Thank You LiveBeyond Farmers!
LiveBeyond wants to celebrate our amazing farmers today. We are beyond grateful for all of their hard work and dedication. The LiveBeyond farmers are an extraordinary group of people. Getting the farm to where it is today has not been easy going. We have tried many different practices on the farm, some that have worked and some that haven’t. We’ve seen success, and we’ve seen failures. And through it all, the LiveBeyond farmers have been committed to seeing the farm succeed. Join us in celebrating LiveBeyond farmers!
As you may know, farmers in Haiti often struggle to produce enough food for their families and to sell at the market. We recently shared how poor soil health, natural disasters, and lack of access to modern tools and techniques contribute to poor farming conditions in Haiti. A study of Haiti’s workforce in 2021 revealed that 45% work in agriculture. But the agriculture industry is not contributing to the growth of the economy. According to a report by the International Fund for Agricultural Development, “Agriculture’s contribution to the economy has been declining since the 1980s.” More than half of the food consumed in Haiti is imported.
Due to the farming setbacks, Haitians face food insecurity every day. According to a report by the World Food Program, “4.9 million people are in acute hunger” in Haiti. That is nearly half the population of the entire country. Farms don’t harvest enough crops, and the produce at the market is too expensive for people to buy. Food scarcity is a daily reality for most Haitians.
LiveBeyond saw the struggle for food that Haitians faced every day and the obstacles farmers faced to produce crops. This is why LiveBeyond saw a need for a sustainable farm on the LiveBeyond base. A farm that would help feed the women, children, and staff of Thomazeau. And a farm that teaches local farmers how to make their crops more resilient and successful.
Thanks to the dedicated work of the LiveBeyond farmers, the farm is producing a great harvest! The farmers at the LiveBeyond Farm have worked extremely hard to make the farm what it is today. They have transformed the barren land into a thriving, sustainable farm. This would not have been possible without them!
Today we want to give you an update on one of the LiveBeyond farmers. LiveBeyond first introduced you to Tikepi many years ago. This year marks eleven years that Tikepi has worked on the LiveBeyond Farm! Tikepi has been a part of our farm since the beginning. He is a big part of the successes we have seen in our agricultural efforts.
Tikepi joined the LiveBeyond Farm in 2012. If you ask him about when the farm first started, he will tell you the land was not suitable for farming, “it was filled with rocks and trees.” But Tikepi and other farmers cleared the land of all rocks and trees and developed it for planting. Tikepi helped prepare the ground and did the work to turn it into farmland that would grow a plentiful harvest.
All the farmers learned about simple irrigation systems and tools that make farming more manageable and help ensure a more successful crop. Tikepi worked tirelessly alongside the other farmers to help the LiveBeyond Farm have a good harvest. Year after year, Tikepi and the other farmers have painstakingly tended to the farm. For eleven years, Tikepi has cared for the farm as his own.
Tikepi told us, “At last, we made it a good and fertile land for growing crops.” 
Where there were once rocks and stones, there is now a wide variety of crops. Tikepi told us, “In the beginning, we planted banana and papaya trees, as well as carrot, corn, beetroot, and got good results. Now we also grow eggplant, spinach, chilies, shallot, and different types of beans.” With the diligent care of Tikepi and the other farmers, the LiveBeyond Farm is doing great!
The success of the farm is a big help to the Nutrition Program. This is something Tikepi is very proud to be a part of. He told us, “I feel very special and happy to say that the vegetables which we harvest supply our LiveBeyond kitchen, which plays an important role in giving nutritious food to the maternal health program, the school children, and the employees.”
Tikepi and the other farmers are having a positive impact on LiveBeyond and the Thomazeau community. They have made the LiveBeyond Farm a great support to the Nutrition Program. They help provide mothers, children, staff, and their families with nutrition-packed meals and fresh produce that improves their overall health. The LiveBeyond farmers also help improve local agriculture by sharing the techniques and insights they have learned on the LiveBeyond Farm with farmers in the community. The knowledge gained on the LiveBeyond farm teaches local farmers what can help make their farms more successful.
The LiveBeyond Farm has a positive impact on farmers, their families, the community, and the economy. Tikepi and the other LiveBeyond farmers are an integral part of the success of the LiveBeyond Ag Farm. LiveBeyond is thankful for all their hard work.
Tikepi has helped transform harsh, desolate land into a valuable, thriving farm. The LiveBeyond Ag Farm will continue to produce a good harvest, with farmers like Tikepi taking good care of it.
Join us in celebrating Tikepi and all of the LiveBeyond farmers!
Hear the latest news from Haiti, read posts about faith and community development, and find transcriptions from the LiveBeyond podcast.
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