Watering Farms

Watering Farms in St Ann

Cornerstone seeks to measurably improve the ability of rural farmers in St. Ann, Jamaica to access water for year-round and sustainable agriculture for food production. For more information or to support this important endeavor, visit our Programs page, click the image to the right to be redirected to our Crowdfunding site, or contact us.

Photo: http://archive.sswm.info/pt-pt/category/implementation-tools/water-use/hardware/optimisation-water-use-agriculture/manual-irrigatio

Myrie

Myrie is a 70-year-old pepper farmer from St. Ann Jamaica. Myrie grew up on a small farm and began helping his parents at a tender age.

Currently, Myrie has no water source. In order to capture water Myrie puts one small sheet of zinc into a small blue barrel (pictured here). It doesn’t amount to much irrigation; but it helps. Having access to water will help ease the concern for consistent water supply and access to water for his pepper crops. Knowing he is able to store water from each rainfall will allow Myrie to increase his yield and generate consistent income.

Cornerstone Collaborative Jamaica aims to help by providing a water tank and catchment system to Myrie's farm. Click the donate button at the top of the page or the link to our fundraising site here to support this endeavor.

Hernel

We are so grateful to our donors who have completed the funding for Hernel.

Hernel is from the rural community of Fort George, in St. Ann, Jamaica. At 14 years old Hernel left school to begin farming to support his family. “Everything I have achieved in this life has been through farming.”, he says. “I grow everything, cabbage, lettuce, pumpkin, yam, cucumber, bok choy, you name it, I grow it”.

There is no running water in the community of Fort George, so residents put barrels under their roofs to catch water to bathe, cook, and clean. This past year Fort George experienced 6 months of drought from January through the rainy season. Hernel says there are springs but with the drought the water is limited.

Cornerstone Collaborative aims to help Hernel with the water tank and catchment system provided to his farm.

Watering Farms in Jamaica - for Hernel

Alica

Alica is a single mother living in a very remote area within St. Ann. Currently, their water source is a gully which is 1.5 miles away from their farm. They grow cabbage, bok choy, and carrots. Access to stored water for Alica would be life changing, providing her family with the ability to increase crop yield and grow their income.

We are so thankful to our donors who have completed the funding for Alica, and grateful for your continued support.

Watering Farms in Jamaica - for Alica

In Her Own Words

"Thank you very much for your help today Yu don't [know] what Yu done for me thanks yu and the people who helped a big big thanks [to] yu very much ❤️❤️❤️❤️

-Alica Forbes, Water Tank Recipient

Alica's Installation Day

Community members installing Alica's water tank and catchment system

Alica's Catchment Structure

Working together to construct Alica's catchment structure

Donnette

Thanks the generosity of the Yardie Greeks Facebook Community, A collective group of Jamaicans with membership in the Divine 9 Black-Greek Letter Organizations (BGLOs), we have raised enough funds for funding the water tank for Donnette.

A portion of the the Yardie Greeks donation will be used with existing matching funds toward the next campaign.

We are so thankful to our donors and for your continued support.

Update

Thank you to the amazing donors and supporters who helped to fund Donnette's water tank and catchment system.

Knowing she would be able to store water gave Donnette the confidence to expand her small farm. Equipped with only a machete, a garden fork, and hoe, Donnette cut and pulled the existing dense bush to create a pathway to sustainability. After clearing the land, she began planting potatoes. While the potatoes need little water, they will add much-needed nutrients to the soil, so other crops can be planted in the coming months. Donnette recently harvested half of her crop and we are thrilled to report that not only will this loving grandmother have more food to put on her table, but she has seen an increase in income. Donnette's potatoes were sold locally and will be used to feed others throughout the community.

Watering Farms in Jamaica - for Donnette

Marcia

Thanks to our supporters and donors, we've reached our goal of funding an 800-gallon water tank for Marcia in St. Ann, Jamaica. Thank you all so much! Our next steps will be to acquire, deliver, and install the tank and provide best-practice irrigation training with the help of our local partners in Jamaica. Follow us here or on social media to see how things progress.