 

A person’s Ecological Footprint is 

the biological productive areas 

required to provide everything 

they consume. It is their “ecological 

expenditure” 

Biocapacity +Reserve/ -Deficit - 

When the Ecological Footprint of a 

population exceeds the biocapacity 

of the area available. A national 

ecological deficit means that the 

nation is importing biocapacity 

through trade, liquidating national 

ecological assets or emitting 

carbon dioxide waste into the 

atmosphere. 

An ecological reserve exists 

when the biocapacity of a region 

exceeds its population’s Ecological 

Footprint. 


The heroes like single 

mothers who refuse to 

let hardship hinder their 

offspring’s future, the 

heroes that need not 

be placed on a piece 

of paper previously 

worthless, now used 

to class our financial 

freedom, the kind of 

heroes young children 

look to for inspiration, for 

guidance, for answers. 

A NEW WAVE - HAPPY 

INDEPENDANCE 

BARBADOS 

Ripples from a new wave of determination set into 

young entrepreneurs as we embark into a field of 

unknowns. What can be more exciting than to build 

upon models of sustainable living once thought of 

as out of reach for the average Barbadian- the lower 

to middle-class Bajan who by their own admission 

have set this task solely upon the shoulders of 

government officials that may or may not hold the 

answers we truly sought? This seems to be quite the 

paradox waiting to unfold itself within inefficiently 

productive landscapes or more so fields and hills 

beyond recall for are they really our very own, if we 

as a people, a group of individuals, are unprepared 

to be the stewards of our lands or be the caretakers 

of our own gardens. 

Let’s say that for a moment in this brief phase of 

newly independent people we have not fully resolved 

past afflictions to those holding the bread and butter 

we deem necessary to actually make manifest the 

ideals we declared evidently fundamental for the 

holistic success of the whole body, not merely the 

head and neck of this Bajan thoroughbred. For 

it is quite evident the potential of our people is 

something to behold, the talent dripping through 

the containment of European schooling forced 

upon African bloodlines aiming to dissolve the 

only thing we held dear to us; the power to create 

from what some may call nothing. A power seen 

time and time again as artists and artisans make 

the most of the finite materials spread very thinly 

across this country like the asphalt used to cover 

potholes which sink deeper than the history of 

our people revealed to us by these institutions of 

knowledge. 

Here, my friends, we stand at a crossroads where 

blame, guilt, and frustration will do nothing more 

than to slow down the flow of this power held 

within the hands of each individual comprising 

this beautiful island. For our paradise lies not 

upon sandy beaches left vacant for tourists to 


enjoy while we work nine to five 

to keep a faint smile on our faces 

for our children and our children’s 

children to be able to one day truly 

relax on these white crystalline 

shores. 

Here, my friends, we must stand 

for something, for the passiveaggressive 

Bajan model walks 

around blinded by the runway as 

scores of planes private to public 

touch down at our port, with a 

fresh wave of guests to serve, 

but the kitchen is empty and the 

waiter feels underappreciated by 

an employer that only seeks to 

modernize the dreaded pain of 

being an S-word, and that word is 

definitely not superhero. 

Here we already stand my friends 

as superheroes, the everyday kind, 

the unsung kind, the one that need 

not be mentioned in the evening 

news, the one that stories are not 

written about, movies not cast 

and fans don’t scream their vocals 

chords hoarse towards. 

The heroes like single mothers 

who refuse to let hardship hinder 

their offspring’s future, the heroes 

that need not be placed on a piece 

of paper previously worthless 

now used to class our financial 

freedom, the kind of heroes young 

children look to for inspiration, for 

guidance, for answers. 

Some may call these kinds of 

heroes, role models, mentors or 

teachers, some may see these 

persons as the glue that keeps the 

fabric of our industry together, 

some may even say that these 

heroes are the light at the end of a 

dark, dark tunnel of fear and selfdoubt 

that afflicts our people. 

