Antonio Ramirez and his family have been working with Sustainable Harvest since July 2008.  He is married with 5 children.  Prior to working with SHI, he was only growing  basic crops, like corn, beans, cassava and some coffee.  Now working with his field trainer, Jorge Rodriguez, he has diversified his plot with different vegetables like tomato, cabbage, onion, beets, mustard, pepper and watermelons, as well as coffee and timber-yielding trees.

Since Sustainable Harvest came to our community, I have seen a change in our families.  I never had experience growing vegetables before, but when we were taught how to plant and care for them, it was great because my children are eating much better than before.  There is a different kind of vegetable to eat every day and I am even able to bring some of them to market.  I also have a fish pond with tilapia and snails, and with this I am improving my family’s nutrition. Many thanks to all who have made this important program possible.

~ Antonio Ramirez - Santa Ana, Honduras

Juan Moody recently graduated after five years of working with Sustainable Harvest International.  He is married, with 3 children and several grandchildren.  In his time with SHI, he planted a diverse parcel of land with crops such as corn, kidney beans, cassava shrubs, taro, wood-bearing and fruit-producing trees, a vegetable garden with carrots, beets, tomatoes, watermelon, cucumber, radishes, cabbage, and chili peppers, and cover crops like Jack beans. He is also reforesting the watershed of the Kukra River, on which he lives.

While working with Sustainable Harvest, I learned much more about organization, crop diversity, and the preparation of natural fertilizers.  SHI has helped me to find access to a proper market for our organic products, in order to have higher earnings, so that my children can have access to secondary schools.

I would like to tell those at Sustainable Harvest, in all sincerity, that without your help we would be much poorer. I am very thankful for everything that you have done for our families. Please continue to support SHI, so that more families will have the opportunity to improve their standard of living and protect the environment.

~ Juan Moody, El Asentmiento, Nicaragua

PHOTOS: (LEFT) Thomas Caal with his children on the edge of their organic cornfield in Belize. (RIGHT) Eulalio Carcamo and sons, pausing from work on their Honduran farm.