Download 2010 Edition - Tropical Magazine

LA NATURE A DU TALENT NATURALLy TALENTED
Things came to fruition when Guy met Benoît
Thiry, a man for whom life is a garden and
who shares Guy’s passion for nature and
environmental preservation. Together, they
decided to test their idea and build a 95 m 2
greenhouse on the slope below the hotel.
As they landscaped the terrain, they have an
agronomist from Guadeloupe test the soil and
it turned out to be particularly well balanced
and ideal for biological agriculture, with no
need for fertilizers or pesticides.
As for the plants, naturally GMOs are banned and
everything is selected and grown according to bioproduct
principles. Three months later, the results
are spectacular: tomatoes, cucumbers, hot peppers,
egg plants, zucchini, salads, bell peppers, radish,
melons, herbs and spices such as lemon grass,
thyme, dill, parsley, mint, sage … everything grows
beautifully.
The entire production is reserved for the Restaurant
Le Gaïac, whose Chef takes pride in using aromatic
and medicinal herbs in gastronomically exciting
ways, creating a selective and environmentally
friendly cuisine.
Guy and Benoît are so happy with the initial results of their experiment
that they have since added two more greenhouses, one exclusively
for local plants and the other as a nursery for local tree varieties.
These hothouses can easily be taken down and stored in the event of
a hurricane. Rain water is collected and recycled in the drip-watering
system. Produce is grown without any fertilizers, the soil is enriched
with bio compost, while the herbs act as natural pesticides.
So far the experiment has been crowned with success, and Benoît
is certain that it can easily be reproduced in a variety of locations
on St. Barth. He is even prepared to share his know-how and
experience with anybody who would like to launch into this healthy
adventure.
We have every interest in rebuilding our relationship with nature and
rediscovering a balanced existence and in this sense there is good
reason to believe that cultivating our gardens could put some of the
meaning back into the life of our little island community.
50 www.hello-stbarth.com/tropical-magazine/
We have every interest in rebuilding
our relationship with nature and rediscovering
a balanced existence
Agricultural ecology
on St. Barth
Benoît Thiry, Gardener
” I founded Forever Green, my gardening
company, three years ago, but ever since I
was a child I had had a secret passion for
growing fruit and vegetables, something
I inherited from my parents and grand
parents. Here in St. Barth I have always had
a small patch of about 10 m 2 where I would
grow tomatoes, bell peppers, hot peppers,
salads and so forth.
My encounter with Guy Lombard has
allowed this passion to express itself, and
we have won our wager: the restaurant Le Gaïac creates
its superb cuisine using my vegetables. I’m very proud to be
able to make a contribution to this sophisticated cuisine and
above all to prove that a biological vegetable garden can be a
success on this island.
I would love to develop this concept, both for professionals
and home gardeners, because few things give you more
satisfaction than eating your own vegetables ”.
Forever Green
La passion du jardin
0690 40 82 23
benoit@forevergreen.fr
Pierre Rabhi
Farmer, writer and philosopher with Algerian roots, Pierre
Rabhi is one of the pioneers of biological agriculture and the
inventor of the concept “To everyone his oasis”. He is the
founder of the Movement for Planet Earth and Humanism
and the author of several books.
www. Pierrerabhi.org
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