Well I dare to say this, these 

individuals who stand for 

something, must now stand 

together not necessarily in 

“harmonious unison” for the 

biggest challenge still must be 

addressed; we are a group of 

individual minds, personalities, 

passions, and purposes. We must, 

therefore, aim to stand together 

sustainably for only then can 

returns be seen which will benefit 

each individual and still the 

collective as a whole. 

To do this is quite simple, once 

given some thought for within the 

problem there lies the solution and 

this solution is within the hands 

of these unsung heroes- the ones 

willing to do the dirty work, the 

farmers, the agribusiness persons, 

the small-scale home gardenersthe 

real planter class. 

For the world is truly beautiful 

when old men plant trees for which 

they may never receive shade 

from, knowing that their sons and 

daughters will play on these fields 

and rejoice with laughter and 

childish glee, never truly knowing 

the hardship their forefathers 

bore to make these landscapes so 

green and lush. For by the sweat 

of a man’s brow and the strength 

of his back he may shape his land 

as he sees fit once the conditions 

can be met by the will of the spirit, 

the season is right and the vision 

is as clear as blue skies on a hot 

summer day. 

As true as these words may ring 

to the heart of good men, it may 

also be said at this time that all 

men are born with this essence of 

goodness within them, yet time, 

place, situations and perception 

may alter the degrees of goodness 

shown from the heart and mind of 

mankind who is still set standing 

at the same crossroads we met at. 

To change the course of the world 

first we must realize this change 

within ourselves, but to realize this 

change within ourselves we must 

face the world at its problems and 

accept that the solution is within 

us. It is said evil only prevails when 

good men fail to act, and at our 

core, in our truest spiritual essence 

we are all made good so then what 

greater deed is there than to give 

beyond yourself for a cause much 

greater than yourself. 

continues on page 17 


Our Green Revolution #3 

- Jean-Sebastien Duvilaire 

(Tahomey) 

available 18/12/2018 

AGRICULTURE IS 

ONE OF THOSE 

TOOLS THAT 

ALLOW FOR 

HEALTH BUILDING 

THROUGH 

FAMILY WORKING 

TOGETHER. 


A NEW WAVE - 

CONT’D 

Ironically, the greatest glory is to 

give to yourself all the love and 

healing you wish to give to the 

world. 

For when it is all diplomatically 

said and politically done, the 

smoke and mirrors fade and the 

hype has settled we all stand 

as individuals, we all fall as 

individuals, we all rise from the 

ashes as individuals, there is no 

group, no nation, no collective 

that can truly embody the 

vastness of ideas, personalities, 

and demeanors, the creator has 

blessed each individual with their 

own spark. It is only through 

the wisdom to acknowledge 

this ultimate truth that allows 

these individuals to decide to 

sit at the table to discuss their 

talents in their differences which 

paradoxically is what makes us all 

the same; our uniqueness gives 

us unity. But what does that all 

mean? 

Barbados Green Monkey 

How does this make our fields 

and hills ours now to recall, for 

yesteryear they were not our 

own but now the present truly 

is a gift for young entrepreneurs 

to grab with both hands on the 

reigns to guide this thoroughbred 


ack on course, for it is not 

a show horse and this is not 

Gold Cup Day, for we wish not 

to continue this cycle going 

around and around a track at 

a beckoning of a whip. No, we 

have the power back in our 

hands to choose who shall be 

the captain of our ship. And my 

friends, let us not choose hope, 

let her stay at home, quiet, 

cozy, comfortable, let us look 

into the mirror, past the veils 

of beauty and see the eyes of 

the beholder, who has chosen 

himself fit to lead his own life 

with confidence and valor, with 

renewed determination, for it is a 

new wave. 

From a ripple now a wave that 

has already touched these 

crystalline shorelines spreading 

the message of sustainability, in 

solutions that can be packaged 

in one liter bottles and delivered 

for the average Bajan consumer 

at an affordable rate of just fifty 

dollars, Red Diamond Super 

Seaweed Bio Stimulant is that 

product making waves in a 

sustainable agri-movement. 

