A Camp With a Difference

Sylvester and Joyce Branch launched their four-week summer camp, “Camp Eden”, at the end July.

The holistic camp, with the theme All Things Bright and Beautiful, was aimed at encouraging participants to appreciate the beauty sent from god in nature. Every morning the camp began with prayers and the hymn “All Things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small”.

The camp concluded at the end of August, but the unique aspect of this camp is the fact that the children will be back on the site on weekends during their new school term to observe the things they planted and the chickens they tended over the four-week period.

It is intended that this “kids’ club” will maintain the children’s interest in agriculture and in nature general.

The participants were between the ages of five and 13. I visited the camp during their last week to tell them some more about the importance of agriculture, not only in producing food but also shelter, energy and clothing.

They saw samples of our Sea Island Cotton from the cotton ball, the seed cotton, the lint, the yarn and the finish goods. They also learned about silk production and saw samples of silk worm cocoons and raw silk. The children were surprised to know that each cocoon can produce 1000 yards of silk thread.

We then sowed squash seeds in pots so that germination process could be observed, after which the plants would be taken home and transplanted so that they could monitor the growth of the plants over time – and hopefully reap a good harvest.

With all the emphasis being placed in recent times on entrepreneurship and growth in business in general, I was impressed by the fact that the children had kept a detail account of the expenditure on their chicken project.

When the birds are sold they will complete the revenue figures and will be able to understand the need to make a profit in any business venture.

The idea that agriculture is a business needs to be inculcated in children from the primary level if the sector is to be successful.

Other topics covered during the camp included making potpourri, composting and the benefit of earthworms in farming, the identification and labelling of fruit trees and ornamentals, Black Belly sheep production, ducks, geese, guinea birds, pheasant, quail and peacocks.

The fact that the camp was conducted on a working plant nursery and orchard would have made it more conducive to learn about the various topics.

The branches received good support from a number of organisations and private sector companies, including Ionics (b’dos) Ltd, Gale’s AgroProducts,, Barbados Light & Power Co., Eastern Caribbean Fertilizers, Ministry of Agriculture, Transport Board, Andrews Factory, Frank B. Armstrong, and Roberts Manufacturing.

Their support in much appreciated since the important of succession planning in the agricultural sector in a matter for concern. The Branches must be congratulated on their initiative on lunching such a camp which will help to address this important issue.

Taken from: The Nation News Paper

Written By: The Agrodoc