GREENLIGHT

ECTAD NEWSLETTER ISSUE NO. 09

ECTAD continues its quest toward a healthier,

wealthier nation!

ECTAD’S TEAM WORKING TOGETHER TO This issue will focus on:

CREATE AWARENESS Evaluation of ECTAD’s pilot project and activities,
and assessing their overall impact, in order to pave the
way towards a possible continuation of these activities
The Eastern Caribbean Trading Agriculture
and Development Organization (ECTAD) has
been working tirelessly with its strong core of
Creation of home gardens and their relevant
importance to everyone involved.
volunteers to support agriculture development in St.
Vincent and the Grenadines, and its important
connection to health and nutrition. Farmers from Taking actions in support of ‘the wellness
every corner of the country have been gathering at revolution’ in our communities and our country
different points of contact to show support to and
participate in this effort. Many persons are now more
health conscious and better aware of the importance
Achieving successes in opportunities geared at
development of agriculture, health and wealth of our
of good health and its relation to agriculture. School nation.
children are now showing interest in vegetable
gardening and many have indicated that they are now
eating fruits and vegetables. Adults who once thought Dedication of ECTAD’S farmers, and their
it easier to eat canned or processed foods are now willingness to make rural agriculture and their
looking to fresh produce to help with the many communities stronger and more developed for future
ailments affecting them and their family members. generations
 Newsletter Team
Editorial

Miss Sustang Fergus: Research Coordinator

Dear Readers

Once more we bring to you another exciting issue of

our Greenlight Newsletter, issue number 9.

In this issue, we introduce you to the new faces at

ECTAD, and take you on a health drive, as we deal
with the issues affecting agriculture in St. Vincent.
You’ll see all the exciting events happening here, as
we lay them out on these pages just for you.

At ECTAD, we enjoy the thrill of new ideas and

Mr. Jeffrey Trotman : Communication Advisor
events and more so, we look forward with great
anticipation to your reactions as we aim to fulfill
your expectations as readers and contributors.

With each issue of our Greenlight Newsletters, we

enjoy the feedback and advice we receive from you
and look forward to continuous upgrade with each
moment of time we spend on each issue.

We will continue our work in development with

great satisfaction and look forward to a brighter
future; we expect to see you there.

Enjoy!
Mr. Monty Roberts: Director/Farmer
Pethion Greene

GREENLIGHT #9 | 2
ECTAD
ECTAD receives high level attention
As ECTAD forges ahead with its advocacy program of Linking Agriculture to Health and
Nutrition, it has been receiving close attention and cooperation not only from government
agencies but also regional and international organizations that have vested interest in improving
health and nutrition worldwide.

Mr. Heiko Bammann a

representative from the Rome
based United Nations Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO),
visited ECTAD on July 15 and
held informal discussions with
ECTAD’s Chief Coordinator, and
told about a stint he had just
completed in the South Pacific.
He said he is now in the Eastern
Caribbean to observe possibilities
for FAO to assist the region in
building capacity for trading in
Mr. Heiko Bamman Enterprise Development Officer of FAO meets with Mr. Greene agricultural produce.

Mr. Greene, in expressing appreciation for the visit, informed Mr. Bammann of the various initiatives
being undertaken by ECTAD to build capacity among rural farmers, not only in St. Vincent but
across the Caribbean.

Less than a month later, ECTAD hosted Dr. Ronald

Gordon, an IICA Consultant, who was on a two-day
visit to St. Vincent to meet with stakeholders in a
survey to determine the level of the country’s
propensity for food security.

Dr. Gordon was accompanied by IICA’s

representative in St. Vincent, Mr. Philmore Isaacs,
who said IICA is spearheading regional research into
food security, for which Dr. Gordon was contracted.

Mr. Isaacs said that for years, Dr. Gordon almost

singlehandedly ran the CARICOM Agricultural Desk,
compiling the basic information, which now forms
part of what is called ‘The Jagdeo Initiative’. Dr.
Gordon disclosed that his mandate, during his brief
visit to St. Vincent, included having dialogue with
hoteliers, restaurateurs and farmers’ organizations.

Dr. Ronald Gordon, Consultant IICA

3 | GREENLIGHT #9
 Arnold Bobb “A dedicated
dedicated farmer”
farmer”
Bobb said that his younger son, who like
Kenroy is in his mid twenties, also assists
him at his farm whenever he returns from
Tortola, where he currently resides.

The dedicated farmer employs three persons

to assist him in keeping the weeds off his
crops and to harvest them.

