The Guango Wild Garden Conservancy Organic Research Station
The George William Gordon Organic Farm Land Trust resides on what is currently called the Green Castle Estate located in the eastern region of St. Thomas, Jamaica. These lands were once owned by The Right Excellent George William Gordon, one of Jamaica’s national heroes. He was an ardent advocate for land rights for people after the abolishment of slavery. During his lifetime he subdivided his own lands, selling farm lots to the people as cheaply as possible, and he organized a marketing system through which they could sell their produce at fair prices.
The GWG Organic Farm Land Trust seeks to continue his legacy by advocating for small farmers, growing organic foods and creating a fair marketing system that supports the small farmers and producers.
Our Vision
Our vision is to grow as the tree,
To nourish the earth and humanity.
Rooted in ancestral wisdom,
Branching out we connect and inspire,
Bearing fruit to sustain and nurture,
Spreading knowledge like seeds near and far.
Like a tree we will stand and endure Providing shelter today and hope for the future.
GWG Mission Statement
The mission of the GWG Conservancy Limited is stewardship to build, sustain and advance healthy ecosystems through engaged research, conservation, education and entrepreneurship, in honour of those who have come before us and in trust for those who will come after us.
GWG Values
Conservation – our stewardship of the land at GWG, and all of its natural resources will honour the sacredness of the site, and improve the mental, emotional, spiritual and financial well-being of the people in St Thomas, Jamaica and the wider Caribbean.
We will take a systemic approach to problem solving and use regenerative principles to preserve our land and our environment. Trust and integrity will be the hallmark of all that we undertake at GWG.
Community - we are a part of a greater whole, both natural and spiritual, and GWG will honour and value the wisdom, creativity and worth of the people of St. Thomas, Jamaica and the Caribbean.
Continuity – GWG will build upon the land, natural environment, talents and spiritual gifts given to us by our ancestors to create a lasting legacy for those who will come after us. We will learn from the lessons of our past to break the cycle of poverty, ignorance and self-doubt, and help future generations to achieve their true destiny.
Current Projects
Background
The people of Jamaica and the wider Caribbean region have long been buffeted by man-made and natural disasters that have left them in a state of economic, social, and environmental crisis. Each country has its own story, but their histories follow a pattern of boom and bust cycles tied to global commodities and international banking agreements that lock them into poorly planned and unsustainable agricultural practices, global pricing, market competition, and uneconomic local market supply chains. Jamaica is a classic example of this pattern and her people are vulnerable due to a national dependency on cheap, less healthy imported foods. There is a large percentage of farmers who have lost the skill sets needed to produce certain crops without expensive chemical inputs.
The Parish of St. Thomas and the other eastern parish of Portland have systemically been the most forgotten and underdeveloped parishes in Jamaica for over a century. St. Thomas is a farming parish; however, since the liberalization of the banana industry by the European Union and NAFTA; all the banana plantations have closed, leaving few agricultural avenues for profitable employment in the parish. Sugar is on the same trajectory. Many of the people of St. Thomas still rely on small cash crops and seasonal tree crop production for their livelihood, but are only marginally compensated for their crops, with most of the profits going to middlemen and retailers in Kingston and other local markets.
These challenges are magnified by the rising cost, economically and environmentally, of conventional agricultural inputs, the environmental damage caused by poor farming practices on hillsides, and agricultural trade policies that are unfavorable to small farmers. There are two primary ways to solve these problems:
Focus on local sustainable production to increase food security
Develop high value internal and export markets to increase agricultural profitability.
Permaculture and organic farming (POF) systems provide solid foundations for these solutions. Permaculture provides a sustainable land and farm ecosystem design which is focused on biological models. Organic agriculture practices and high value markets provide economic, social, and environmental benefits.
The Jamaican Agriculture industry is faced with the challenge and opportunity arising from a growing demand for organic, healthy produce. Currently, a limited number of farmers are growing organically. While the demand for organic crops has expanded rapidly over the past 20 years in developed nations, Jamaica is just beginning to see significant on-island demand. There is a long history of support for clean food and organic agriculture in Jamaica and farmers are thirsty for new, effective methods of improving production and distribution. Marketing structures are in their infancy and require direct assistance to support their success.
The Source Farm Foundation (SFF) has been collaborating with GWG, to provide training in Permaculture, organic farming, farm economics, and market development for young and beginning farmers as well as existing producers. Jamaica’s first “Organic” market, Ujima Natural Farmers Market was launched by SFF in January 2014 in New Kingston to provide an economic outlet for these early producers. This market has grown rapidly and now operating at least once a week. Other mid-week markets are in the early stages of development. High-end hotels, resorts, and restaurants have indicated that their customers are asking for organic products. Demand is exceeding supply. SFF has also developed strong links with the Jamaica Organic Agriculture Movement (JOAM), the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, the Rural Agricultural Development Authority, The Bureau of Standards, the National Certification Body of Jamaica, University of the West Indies, College of Agriculture, Science, and Education, St. Thomas Technical High School, as well as practicing small organic farmers around the parish and across the island.
The Guango Wild Garden Conservancy Organic Research Station
The Guango Wild Garden Conservancy (GWG) Organic Research Station is currently developing an agricultural business incubator. An agricultural business incubator is a site that provides entrepreneurs with the technical and marketing support, land and equipment they need to establish an agricultural business.
Offices for the Ujima Naturals Organic Growers Group and an aggregation point for the organic produce being grown
A distribution business
An organic research and demonstration site
A processing facility for value added products
Establishment of an organic seed bank
In addition to providing a solid base for organic growers and producers, the property could support the development of several organic enterprises including:
Organic equipment and supplies
Enhanced Microorganism (EM) & Boshiki Manufacturing Facility
Mushroom Spawn Laboratory
Biological Research Center
Agro-Forestry Enterprise
Organic Seedling Nursery
Organic coconut water
Organic tropical fruits and juices
Organic sugar cane products
Organic winter nurseries for seed breeding program
Agro-Ecotourism
Organic Farm Business
The land has been free of prohibited substances for at least three years, which means that it qualifies for certified organic status. High quality water is provided by two springs. The two existing structures have been upgraded to house offices for the produce distribution business.