Best of Eleuthera – Eleuthera Community Farms

Next in the series of Best of Eleuthera we take a look at a new venture – Eleuthera Community Farms.

Nearly everybody who either lives here or spends any time here is always looking to be able to find fresh fruit and vegetables – ideally locally grown. Awareness of the vital importance of fresh produce for a healthy lifestyle is permeating into most people’s minds….

Now there is a wonderful new initiative here in central Eleuthera which will help fill that gap.

This is taken directly from their website – click on the link above to read more…..

” Eleuthera Community Farms (ECF) was established in Fall 2013 with the purpose of making local, organically- grown produce available to the communities of Eleuthera. Strategic partnering with The One Eleuthera Foundation, a non-profit service organization, has provided the essential infrastructure and community engagement to allow the series of initial impact investments to flourish. Based at the Cancer Society of Eleuthera Wellness Center in Palmetto Point, ECF has kept community partnership as the cornerstone of its mission.

Now preparing for its inaugural CSA subscription year, ECF continues to engage with the local community to bring healthy, fresh produce grown using sustainable farming practices to the residents and visitors of Eleuthera. In so doing, ECF also aims to encourage the next generation of farmers on the island to provide healthy food to the people while acting as stewards of the land and sea “

In practice what happens is that you pay a subscription – upfront – which buys you a ten week season of organic produce. This subscription means that local farmers can be paid to produce the goods that we are all longing for !

You can either receive the selection yourself – or alternatively donate it to someone who has a need greater than your own – many of the high number of cancer sufferers here on the island cannot afford the subscription.

I have had the pleasure of meeting the instigators of this great idea – a lovely couple who live in the US but spend vacation times here in Eleuthera – Tricia and Sameer Bhatti. They understand the social impact of what is both a philanthropic and business investment can have on a community and thankfully for us all they have chosen Eleuthera.

Have a look at their Facebook page as well….

Sheryl Fax is the lead farmer in the project – based at the Cancer Society of Eleuthera Wellness Centre – she has created a fantastic thriving organic farm right behind the building there. Have a look at their Facebook page as well

This project is a wonderful ides and I urge as many people as possible to support it. I know it is not cheap to invest in but this can have such a wonderful influence on the island and really kickstart the farming tradition again so that we are not dependent on imported produce all the time.