Bobb has been one of the more dedicated

Arnold Bobb in his Dasheen field
Arnold Bobb has been farming for over
twenty years. He started out planting
bananas in a time when the fruit was still
regarded as “green gold” in the Windward
Islands. But with the gradual demise of the
banana industry, Mr. Arnold Bobb found
himself diversifying his cultivation.
members of ECTAD and is grateful for the
assistance the organization has given him
in terms of marketing his produce and to
develop a more businesslike approach to
farming.
Although, he has risen admirably to the
challenges, Bobb has expressed concern at
the ongoing increases in the price of
agricultural inputs such as fertilizers and
the scarcity of seeds.

Today, he cultivates over ten acres in

Richland Park. He concentrates mainly on
dasheen but also engages in some mixed
planting with cabbage and tomatoes
mingled with the dasheen plants.

Bobb, who has raised two sons and are now

grown men, is adamant that farming is a
worthwhile vocation. He proudly stated that
he is the father of Windward Islands and
former West Indies ‘under 19’ left arm
pacer, Kenroy Peters. Greene and Bobb examines a sample of dasheen

He also disclosed that Kenroy would assist

him on his farm whenever he is home in St.
Vincent after his professional stints in
England and Trinidad.

GREENLIGHT #9 | 4
 Successful ‘pilot project’ workshops
The four strategy and sensitization planning
workshops held by ECTAD as part of its nine
month pilot project, ‘Linking Agriculture to
Health and Nutrition”, were described as very
successful by ECTAD’s communications
consultant, Jeff Trotman.
During his evaluation of the pilot project at a
one day workshop on August 6, to assess the
effectiveness of the just concluded pilot
program, Trotman said the four Strategy and
Sensitization workshops achieved what which
was intended and more. “Rather than just
informing farmers and the general public
about the benefits of eating healthy and
purchasing locally produced foods, the
workshops went a bit further by attempting to
bridge the generation gap with a high
percentage of participants being school
children and young adults.”
The workshops also served to reinforce and
strengthen cooperation between ECTAD and
the Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and
Fisheries, the Ministry Health and the
Environment, the St. Vincent and the
Grenadines Chamber of Industry and
Commerce (SVGCIC) and the Caribbean
Agricultural Research and Development
Institute (CARDI).
The Strategy and Sensitization workshops
were held throughout four zones in St.
Vincent including North Leeward,
South/Central Leeward, South Windward and
North Leeward and catered for persons within
the surrounding communities.
The workshop had full participation from over
200 community members who were eager to
learn about living healthy lifestyles through
eating healthily, exercising regularly and
growing foods
that can be used
to compliment
their new healthy
lifestyles.

ECTAD encour-
aged the partici-
pants to grow
their own foods
in small back-
yard gardens.
ECTAD distri-
buted vegetable
seeds towards
contributing to
this effort.

A section of the participants at one of ECTAD workshops

5 | GREENLIGHT #9
 Chamber’s ED speaks of the importance of
eating right
Mr. Lennox Lampkin, better than these oils. Virgin
Executive Director of the coconut oil today sells in the US for
St. Vincent and the US$175 per gallon and here we are
Grenadines Chamber of importing corn oil”.
Industry and Commerce
(SVGCIC), in his featured Criticizing the upsurge in canned
address at one of ECTAD’s foods and imported chicken and
workshops, highlighted salted codfish, Mr. Lampkin said:
the movement away from “We need to focus once again on
traditional farming. He our own foods, reduce the
pointed out that he was importation of meat that is often
from the North Leeward packed with growth hormones,
Area (Rose Hall) and that antibiotics and other
his father was one of the contaminants. Go back to using
first carrot farmers in manure; reduce the import of
Rose Hall and that he also chemicals so that crayfish could
planted beet, radish, Lennox Lampkin, ED, SVGCIC once again flourish in our rivers
cauliflower and onions. and our marine life could thrive at
the mouth of the rivers,” he suggested. “We must also
He recalled root crops from the North Leeward learn to use local fruits and vegetables instead of
Area being exported to Trinidad via traffickers imported fruits and vegetables.
and that there were several active 4-H Clubs
in the area before he left St. Vincent in 1976 He also stated that sorrel should not only be used in
and migrated to Europe. He said that since December since it could be dried in the sun and sold all
his returned to St. Vincent two years earlier, year. “Added with ginger or lemon grass, it could make
he has focused at the Chamber of Commerce great tea. Why
on environmental issues such as food and are we importing
energy. Additionally, he has been a strong tea? Sorrel is rich
advocate for the reduction of chemicals in in calcium and
agriculture. iron, the same
thing goes for
“For too long we have developed the bad habits of pigeon peas.
developed countries and over use chemicals in
agriculture/farms,” he bemoaned as he stated that the Mr. Lampkin
trend is being reduced in the USA and Europe. He also called for
said that he was glad when Mr. Jethro Greene joined more street
the Chamber of Industry and Commerce about two markets in the rural areas for farmers to become more
years ago and mentioned that ECTAD would focus on involved in direct marketing of their produce to
encouraging people to eat local foods. consumers. Noting that the work shop is intended to
highlight proper nutritional value from food and to
Pointing to the demise of the local coconut industry, Mr. identify the type of local foodstuff that should be eaten,
Lampkin said: “Remember when doctors told us that he said that non communicable diseases cause %50 –
coconut oil was bad? Today the coconut industry has 60 of the deaths in the country.
gone to the dogs and we import corn and soya oil from
the US only to discover that coconut oil is actually far

