A few weeks ago, as I planted cowpeas between the stalks of a maturing stand of Guatemalan corn, I had a flashback.

Cultivate Abundance has many local partners that join with us in food solidarity. Some were born and raised in Southwest Florida. But most of us come from other places with names such as Minnesota, Guatemala, Michigan, Mexico, Ohio or Haiti. Some know how to grow their favorite garden crops back home. But most of us have had to adjust to the gardening challenges of Southwest Florida, including poor drainage, the dry months, insects, excessive heat and the occasional frosty

It was my first trip to the Bahamas, not all that far from my Florida home. Traveling with Mark Buhlig – Missouri pastor, church gardener and frequent Bahamas visitor – we would be meeting with representatives of local Cooperative Baptist Fellowship congregations to discuss disaster preparation as well as their church gardening experiences. I encountered several of the Abaco church gardeners almost two years prior when they were sponsored by CBF Florida and Evan Rees, a memb

Recently I had a pleasant morning devoted to harvesting produce. From my own carambola tree, a little over 40 lbs. of starfruit was picked to be shared with farmworker families at Misión Peniel in Immokalee, Florida. A couple of hours later, I harvested another 11 pounds of assorted vegetables from the new Misión Peniel Garden; mainly fresh greens such as mustard, cilantro and lettuce with some eggplant and peppers. I felt pretty good about that day’s harvest of 51 lbs. of

My friend, Brad, is almost as nosy as I am as we’re both always on the prowl for interesting gardens. And though we wholeheartedly endorse gardening in pretty much any form, we’re particularly enthusiastic about those eclectic, diverse home gardens often planted by migrants. Here in the tropical fringe of Southwest Florida, gardeners from Central America and the Caribbean, and even tropical Asia, find our climate somewhat like that of their homelands. Despite the occasional

It’s a hot October morning in Immokalee and dozens of volunteers are gathered on a concrete slab behind the Misión Peniel building. Lively music from the local radio station, Radio Conciencia, fills the air. The mood is festive. Among those gathered are students from the University of Miami, local housewives and a few children. Throw in some volunteers from Ft. Myers, representatives of the Immokalee Soccer School and Academy and two visitors from Hope Seeds, an internation

Recently, a former colleague of mine in Thailand wrote about a workshop that he would be attending. Preparing to share on why theological schools should implement elements of “integral mission” into their curricula, he asked for my thoughts. In case you’re not familiar with the term integral mission, various faith-based groups promote an understanding of Christian ministry that integrates the “Good News” message of Christ along with social responsibility. For many, the promo

Earlier in the year we took part in discussions with representatives of Immokalee farmworker households about the challenge of accessing quality food. First, we worked through the root causes of this problem. These causes were: 1) quality food of choice is expensive and/or not available, and 2) it’s not easy in garden in cramped trailer parks. Then we flipped the issue into a goal - quality food of choice is locally available. And instead of a solution that merely imports f

Gardening, although hard work, is generally satisfying with benefits not limited to exercise, aesthetics and food. Tending a garden requires and inspires hope. Even when crops crash due to excessive weeds and other pests or a lack of rain, they aren’t necessarily finished. Recovery is a natural part of the gardening process. Over the past year, my own Southwest Florida garden has been battered by a hurricane and a brief freeze as well as excavation due to the failure of ou

Awareness of community gardening in North America has exploded over the past two decades. Often associated with urban gardening in the food deserts of major cities such as Detroit, New York, Los Angeles and Milwaukee, community gardens can be found throughout the US, including rural locations. And while the concept and practice has gained considerable visibility among Americans, it would be a mistake for those outside of the majority world (what was previously referred to as

Bernabela, Amalia and several other Immokalee women made it very clear that local farmworker families often struggle to put nutritious food of their preference on the table. They also explained the reasons, including inadequate income and the challenge of gardening in a densely packed trailer community where free-range chickens roam. Working together to overcome household and community food insecurity challenges, there’s much to sort out. But to get things started, we decid

During Holy Week, Miguel Estrada and Ruth DeYoe of Misión Peniel arranged for Ellen and I to meet with 13 Immokalee women. From Guatemala and southern Mexico, the women’s ages ranged approximately between 20 and 65. Able only to spare an hour or two away from chores at home, many brought their small children along. Ellen and I quickly ran through our rehearsed Spanish introductions, thereafter dependent upon Miguel and Ruth for interpretation. After Ruth broke the ice by i

A pound of premium vine-ripened tomatoes, about two of the larger ones in the produce department, are on sale for $1.29 per pound. Four steps away, a 10-oz. bag of mixed lettuce is being sold for $2.69. For most of us, paying one to three dollars for a few servings of tomatoes and lettuce is no big deal. But does $1.29 and $2.69 reflect the real cost of these items? The town of Immokalee, Florida – only 40 miles from our neighborhood store – is where two thirds of America’s w

I recently had the privilege of visiting Thailand and spent several days with Upland Holistic Development Project, the project that Ellen and I founded and directed from 1996-2008. The project’s current team of 12 continues to be engaged in efforts related to sustainable agriculture (e.g., agroforestry, sustainable upland agriculture, backyard farming), documentation of residents and citizenship, women’s outreach, village savings and loans and engagement with local churches

Having recently visited the hills of northern Thailand to be with old friends at the Upland Holistic Development Project (UHDP), I have had time to soak in the beauty and productivity of the agroforestry plantings at the UHDP Center. This setting has naturally led to my recollection of early agroforestry efforts during the late 1990s and early 2000s. The Palaung and other hilltribe communities that we worked with were concerned with the degradation of their permanent hill fi

The Haitian hamlet of Robio isn’t easy to reach or leave. This farming community is perched atop a high, piney ridge not far from the Dominican Republic border. We made the daylong trip by hiring a Land Cruiser in Port-Au-Prince and driving a few hours up a rough road with another hour by foot and donkey to reach the community. Later that afternoon, foot travel for our circuitous return to the city required another hour or so down the steep, gravelly path to where the Toyo

Even though our full-time efforts with Cultivate Abundance only recently began (January 2018), for the past few months we’ve been preparing to assist farmworker households in Immokalee, as well as other local partners, to establish gardens. Some of the gardens will consist of container plantings while others will be raised beds or stands of perennial vegetables. Each garden will provide types of produce that farmworker families from Guatemala, Mexico and Haiti appreciate, a

Everywhere that I’ve engaged in agricultural development work, I’ve benefited from at least one farmer or gardener who served as a model and source of inspiration for myself, my colleagues and especially our community-based partners. Having exceptionally productive and well run holdings, these people stand out from neighboring smallholders despite facing similar environmental challenges as well as poor access to inputs (fertilizers, etc.) and finances. Often living on the m

Since we moved onto our property over four years ago, we have planted at least 30 types of tropical fruit-producing plants. Many, such as the mango, banana, avocado and starfruit trees, have been yielding over the past year or two. Other trees, including a jackfruit, sugar apple, pomelo and two coconuts are still immature. And I’m not sure if our Marion plum or grumichama will ever bear. Since last week, I’ve been monitoring the starfruit, fig, guava and papaya trees for r

While running an errand in south Fort Myers I noticed a garden patch. Squeezed between a canal and an apartment building, this plot didn’t contain the usual roadside ornamentals. Rather it was a small grove of banana (or plantain) plants, papaya, some citrus, a young coconut tree and other tropical fruit. Someone’s trash had been tossed on the edge. It looked like many of those random overseas gardens that I’ve seen tucked away in the urban sprawl where rural workers often