Backyard farming drive aims to empower vulnerable families

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 new partnership between the Ministry of Agriculture and the One Family Programme is taking root to help vulnerable households grow their own food, in an effort to build self-reliance and strengthen food security across communities.

At a ceremony at the ministry’s Graeme Hall headquarters on Friday, the One Family Programme was presented with two grow boxes to symbolise the start of a wider community effort to get people involved in backyard farming.

Senior Agricultural Officer Bret Taylor said the collaboration was particularly fitting as it coincided with the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty observed on Friday and followed World Food Day.

He explained that each grow box can produce up to 25 to 30 heads of lettuce, along with herbs and peppers, demonstrating how small spaces can be used efficiently for multiple crops. 

“It is for households to show them what they can do and how to be self-sufficient,” he said. “We try to do multiple things, so it’s not just one crop. So you can grow things like lettuce, herbs and peppers — it’s about diversity in that small area.”

Nicole Daniel, social development project manager with the One Family Programme, described the partnership as a powerful step towards empowerment: “This partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture truly reflects the spirit of empowerment. These grow boxes are more than soil and seedlings — they are living lessons in independence and pride, reminding families that no matter how small the space, something can grow to nourish both body and spirit.”

The programme, which supports 1 000 of the most vulnerable families across Barbados, aims to move people from dependency to independence through mentorship, training and community support. About 50 families will be the first to participate in the backyard farming project, with technical assistance provided by the Ministry of Agriculture.

“We have approximately 25 barrels that would have been provided by [pharmaceutical supplier] Collins [Limited, now Aventa Barbados],” Daniel said. “Initially, we will launch with about 50 families, especially those that have the green thumb. “We will work with the Ministry of Agriculture to assist us in the relevant training of persons with the necessary projects that they will be growing.”

Beyond improving household nutrition, Daniel said the initiative also seeks to strengthen community ties by encouraging families to share and trade their produce. 

“When one family plants a seed, another one can help it grow,” she said. “And when the harvest comes, they can share and exchange what they’ve grown — thyme for lettuce, peppers for herbs. That is what we mean when we talk about empowering lives in the One Family Programme.”