GREENLIGHT #9 | 6
 “Enough talk about wellness, It’s time for action”
Chief Coordinator ECTAD, Jethro Greene
Chief Coordinator of ECTAD, Mr. Jethro
Greene, in a brief address said, that even
before, the pilot project, ‘Linking Agriculture
to Health and Nutrition’ was launched in
September; persons in the agricultural field
had been trying to impress policy makers and
their advisors about the importance of
agriculture.
He said that developed countries ensure their
food security by subsidizing their agricultural
production. He said Grenada followed the
advice of external sources and de-emphasized
agriculture only to find that when Hurricane
Ivan hit the state, people had money but had
to go hungry because foodstuff was not
available.
Referring to ‘the Wellness Revolution’ that is
being pushed by Prime Minister Dr. Ralph
Gonsalves and his administration, Greene
said that it is good that the politicians have
come on board, but they are targeting
cigarettes and alcohol while over fifty per cent
of the people who suffer from non
communicable diseases do not smoke and
drink.
“I give these examples to show that ECTAD
has been promoting linking agriculture with
health, with tourism, with agro processing as
a fundamental part of our national security.
“And, finally, without admitting it, the policy
makers and the politicians are on board, we
are happy they are on board.”
He however, said that it would take a lot more
to revive agriculture because of the negative
stigma that has been attached to the regular
agriculture program. Greene added that he is
not worried about whether young people
would go into farming because he knows that
if it is profitable enough they would engage in
agriculture as is being done in marijuana
production in the Hills.
He said the workshops are important to
identify leaders and potential persons, who
can get the message across. He said because
of its advocacy work, ECTAD has been asked
to coordinate the whole Caribbean farmers’
network including the Jamaica Agricultural
Society, which has over 200,000 members.
Greene ended his address by stating:
“Everyone present here today must become
converted to the fact that we are in a nutrition
revolution – we are in a health revolution. We
must not only hear words of wellness but we
must do the practical action of it including
growing a few tomato and cabbage plants.”
He promised that ECTAD would approach the
Chamber of Commerce with a proposal to
start an island wide backyard gardening
competition.
7 | GREENLIGHT #9
 Nutritionist speaks out against the high number of
Vincentians suffering from CNCDs
Mrs. Terry Regis, Nutritionist from the Food diabetics are expected to die from heart
and Nutrition Unit of the Ministry of Health disease and stroke and fifty per cent develop
and the Environment, spoke at length on the eye disease. Ten to twenty-one per cent
Nine Dietary Guidelines that have been develop kidney disease. Sixty to seventy per
developed in 2006 by the Nutrition cent suffer nerve damage and are fifteen to
Department of the Health Ministry. She said forty times at risk for leg amputation. In
it is good that people are increasingly 2003, 78.6% of all amputations at the
becoming aware of nutrition and good health. hospital were due to a diagnosis of diabetes.”
She highlighted the startling information that
the chronic nutrition related non
communicable diseases such diabetes,
obesity and hypertension, stroke, heart
disease and certain types of cancer, chronic
and respiratory diseases account for 60% of
the 58 million deaths around the world in
2005.

“These are things that can rob people of their

lives, rob them of productive years, rob them
of just being around with their family for a
good long time,” Mrs. Regis said, pointing out
that CNCDs are the main causes of death in
St. Vincent and the Grenadines with an
estimated 8,000 persons suffering from
diabetes. “One in every thirteen persons over
the age of thirty five has diabetes,” she said.