Waving goodbye to perceptions 

that may win us the complainer’s 

procrastinator of the year award 

and will warrant us the need to 

revisit integrated science as the 

other half of the solution in a 

magical two-part play. 

Integration rather than 

segregation of all life sciences 

may foster more holistic answers 

than one degree ever could. As 

one university fully integrated 

into the solution center of 

this island, with focus on the 

heart-of-the-matter, a fully selfsustaining 

island with many 

degrees and many hands with 

the power to create may now 

fully realize the truest fulfillment 

of our creed as we decree 

ourselves as a collective of 

intellects, a body of individuals 

with one aim to holistically 

sustain our cells. As we are freed 

individually from the bonds of 

starch-filled macaroni pie we 

can now revisit the term culture 

and find what was Bajan culture 

before colonialism when these 

hills were actually our own 

and we actually made a free 

individuals’ decision to live and 

grow food here. 

Maybe then and only then will 

the real planter class stand up for 

something. For they will have an 

inkling of a taste on the tongue 

that they must fulfill, maybe 

then and only then now it’s all 

diplomatically said and politically 

embarked on from the grassroots 

level, from the community 

centers, from the empty lots, 

from the neighbor who needed a 

hand getting their garden started, 

that we as individuals can taste 

the sweet taste of true freedom 

knowing that we grew what we 

ate and we ate what we grew. 

For the wise know that this 

simple notion is one of the 

most fundamental steps to true 

freedom for culture has always 

met at the fireplace, at the dining 

room table, in the kitchen for 

food is that one symbol we can 

all understand too well. For 

each grain of wild rice stands 

as individuals yet they come 

together sustainably in a wellprepared 

pot with flavor to 

savor for days, each vegetable 

individually picked combining in 

unison in one succulent dish. 

And this my friends, is what 

makes coming home from a hard 

day after doing all that dirty work 

special, doesn’t it? 

Meeting all these individual 

flavors combined in one 

succulent dish. This my friends 

is why we must be the ones 

to be the stewards of our 

lands, the caretakers of our 

gardens for what better way to 

celebrate independence than 

to independently grow what 

you eat and eat what you grow 

and when you have more than 

enough for you and your family, 

share with your neighbor and 

trade flavors and textures. 

Food connects us all and great 

food joins us here together at the 

table to eat bountifully heartily and 

declare “ Free at last! Free at last! 

Almighty God we are free at last!” 

Happy Independence Barbados, 

now let’s grow some great food 

and truly be merry with peace, 

health and prosperity, Godspeed. 

Written by 

Bryan Cummings 



Wayne Neale (Greening The 

Caribbean) 

available 01/01/2019 

Waste management is an 

essential service like Fire, 

Law Enforcement, but it’s not 

treated as that. 

So whenever you have a major 

disaster, you don’t find that the 

CLIMATE CHANGE 

IS IMPACTED BY 

IMPROPER WASTE 

waste side of the spectrum is 

actually addressed. 

- Wayne Neale 

DISPOSAL. 


REGENERATION PARTNER 

Red Diamond Compost officially 

became the first Caribbean partner 

of the Regeneration International 

Network as of November 2018. 

As it continues on its mission to 

promote regenerative organic 

agriculture in Barbados and 

throughout the region. Some of 

the practices that involved in 

regenerative agriculture include 

but are not limited to, holistic 

management, polyculture, soil 

food web science, permaculture, 

and no-till farming. 

It also encompasses high 

standards for animal welfare and 

fairness between stakeholders 

and workers. 

