The St. Vincent and the Grenadines Conservation Fund’s farmland restoration project designed and implemented by Hand2Earth has extended their north leeward vetiver project to set up sustainable contour farming in Belle Isle Correctional Facility.
Prison Officer Kevly Gould of Spring Village and 14 prisoners from the Belle Isle Correctional Facility were trained in Vetiver Systems Technology over a three-week period in August 2022.
Prison authorities then identified an area to set up a vetiver nursery and farm in the prison grounds. A nursery of 300 plants and several contours were planted with vetiver. Crops were then planted in between, enabling the sloping lands to be cultivated sustainably by preventing soil loss.
Apart from the training, the SVG Conservation Fund/Hand2Earth project donated hand tools, waterboots, seeds and vetiver plants for the project which has expanded to become an exemplary vetiver systems farm site.
According to an official release this project has enabled the prisoners to put their training into practice and experience the benefits of farming with vetiver to reintroduce the practice of terrace farming to the area, and also to practice the system when they leave prison.