The nutritionist further disclosed that 14,000

Vincentians suffer from hypertension. She
said that hypertension and diabetes have
been on the rise for the past five years and
they are continuing to increase even among
younger people. She said even children are at
risk for ‘type two diabetes’, the risk factor is
obesity, and this is based on what they eat.
She said that she is scared because she sees
a number of obese children even at the
kindergarten level.
She continued with the daunting information:
“So, one in every six persons in our country
suffers from hypertension. Eighty per cent of
Referring to the country’s population of
110,000, Mrs. Regis said too many people are
suffering from nutrition related diseases that
can be prevented. According to her,
inexpensive and cost effective interventions
can prevent 80% of the heart disease, stroke
and type two diabetes and forty per cent of
cancer.
“An unbalanced diet and physical inactivity
are important risk factors in the cause of
these diseases and there is strong scientific
evidence that a healthy diet and sufficient
physical activity play an important role in the
prevention of chronic diseases.

GREENLIGHT #9 | 8
“It was because of these problems in our
region the Food and Agricultural
Organization (FAO) consented to sponsor
and fund food based dietary guidelines in
four Windward Islands based countries – St.
Lucia, Dominica, Grenada and St. Vincent
and the Grenadines. We did some surveys
and we canvassed people throughout St.
Vincent and the Grenadines and we found out
that there was a lot of fat being used, a lot of
salt being used, sugar, fried food, fast food,
and a lot of people were not using high fibre
food.”
Mrs. Regis said that a lot of Vincentians
derogatorily call high fibre food, ‘hog food’.
“The foods that are high in fibre are the roots
and tubers that we grow here in St. Vincent –
sweet potatoes, yams, cassavas, dasheen,
Tania, eddoes.” She also explained that local
high fibre foods that grow above the ground
include breadfruit and green banana and
other foods of the banana family.”
She pointed to farmers vending their produce
then taking the proceeds to purchase white
rice and cook it with chicken or chicken back
and rejoice at having ‘a belly full’, which is not
healthy.
“You don’t eat to get a belly full,” Mrs. Regis
said admonishingly. “You eat for health.
Anything you eat should be nourishing to
your body because you are responsible for
these bodies because God is going to hold you
responsible for them. He said so in the Bible.
Your body is His Temple and you should take
care of them. If you don’t, He will destroy you,
you are what you eat. So, if you eat garbage,
that’s what you are. So this is our dietary
guideline. Now we have nine of them.”
Pamphlets and posters of the Nine Dietary
Guidelines were distributed to participants.
The guidelines consist of the various food
groups placed in recommended proportion in
which they should be eaten on a breadfruit
plate.
According to Mrs. Regis, the breadfruit was
overwhelmingly selected by Vincentians who
were asked what they would like to see their
food displayed on as replacement for the pie
chart. They said the breadfruit is the national
food and they love it.
She stressed that one should eat a variety of
food to get a balanced diet but the majority of
food should come from staples because they
are high in fibre and nutritious to the body.
She recalled her childhood days, eating the
sweet potatoes her grandmother planted on a
bank in the sand on Union Island. She said
that Union Island did not have bananas or
any of the other ‘hard food’ that is grown in
St. Vincent. “They sweat the sweet potatoes
and they got sprat and they had cassava and
they made farine and cassava bread.”
She claimed that nine year old girls need
brassieres nowadays because the chemicals
that are used to make the chicken grow
quickly “are bloating up our children and
making them grow before their time”. She
also opined that contemporary parents allow
their children to dictate to them and the TV
plays a major role in that dictation.
Consequently, there should be more local
television advertisements promoting
nutritious foods with children to influence
more children into gravitating towards
nutritious food.
9 | GREENLIGHT #9
 Project evaluation
evaluation workshop
On Wednesday 6th launching of the
August 2008, project and through
ECTAD hosted a hearing the jingles
‘Project Evaluation and other radio and
workshop’ with television program
the intention of put on by ECTAD
reviewing and articles carried
activities carried in the newspapers.
out under its pilot
project “ICM Skills The representative
to Enhance from the Ministry of
Linkages between Agriculture did slide
Agriculture, shows outlining
Health and different aspect of
Nutrition”, to food security issues,
assess their overall with the
impact and pave A section of participants a the one day workshop representative of the
the way towards Greene Nutrition Unit
continuation of the activities. explaining the dietary guidelines and their
importance.
The workshop gave ECTAD the opportunity to
highlight which activities were undertaken Some of the main recommendations coming
successfully under the project and to launch out of this workshop include:
its series of publications.
Local food, fruits & vegetables prepared
in culinary styles in our hotels and
Over fifty persons including farmers, teachers restaurant.
and young people from the rural areas of the
Promotion of agriculture in schools,
country attended along with representatives and encourage young people into
from the Media Houses, CARDI, SVG business farming
Chamber of Industry and Commerce, the
Promotion of home gardening and
Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Health, healthy agro processing.
Nutrition Unit and the Ministry of Education.
Crop production planning linking into
marketing.
Participation in the workshop activities were
Need for production of small
extremely high as persons from the different ruminants.
areas shared their experiences, asked
questions and took notes. Observations of the pilot project have shown
that the people are now getting involved in the
Many persons explained about the different promotion and utilization of local root crops,
small projects that they have been doing since fruits and vegetables and home gardening.
the launching of the pilot project in This is just a small step towards achievement
September 2007. They related information of a greater objective which would need the
about the positive things they have been collaboration of both the public and private
doing to support all they learnt during the sectors. ECTAD will work towards this.