Regeneration International 

was formed by industry 

pioneers, experts and advocates 

representing businesses, 

the farming and scientific 

communities, educational 

institutions, policymakers and 

NGOs with the join mission, 

which is “To promote, facilitate 

and accelerate the global 

transition to regenerative food, 

farming and land management 

for the purpose of restoring 

climate stability, ending 

world hunger and rebuilding 

deteriorated social, ecological 

and economic systems.” - RI 

With this as a shared goal that 

will most definitely impact 

the future of small island 

developing states as they seek 

to increase their resilience to 

the present climate disruptions, 

Red Diamond believed it was 

necessary to be one of the key 

coordinators between the region 

and the international network. 

Furthermore, Red Diamond 

Compost has also signed on to 

the ‘4 per 1000 Initiative’, which 

is an international initiative, 

launched by France on 1 

December 2015 at the COP 21, 

with the aim to demonstrate 

that agriculture, and in 

particular agricultural soils can 

play a crucial role where food 

security and climate change are 

concerned. 

The shared goals between the 

network, the initiative and Red 

Diamond’s mission to rejuvenate 

the soils across the region for 

this purpose will quickly aid 

the sharing of knowledge and 

resources necessary in the fight 

against climate change. 

If your group or organization, 

whether formal or informal, is 

interested in becoming an RI 

Partner and would like to know 

the benefits of doing so, you 

can click here to learn more. 

RI partnership applications 

are subject to approval by 

the RI Steering Committee. 

You can contact info@ 

regenerationinternational.org for 

more info. 



Nichole Murray 

(Naturindas Foods) 

available 08/01/2019 

I want to take our people back to what our 

ancestors used to do. My hearts desire 

is for the teas to not be made for local 

consumption, but that people would have 

gotten so accustomed to going back to the 

lifestyle that kept us grounded, healthy 

and strong, that my teas will be something 

...THE PEOPLE 

THAT WANT THE 

that the diaspora would want, that we 

could export... 

- Nichole Murray 

NEXT SUPER THING 

WE GOT IT! 


Watch this short video to findout 

what is your eco footprint and why 

it matter so much. 

Not only to you but to the entire 

plantet. The fate of our future could 

be in your foot - print. 

Is your impact positive, or do you 

need to work on a few things? 

Have fun finding out at http://www. 

footprintcalculator.org and get a 

clear picture of how you measure 

up. Learn what actions you can take 

in your daily life to help in the fight 

against climate change. 

Even governments can use the 

country specific information to 

make informed policy decisions. 

WHAT IS 

YOUR TOTAL 

FOOTPRINT? 

CARBON? 

BIO? / ECO? 

FIND OUT 

NOW! 


OUR CONTRIBUTORS 

Philisha St. HIll 

Trainer - Seed Saving 

Founder 

Minspiration 

https://facebook.com/minspiration 

https://www.instagram.com/min_ 

Jean-Sebastien Duvilaire 

CEO & Founder 

Tahomey 

www.tahomey.com 

https:facebook.com/tahomey 

Haiti 

spiration/ 

Barbados 

Wayne Neale 

Managing Director 

Alpha Sennon 

Founder & Managing Director 

W.H.Y.Farm 

http://whyfarmit.com/ 

https://facebook.com/whyfarm 

https://www.instagram.com/ 

whyfarmit/ 

Greening The Caribbean 

www.greeningthecaribbean.com 

https://facebook.com/ 

greeningthecaribbean 

https://www.instagram.com/ 

gtcaribbean/ 

St. Lucia 

Trinidad & Tobago 

Nichole Murray 

Bryan Cummings 

Sales Associate 

Red Diamond Compost 

https:facebook.com/ 

reddiamondcompost 

Barbados 

23 BioAg Journal 

Founder & Managing Director 

Naturindas 

https://naturindasfoods.wixsite. 

com/lifelot 

https://www.facebook.com/ 

naturindasfoods/https://www. 

instagram.com/naturindasfoods/ 

Barbados

https://reddiamondcompost.com/index.php/bioag-journal 

Let us know what you think, share your comments, let us know what you want to see 

in the next edition. Email: info@reddiamondcompost.com

BioAg Journal #1 - December 2018

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?