Belize, SAN ANTONIO TOWN FARMERS FORM GREENHOUSE GROUP OF 20 MAYA FARMERS!

*** Central Farm teaching worm farm facility, to make rich organic fertilizer from compost using worms.
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*** Greenhouse in Belize


MINISTER RENE MONTERO INAUGURATES THE NEW GREEN GROWERS GREENHOUSE PROJECT IN BELIZE for SAN ANTONIO TOWN FARMERS.

San Antonio Town is probably one of the most active and strongest farming communities outside of the Mennonites on the North West, in the nation of Belize. It was chosen by the Agriculture Department for a test case of greenhouse growing of vegetables.
The first startup is simply to start young plants as in a transplant nursery. Seeds in Belize are still in the experimental stage. Traditionally the few AGRO Stores in Belize have ties to some brand name imported seed suppliers, usually in the USA and a lot of these seeds are not the best choices for Belize. In the past three years, seed experiments have shown we need to persue a program of cross breeding our own local varieties to deal with our local environmental tropical conditions. Seed varieties are probably the only big problem facing year round vegetable green house production.
The project is two fold. A first greenhouse for seedling production for local San Antonio farmers and the second project is the production of worm farm organic fertilizer. The new group of interested active San Antonio Town farmers call themselves the Maya Green Growers Group. This town was once not so long ago, your typical Mayan Indian village, with dirt floors, palmetto walls and thatch roofs. Nowadays it is concrete buildings and all the conveniences of modern living. All by their own industry and sweat. San Antonio Town is a true success story.
The Mayan farmers ( a group of 20 farmers ) are interested in anything that makes money in the new modern world they have transferred to, away from the traditional milpa small scale subsistence life style. The Agriculture Department idea, is to even out the flow of vegetables grown in Belize to a more steady year round activity. Up until now imports of vegetables have filled short fall requirements costing foreign exchange.