With some 19,000 plants and seedlings sold at the three islands’ Agriculture Shows held recently, it is easy to see that backyard farming has again found its place with residents on all three islands.

Growing up in the Cayman Islands in 1960s and 1970s, no one ever thought they would have to pay for mangoes and breadfruit, which abounded back then. Everyone either had these trees, or had a neighbour, friend or relative that did.

But as the population grew and fewer people planted these trees, and with hurricanes Ivan and Paloma destroying a lot of our fruit trees, buying mangoes and breadfruit became the norm. Today, with the assistance of Department of Agriculture and local nurseries, more and more people are buying and planting mango and breadfruit trees – in fact, mango trees are probably one of the most in-demand trees at the Department of Agriculture.
Additionally, in the earlier days, most people grew cassava, pumpkins, yams, and sweet potatoes and they shared with neighbours. But as many of the older farming generation died out and importation of goods became more reliable, this tradition ebbed away.

Deputy Premier and Minister responsible for Agriculture Hon. Juliana O’Connor-Connolly, who has a passion for backyard farming, is encouraging residents to get back to basics and grow something in their backyards to put on their respective dinner tables.

“People would be surprised by the amount of food that can be harvested from a relatively small space. Since we live in the tropics, we can grow most all year long. As food prices rise, these types of mini-farms take on new economic meaning,” she stated.

For example, 100 square feet of space (or a 10’x10’ bed or plot) will greatly supplement at least a family of 2 throughout the growing seasons. Multiply the number of people you’d like to feed in your family by that 10 X 10 figure, and that’s roughly the amount of growing space you will need to supply your family with fresh vegetables and herbs.

Ms. O’Connor-Connolly also noted there is generally much unused garden space in people’s backyard. Many of these plots would make suitable spaces for a food garden.

“Using grow-boxes and allowing children to see where food comes from is also very important,” the Minister advised. “Plus, what’s better than going out in your yard and picking fruits, vegetables and herbs from your own garden? They are fresh, and are organic, for the most part. Obviously, locally grown food is fresher, and there is satisfaction in seeing how it’s grown,” she added.

Hon. O’Connor-Connolly said, “Backyard farming is one step in building a local food economy, food security and a more sustainable way of living – a win-win for everyone including the planet.”

Grow box requirements

Select an open, sunny area to locate your grow box. Prepare the area by removing all weeds, large rocks, etc.

Grow box construction

Materials: 1. Lumber 2. Nails 3. Ground cover. Recommended Size of Box (LxWxD): 12′ x 5’x 6″ for shallow rooted crops OR  12′ x 5’ x 12″ for deep-rooted crops

Grow box  – growing medium (soil)

The following materials are recommended in the ratio given: 1 part Promix, 1 part Peatmoss and 1 part top-soil: Mix ingredients together thoroughly before filling your grow box.

Fertiliser requirement:  One (1) tablespoon Triple Super Phosphate per hole, at planting, plus weekly applications of a soluble fertiliser e.g. Miracle-Gro or Phostrogen, at the recommended rate.

Pest control:  The best approach is “nature’s alternative”. Often the best – and cheapest – way to control garden pests is not with chemical pesticides. Nature provides many pest repellents such as shallot, mint, marigold and onion which when mixed in with crop plants can give effective pest control without harming beneficial insects or polluting the environment. Other useful ways of getting rid of pests include:

• sprays of non-detergent insecticide soap;
• regular scouting for pests and hand picking them; and
• if pesticide is needed, protect the beneficial insects by using bio-pesticides (e.g. Dipel) and horticultural oils.
• If pest presence is high, natural method is not very effective. In this case call the Department of Agriculture

Crop: cabbage (different varieties), pak choy, broccoli, cauliflower, tomato (different varieties), cucumber, shallots, beets, and peppers (different varieties).

For more information contact Department of Agriculture 947-3090 or Email: [email protected]