Donating Seeds (plant material) to Farmers in Haiti?!?

[FlyingFoxFruits]

I have been thinking about the devastation in Haiti, and wondering if we can come together to donate seeds (or plant material)?  I know some of the growers there were depending on cacao and coffee as a crop...I wonder if we can help somehow?


i found this thread from a while ago...

http://tropicalfruitforum.com/index.php?topic=10969.msg140753#msg140753

[Saltcayman]

Great idea Adam.  If we bring in tree seeds or seedlings would be a win/win in Haiti as deforestation is a big problem there.  Of course, some of the worst hit areas were inundated with salt water so I'm not sure what growing conditions are like there.  I think finding a partner there who can help import and cut through red tape would be key.  And of course, to me sure the material reaches the people who need them the most.

Here are a couple of groups there...

http://www.thehaititreeproject.org/

http://www.edenprojects.org/haiti

http://www.haitifundinc.org/the-project/reforestation

[FlyingFoxFruits]

thanks for your encouragement!

I was thinking people might laugh my suggestion off, because now this is probably the least of their worries in Haiti....they need more important things like clean water, doctors, medicine, housing, etc...

but this is the least I can do...i saw some parts of Haiti that were designated for growing cacao and coffee, but now the shade trees are all wiped out, and they might need to consider some alternatives.

I have lots of pitangatuba seed i could donate (which I think would do very well)...but i'm thinking of what else could be donated?? or how we can help from a tropical fruit growing perspective??

Great idea Adam.  If we bring in tree seeds or seedlings would be a win/win in Haiti as deforestation is a big problem there.  Of course, some of the worst hit areas were inundated with salt water so I'm not sure what growing conditions are like there.  I think finding a partner there who can help import and cut through red tape would be key.  And of course, to me sure the material reaches the people who need them the most.

Here are a couple of groups there...

http://www.thehaititreeproject.org/

http://www.edenprojects.org/haiti

http://www.haitifundinc.org/the-project/reforestation

[nullzero]

I believe echo, echonet.org works in Haiti. May be able to talk to there staff and donate fresh seeds.

[FlyingFoxFruits]

I believe echo, echonet.org works in Haiti. May be able to talk to there staff and donate fresh seeds.

will try to call them next week, thanks for the lead!

I wonder if dragon fruit cuttings would help over there?

[nullzero]

I believe echo, echonet.org works in Haiti. May be able to talk to there staff and donate fresh seeds.

will try to call them next week, thanks for the lead!

I wonder if dragon fruit cuttings would help over there?

I think dragon fruit would be low yield for effort. Considering simple trellis material would be hard to come by.

I think what they need is cassava, sweet potatoes, tropically adapted potatoes, moringa, and other edible plants that thrive on neglect and provide high nutrients and calories.

Some of the Eugenia's may be good, like Surinam cherries, pitangatuba, may be good choices.

[simon_grow]

Noni is supposed to thrive in salty conditions and can survive drought. I don't have any seeds but perhaps someone reading this does.

Simon

[Sam]

This is a great idea Adam. One of the problems would be getting trees that can give fruit in a short space of time. The other might be diet - they like plantains,  sweet potato, cassava, breadfruit, yams.....

[Saltcayman]

 

List of salt-tolerant fruit trees that perform well on the high pH, and very salty soil
on La Gonave island in Haiti.
 
Common Name               Scientific Name   Notes
Barbados Cherry   Malpighia glabra   somewhat salt tolerant
Canistel   Pouteria campechiana   tolerates poor soil (may even fruit better on thin soils)
Coconut        Cocos nucifera   grows on sandy beaches, flooded marshes, very salt tolerant
Cranberry Hibiscus         Hibiscus acetosella   does well in sandy soil
Date Palm       
Fig       Ficus carica   moderately tolerant
Guava   Psidium guajava   can be grown successfully in wet and moderately saline soils
Imbe            livingstoneii   drought tolerant
Indian   Jujube.        Ziziphus mauritania   mild-high salinity, frost hardy and drought tolerant; can be planted on sand dunes
Key Lime          Citrus aurantifolia   very cold sensitive
Papaya.          Capaya parica   surprisingly papaya does well there, though papaya is considered salt-intolerant
Prickly Pear   Opuntia spp.   well adapted to coastal areas where salt and pH are typically high
Sapodilla.        Manilkara zapota   can irrigate with brackish water on sandy soils
Sour Orange       
Spanish Lime       
Tamarind.         Tamarindus indica   very salt tolerant, and can withstand salt spray

[palologrower]

Idk about salt tolerance but ice cream beam may be good to get nitrogen in the ground?

[huertasurbanas]

Noni is supposed to thrive in salty conditions and can survive drought. I don't have any seeds but perhaps someone reading this does.

Simon

Natal plum?

[simon_grow]

Noni is supposed to thrive in salty conditions and can survive drought. I don't have any seeds but perhaps someone reading this does.

Simon

Natal plum?

I was thinking of Morinda Citrifolia. It's a nasty smelling and tasting fruit with good source of vitamins and minerals.
Simon

[Saltcayman]

Interesting.  This is an Associated Press photo caption...

In this Oct. 10, 2016 photo, banana and coconut trees are bent and broken along a southern coast road near the town of Roche-a-Bateau, Haiti, left behind by Hurricane Matthew. Re-planting vegetable crops can be done relatively quickly and rice fields begin to recover as floodwaters recede, but the loss of mature fruit trees that families nurtured for a generation is a staggering blow.

[Orkine]

Is there some way of making sure that diseases or pests are not exported?

[pineislander]

There is a US ministry group which has been working to send thousands of breadfruit to Haiti in the past. I saw a youtube video. Try searching Haiti breadfruit. They could probably arrange shipment and distribution.

[greenman62]

great idea.
i have tons of papaya and guava seed
a couple dozen starfruit and moringa also.

i was thinking moringa grows fast, and is healthy.
sweet potato,  cassava like Nullz said... they are high in calories and grow fast.
i have some taro, but not much.

Fig , banana, loquat... grow easy, lots of fruit and calories per tree.
banana might be a problem in shipping, and seeds dont grow readily.


I remember reading about the BioDome
they had said banana, fig, and sweet potato were the best producers
most bang-for-the buck.

maybe nut trees also ?

which reminds me
THere are already programs underway
ive been tracking the "Maya Nut" program
http://mayanutinstitute.org/programs/reforestation/


also, this one...
http://www.thehaititreeproject.org/new-page/