GREENLIGHT #9 | 10
 Young Canadian students join ECTAD team of
volunteers
The Eastern Caribbean Trading Agricultural
and Development Organization (ECTAD) is
benefitting from the contribution of two
young Canadians.

Laird Herbert and Paula Hearn arrived in

the country on 21st July on a six month
attachment with ECTAD as part of the
COADY International Youth in Partnership
Program, which is funded by the Canadian
International Development Agency (CIDA).

Herbert, who is from British Colombia, did a

four year undergraduate program on global
studies, including international relations
and politics.

He wants to become a farmer and he feels

that his six-month stint in St. Vincent,
doing rural development work with a
farmers’ organizations such as ECTAD Laird Herbert
would stand him in good stead when he
pursues his ambition to become a farmer.

Meanwhile, Hearn, who hails from just

outside of Toronto – one of Canada’s larger
cities - said that she was attracted to the
COADY program because of its excellent
training sessions and high level internship.

She attended one of the best agricultural

schools in Canada, the University of
Guelph, where she studied international
development with an emphasis on rural and
agricultural development.

She is especially taken in by the warmth

and friendliness of the Vincentian people
and she particularly likes “the unusual
experience of travelling on the mini buses”
here. Paula Hearn

11 | GREENLIGHT #9
 ECTAD launches publications
As part of its on-going exercise of building
capacity amongst rural agricultural farmers
and in keeping with its advocacy of linking
agriculture to health and nutrition, the
Eastern Caribbean Trading Agriculture and
Development Organisation (ECTAD) has
published a number of publications.
The publications were launched during the
project evaluation exercise of the nine month
pilot project, “Linking Agriculture to Health
and Nutrition”, which was held at the Peace
Memorial Hall on Wednesday 6 August 2008.
On display were publications written by a
core of ECTAD volunteers. They included the
ECTAD’s Greenlight Newsletters, which has
been running since June 2002.
GREENLIGHT #9 | 12
The display of publications featured a
‘Resource Booklet – Boosting Longevity,
Fighting with Food’ a timely guide on foods for
health, wealth and development in the multi
island state of St. Vincent and the
Grenadines.
‘Living Healthy Eating Right – A Simple
Nutritional Guide’ was another resource
booklet along with pamphlets that were
featured at the launching exercise.
During the exercise Pethion Greene donated
copies of ECTAD’s publications to
representatives of Primary Schools and
Resource Centers.
Pethion Greene donates health pamphlet to these appreciative Children!

The spearhead of ECTAD’s

publications, Pethion Greene,
speaks with other facilitators
in front the publications
display at the one day
evaluation workshop.

13 | GREENLIGHT #9
 “Home Gardening gives me pleasure” says Monty
Roberts
Roberts
Most people refer to it as Backyard
Gardening; I like to call it "Home Gardening",
because I practice it all around my home. To
me, there is no other activity practiced
around the home that gives me the most
satisfaction than home gardening.
Believe me, you don’t need to have land space
and fertile soil around the home, this will not
deter one from practicing home gardening.
You can use empty containers and fill them
with soil, utilizing the peels and waste from
kitchen, as fertilizer for the home garden.

Here are some of the benefits of a home

garden.

Makes one feel closer to nature

It supplies a regular fresh health

supply of nutritious fruits and
vegetables and even on a smaller
scale some root crops

It reduces one's food bill

drastically

It could bring one a lot of pride, joy Monty Roberts in his home garden
and satisfaction

It supplements income One does not have to allocate or ever cut or

It improves the aesthetic beauty of
the home environment

It increases the value of your
property

It provides shade and cooling
during hot days

It enables one to improve their
knowledge in agriculture.
adjust working hours to practice home
gardening. All you need is a half an hour in
the morning attending to the plants, which
sets the tone for a good days work, and there
is nothing like a half hour in the evening to
help you relax and wind down after a long
day’s work. Personally, I do not consider
home gardening to be work; it is more fun
and relaxing than work.
I appeal to all the readers to start a home
garden today. I guarantee you that once you
get started you are going to increasingly enjoy
it, while at the same time fostering greater
family unity.

