GCCI promoting smart agriculture through Vertical Kitchen Garden Project

In its continued thrust to promote agriculture and inspire children to love agriculture, the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Green Economy Committee, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, took its Vertical Kitchen Garden Project to the David Rose Special Needs School.
The Project aims to demonstrate the use of recyclables to establish a kitchen garden. The Green Economy Committee used plastic bottles and arranged them against a supporting backdrop to allow for water and soil nutrients conservation when tending to the plants. The Chamber is emphatic in its belief that concrete homes do not preclude anyone from having a kitchen garden.
Vegetables planted were thyme, celery, lettuce and callaloo – the bulk of which were donated by the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI). These plants are all known for their health benefits. Children were also included in the exercise to develop their interest in agriculture.
It is the intention of the Chamber to take its Vertical Kitchen Garden Project to other schools in the new year at the Fourth Form level so as to achieve one of its long-term goals of sustainable agriculture and ensure it continues to nurture young agricultural entrepreneurs. This will run concurrently with the Plant a Tree Initiative which was launched in Agriculture Month of this year.
In a time when the entire world is battling the effects of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), there is no better way to social distance or self-isolate yourself than taking up some kitchen gardening. Apart from those who live in the city, almost all Guyanese have access to a little “extra” land at the back of their homes.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations urges the safeguarding of nutrition during the COVID-19 pandemic by taking up home gardening. This is one way of controlling what is eaten and how food is grown.
The work of the FAO around the world suggests that kitchen gardens can supply up to half of all non-staple food needs, as well as a significant number of vitamins and minerals. This makes them an invaluable tool for food security, particularly for vulnerable families and communities that may already be struggling to meet their nutritional requirements.
Growing vegetables such as callaloo (bhaji) can help families to improve their nutrition by following the food-based dietary guidelines of Guyana which encourage consumption of a healthy and economical mixed diet. It is known that a healthy diet high in fresh foods – vegetables, fruits and staples, such as sweet potatoes and eddoes, will support a healthy immune system, which is especially important during times of stress and contagion. Home gardening is also a valuable form of physical exercise (bending, stretching).
During this time of quarantine and self-isolation, the stress of coping with uncertainty and the “new normal” can be amplified. Beyond physical health, kitchen gardens can also contribute to supporting good mental health, particularly of elderly persons and children by providing them with a productive outlet. Planning, establishing, tending and harvesting kitchen gardens are all activities that keep the mind occupied. These can be done at the pace of the individual to ensure that it does not become stressful or overwhelming.
Starting a kitchen garden is quite easy. First, you would need to identify the spot in which you want to grow your crops. Keep in mind some crops grow better while exposed to direct sunlight while others grow better under shade. So, understanding the crops which you intend to grow is of paramount importance.
After you’ve identified the spot in which you wish to have your home garden, you will forge ahead and prepare the soil. This process may be the toughest since it involves some amount of manual labour. The beds would then be made and the soil prepared by introducing organic manure to aid the growth of the crops.
Then comes the fun part of planting. Either seeds or seedlings can be acquired from the various plant shops and transplanted into the prepared beds. The plants should be watered twice per day and then you can watch the magic happen as they grow so that you can reap.
Bear in mind that you have to ensure that weeds do not infest your beds.
The satisfaction of eating what you’ve grown is incomparable. It is rewarding enough to just see the crops grow to their full potential.
If you have limited space, then you should really think about giving the GCCI’s idea of a vertical kitchen garden a shot.