The Difference FTF Makes: in Gallons of Honey

By -
Volunteers usually spend an intensive period preparing for and carrying out a Farmer to Farmer assignment, but unless they return periodically it is difficult to see the progress over time and the greater sum of the assistance provided. Here is a snapshot update on Nicodeme Pierre, one of the most successful beekeepers that Partners' Farmer to Farmer Program has been working with over the years.

(Photo: Working in the hive, Nicodeme Pierre removes a frame full of honey. Photo taken by Justin Hackworth) 

Our best improved beekeeper in 2009 (Nicodème Pierre, in Caracol Poisson, northern of Haiti) harvested 175 gallons of honey (36 hives) . In 2008 he harvested [only] 17 gallons from 16 hives. Not only did he increase colonies but also honey. Certainly, we have more than one improved beekeeper.

-reported from Benito Jasmin, Haiti FTF Coordinator

Nicodeme also appeared in a May 2009 article of the American Bee Journal ("Haiti: a Struggling Nation with Determined Beekeepers"), as authored by FTF volunteer Todd Jameson after he, David Westervelt, and Doug Corbin completed their FTF assignments in Haiti in partnership with FAVACA.

Thanks to all our many beekeepers who have worked with us and with the beekeepers in Haiti. And if you would like to return, please contact us as we have many open assignments in beekeeping! Benito wants to see you in Haiti soon.

Comments

  1. Tim SchulerWednesday, April 28, 2010

    Nicodeme is a very good beekeeper. I enjoied meeting him and his family last fall. We ate sugar cane from one of his neighbors while walking from one of his bee yards to the other.

    ReplyDelete
  2. MeghanThursday, April 29, 2010

    Yes I enjoyed meeting him too last year. He seems like the grandfather of the Haitian beekeepers in the North - very kind, proud of his success, and willing to teach others. I will especially never forget his apiary since that is where I received my first (and only, thankfully) Haitian bee sting!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Better Marketing and Communications to Showcase the Work of our Hosts in Colombia

By -
Image
Salva Terra Foundation has focused on supporting vulnerable communities through sustainable agriculture. They work with impoverished populations and victims of violence in Medellin and aim to promote farming and develop local skills to work in the agricultural industry in an ecological manner. This process of bringing together concepts such as social impact, sustainable development, environmental protection, and food security requires excellent outreach and promotion. Therefore, they requested a F2F volunteer to help them develop a communication and marketing plan. The chosen volunteer for this assignment was Dr. Sindy Chapa. She has a B.A. in Mass Media Communications, with a Minor in Television and Art Design, an MBA, and Ph.D. in International Business/Marketing. She is the Director and Associate Professor at the Center for Hispanic Marketing Communication at Florida State University and has won several communications awards. Dr. Chapa decided to use Salva Terra as one of the case
Read more

My First Goat: A Professor, Students, and some Goats Tackle Food Insecurity in Rural Guatemala

By -
Image
Two Worlds Come Together to Build New Solutions against Malnutrition What does a USAID-funded Farmer-to-Farmer (F2F) expert volunteer group from the island of Puerto Rico have to do with combatting food insecurity in Guatemala? Everything.  F2F volunteer Gabriela Colón Rios trains Mam Indigenous women to better care for their goats which will improve food security and reduce high malnourishment rates. Chiantla, Guatemala. Photo Credit: Monica Gonzalez In March 2023, a group of five eager F2F volunteers arrived in Huehuetenango (Huehue), Guatemala, with hearts and minds set on combatting food insecurity in a part of the world unknown to them.  Over the next 10 days, this team of experts would consider Huehue, in Guatemala’s Western Highland region, their new home and office. Accompanying them on their mission would be faithful companions and mighty conduits of change: goats.  Communities in this region live at altitudes reaching 10,000 feet above sea level nestled by captivating mountai
Read more

Digital Marketing in Colombia

By -
Image
Digital Marketing is one way that entrepreneurs and producers across the globe can reach new markets and increase sales. But what is digital marketing and how can a small Colombian business use it to maximize the number of people who come across its brand? These are the questions that Zen Naturals was asking itself. Zen Naturals is a natural cosmetic manufacturing company based in Cali, Colombia. Zen Naturals develops natural cosmetics made from exotic ingredients from Colombia’s outstanding biodiversity. Through ethical manufacturing and fair trade practices, they are also taking a leadership role in re-investing in the communities that grow the ingredients used in their products. Currently, Zen Naturals supports more than 95 Colombian quinoa farming communities through Fair-Trade Practices and technical assistance on their production. Zen Naturals is preparing to launch their quinoa facial care products in Whole Foods Markets in the mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. in 2017.
Read more