GREENLIGHT #9 | 14
 Green Alert
ECTAD to take part in National
Agriculture and Agro based industrial
exhibition
On October 8th to12th, ECTAD will participate
in the National Agriculture and Agro-based
Industrial Exhibition at the St. Vincent and the
Grenadines Boys Grammar School Playing
field in Kingstown.
ECTAD, along with many other agriculture
and agro-based organizations, will showcase
their many activities, crops, fruits and
vegetables.
This venture will be hosted by the Ministry of
Agriculture, Land and fisheries and is expected
to be great.
Marketing still ongoing
ECTAD’S Farmers are still doing well in their
marketing of Dasheen to the United Kingdom.
Their efforts are still strong and their
community spirit and togetherness are
inspirational to other farmers throughout the
country.
Mr. Jethro Greene, Chief Coordinator of
ECTAD says while ECTAD has been receiving
increased competition by private traffickers
and other organizations, ECTAD’S farmers
have not given up, they are going strong and
supporting each other in marketing.
He states that with the way the farmers have
empowered themselves, they are confident that
they can and will continue to succeed in their
marketing ventures.
Development of an ECTAD farmers’
booklet
ECTAD is in the process of developing a
Farmers’ booklet that would feature farmers
groups throughout St. Vincent and the
Grenadines.
The booklet will focus on each group and the
activities that are being done to develop rural
agriculture.
It will also focus on the youths in each area
and their specific needs, for example, literacy,
computer training, self development training
and other programs that will help to enhance
their skills and foster their abilities.
Each group and village leaders will have the
opportunity to voice their opinions, concerns
and plans for their community development.
ECTAD reports success
Jethro Greene is satisfied with the success of
the pilot project, “Linking Agriculture to
Health and Nutrition”.
Greene said that since the nine-month project
was launched in September 2007, there has
been a series of newspaper articles, aimed at
sensitizing Vincentian to purchasing local
fruits and vegetables for healthy eating and
enhancing the wealth of rural farmers.
He now urges everyone to stop talking about
wellness, and to start living well, by eating
right by utilizing the country’s local food
production.
15 | GREENLIGHT #9
 WORD PUZZLE
P O B A G E F G E V S S O P C T L K I E G A B B
U B N S N O T T U M L E H S A D S P G M S A V U
I R N S C I O C O R R E A O S B B A D A O L O O
L E P M A A Y B G P N L O K S T S S O N P L V U
H A M N A U L M L U N L T C A T E L O G S E E W
F D O W P G H I O O A O T G V P L C L O G T A M
O F A V A U G D R L T V E G A A B C O E R T H A
O R V E P W A L L T T B R B L W T E L S E A C Y
R U R S Q T k A G N O N E A L P E T T Z R D U N
J I A O D A C O V A F Y Z X I A G O O O J F P G
H T H P H O A T R I N U I H C W E L R Q B L L I
A T T J C I B G O O R O L K J C V R R B W T A O
R T C U C L B E B Y A N I A B B E G A V A E N N
V A A K M P A O M H N C T T S S A L C U T I T T
E S E L B N G H A T G E R W A Z L P C J E R I V
S N W A L L E E N S L H E G V G L T S C R R N B
P I V F R U I U T E K A F H U U I R H E R I G G
T M G N I W O S I V R M X L S V A R O H E A T N
R A H G A O B C V R T A F R P A A M R M E D I I
E T A V U A G N B A O N R O O I D R O I D I S U
F I T N G B T E E H O G A B B N L I G N A V L L
I V C A V O M P S A P K W O S G A W A T E A A R
Z R A O O L L D S E E E D S Y S U J O N R T T L
E W P L B R I S E L B A T E G E V F Y N V E G E

WORDS
1. Avocado 8. Fertilizer 15. Planting
2. Breadfruit 9. Guava 16. Seeds.
3. Cabbage 10. Harvest 17. Vegetables
4. Callaloo 11. Irrigation 18. Vitamins
5. Carrot 12. Mangoes 19. Water
6. Cassava 13. Mutton 20. Yam
7. Dasheen 14. Pawpaw

GREENLIGHT #9 | 16
 LOCAL RECIPE
Avocado and Papaya Salad
2 large avocados.
1 small papaya fruit.
1 ruby red grapefruit.
1 small head of lettuce.
2 tablespoons of olive oil.
1 tablespoon of lemon juice.
Salt and black pepper, to taste.
Peel the avocados and the papaya, and then
remove the pits and seeds. Cut the fruit
into one inch pieces & mix them together.
Using a sharp knife, peel the grapefruit,
then segment it, removing the thin
membrane from each of the segments.
Cut the segments in half then add to the
fruit mixture. Wash the lettuce and break
into leaves.
Place the leaves on a platter and put fruit
mixture on top of them. Whisk the olive oil,
lemon juice, salt & pepper together to
produce the dressing.
Drizzle the dressing over the salad.
Serve.
Orange Salsa
2 large oranges peeled and cubed.
1 tomato seeded and cubed.
½ jalapeno chili, minced.
½ cup of red onion, minced.
1 tablespoon of fresh cilantro.
1 teaspoon orange peel, grated.
1 teaspoon ginger root, minced.
1 teaspoon garlic, minced.
Pinch of salt.
Combine all of the ingredients, except the
cilantro, in a bowl.
Place in a refrigerator for 30 minutes, until
chilled.
Stir in the cilantro and serve as desired.
Cabbage and Garlic Soup
8 cups of chicken stock.
6 cups of shredded savoy cabbage.
1 cup of long-grain white rice.
3 tablespoons of minced garlic.
1 teaspoon of freshly-ground black pepper.
Salt, to taste.
6 croutons.
2 tablespoons of minced parsley, to garnish
with.
In a medium-sized saucepan, combine the
garlic, 2 cups of chicken stock and rice.
Bring to a boil over moderate heat; cover,
and then reduce heat to maintain a simmer,
and cook for 20 minutes.
Transfer to a blender or food processor;
then add 4 cups of the stock and blend.
Return to saucepan; add remaining 2 cups
stock and cabbage. Simmer for 15 minutes
over low heat. Add freshly ground black
pepper and salt.
Place croutons in individual soup bowls and
ladle soup over. Garnish with parsley and
serve.
17 | GREENLIGHT #9
 FARMERS’ CORNER
Q
Legumes such as pigeon peas, aside from fixing nitrogen in
the soil, are often touted as some of the best nutrition
around. What are the health benefits of eating beans such
as pigeon peas?

Legumes are one of the best sources of soluble fiber, and an

Q addition, dried beans and peas are generally good sources of iron.
Tomatoes are known to contain lycopene, which is a
strong antioxidant. What are the health benefits of
tomatoes?
excellent source of protein. They are low in fat and high in good
quality protein. The soluble fiber in beans helps lower levels of
damaging LDL cholesterol in the blood, thus lowering heart-
disease risk. Soluble fiber maintains blood glucose levels, which is
especially valuable to people with diabetes.
Legumes are also rich in folic acid, copper, iron, and magnesium --
four nutrients many of us could use more of in our diets. In
In addition, when eaten with a whole grain such as rice, beans
provide complete protein, which is particularly useful for a
vegetarian diet, or in order to reduce cholesterol.

A
Tomatoes contain large amounts of vitamin C, providing 40 % of
the daily value. The red pigment contained in the tomatoes is
Lycopene. Lycopene is one of the strongest antioxidants and it is
very beneficial in neutralizing free radicals.It is also very beneficial
to the health of the heart, prostate and pancreas. Study shows
that men, who consumed ten tomatoes per week, reduced their
chances of developing prostate cancer by 40%. Other studies
indicated that people who consumed more than seven servings of
raw tomatoes lowered their risk of developing stomach, rectal or
colon cancers by sixty percent. Research also indicated that the
lycopene in tomatoes can help older people stay active longer.
P O B A G E F G E V S S O P C T L K I E G A B B
U B N S N O T T U M L E H S A D S P G M S A V U
I R N S C I O C O R R E A O S B B A D A O L O O
L E P M A A Y B G P N L O K S T S S O N P L V U
H A M N A U L M L U N L T C A T E L O G S E E W
F D O W P G H I O O A O T G V P L C L O G T A M
O F A V A U G D R L T V E G A A B C O E R T H A
O R V E P W A L L T T B R B L W T E L S E A C Y
R U R S Q T k A G N O N E A L P E T T Z R D U N
J I A O D A C O V A F Y Z X I A G O O O J F P G
H T H P H O A T R I N U I H C W E L R Q B L L I
A T T J C I B G O O R O L K J C V R R B W T A O
R T C U C L B E B Y A N I A B B E G A V A E N N
V A A K M P A O M H N C T T S S A L C U T I T T
E S E L B N G H A T G E R W A Z L P C J E R I V
S N W A L L E E N S L H E G V G L T S C R R N B
P I V F R U I U T E K A F H U U I R H E R I G G
T M G N I W O S I V R M X L S V A R O H E A T N
R A H G A O B C V R T A F R P A A M R M E D I I
E T A V U A G N B A O N R O O I D R O I D I S U
F I T N G B T E E H O G A B B N L I G N A V L L
I V C A V O M P S A P K W O S G A W A T E A A R
Z R A O O L L D S E E E D S Y S U J O N R T T L
E W P L B R I S E L B A T E G E V F Y N V E G E
Answer s to Puzz

GREENLIGHT #9 | 18
ECTAD Executive Volunteers Area Representatives
Chief Coordinator: Jethro T. Greene
Administrative Officer: Nyasha Durrant
Accounts Manager: Pethion Richards
North Windward
Technical Project Officer: Telojo Onu
Fancy Juney Baptiste
Information/Media
Communications: Jeff Trotman
Owia Avalou Baptiste,
Agricultural Resource
Deon Osment
Management Specialist: Candice Ramessar
Agriculture and
Georgetown Vanda Lewis
Communications: Winston George
Research Assistant: Sustang Fergus
Office Assistant: Ronalia Jackson
Coady Institute Intern Paula Hearn
Coady Institute Intern Laird Herbert South Windward

Greggs Vanessa Joseph,

ECTAD Directors
Billidorn Haywood
Chairman: Jethro T. Greene
Deputy Chairman: James Clarke Richland Park Carmel Williams
Director: Telojo Onu Rebecca Peters
Director: Pethion Richards
Director: Nyasha Durrant Diamond Village Valcina Fergus
Director –Leeward: Norgie Tucker Totsie Douglas
Director - Diamonds Village: Valcina Fergus
Director -Richland Park Rebecca Peters
Director - Rose Hall Francilo Wyllie
Director – Georgetown: Vanda Lewis South Leeward
Director - Spring Village Maria Porter
Director: Windward Billidorn Haywood Vermont Keisha Malcolm
Director: Greggs Vanessa Joseph James Clarke
Director: Vermont Keisha Malcolm
Penniston Princina Mitchel
Collaborating Partners
Retreat Louise Charles
• Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural
Cooperation (CTA) (ACP-EU) Barroullie Cherly Smith,
• Caribbean Farmers Network (CaFAN) Sydney Joseph
• Caribbean Agriculture Research and Development
Institute (CARDI)
Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on
Agriculture (IICA) North Leeward
• Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries,
Windward Island Farmers Association (WINFA) Spring Village Miranda Porter
• Oxfam GB (Barbados) Marleen Ashton
• Grenada Marketing and National Import Board
(GMNIB) Chateaubelair Norgie Tucker
• St. Lucia Association of Farmers Cooperatives Pat Ottley
(SLAOFC)
• National Development Foundation (NDF) Rose Hall Nicole Morris
• SVG Chamber of Industry and Commerce
(SVGCIC)
The Eastern Caribbean Trading Agriculture Development Organization (ECTAD) is a
registered non-profit farmers' organization that was established in 1995.

Its mission is to improve the quality of life for rural farm families throughout St.
Vincent and the Grenadines and the Caribbean. It has over 60 volunteer coordinators
and over 1000 members/project participants covering over 18 villages.

ECTAD believes in building and strengthening local capacity at village level so that
farm families can become more independent and stronger and in turn, the community
will be developed and involved in all aspects of issues affecting them and the country
in general.

Please send comments to:

EASTERN CARIBBEAN TRADING AGRICULTURE

AND DEVELOPMENT ORGANISATION (ECTAD)

Tel: (784) 453-1004 ● Fax: (784) 453 1239

Beachmont, P.O Box 827, Kingstown
St. Vincent and the Grenadines, West Indies
ectadsvg@yahoo.com or ectadsvg@gmail.com
http://www.ectadsvg.org
We look forward to meeting partners who
can help provide training, financing and
technical assistance for our development
programs.
On behalf of the farmer s thr oughout the rur al
villages of St. Vincent and the Grenadines we
extend special thanks and appr eciation to the
Technical C entre for Agr icultur al and Rur al
Co-oper ation (ACP-EC) (CTA).
CTA has been a maj or contributor to ECTAD’S
development dr ive to help small farmer s in
S VG, without which we would not have
gotten this far this quickly.
Thank You!

This document has been produced with the financial assistance of CTA. The views expressed herein are those
of ECTAD and can therefore in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion of CTA.