James Leonard Farmer : Nate Olive and Shelli Brin - OliveLocation : Frederiksted , St. Croix , U.S. Virgin IslandsSpecialty : licence Organic farming and agritourism
grow up on the outskirts of Atlanta , Nate Olive never suppose know in the U.S. Virgin Islands , permit alone raise there . But when he became shipwreck on the island of St. Croix while sail with a friend ’s family , he noticed how difficult it was to find fresh green groceries and humanely farmed meat to resupply with , due in part to the sprawl developments encroaching on the natural environment of the island . ridgepole to Reef
When his champion Ben Jones and Sarah Danforth started an constitutive farm on St. Croix , Olive began study there , implement an educational program calledRidge to Reef , which promoted using small - scale agriculture to conserve nature on a landscape grade , from the mountain ridge the farm sits on to the coral reef off the island ’s seacoast . When Jones and Danforth resolve to leave St. Croix , Olive and his married woman , Shelli Brin - Olive , a multi - generation native of the island of St. Thomas , started their own farm on the site .
After having witnessed the loss of one farm after another in Georgia and on St. Thomas due to exploitation , Olive and Brin - Olive consecrate their farm to the Ridge to Reef philosophy of promote sustainable and organic farming practices that have a positivist impact on the island ’s residential district and the state itself .
Biggest Success
sell crops through Farm to School contracts has kept our husbandry passions fuel . Two years ago , we became the first farm in over 50 years in the USVI to fork up crops for the Union school tiffin political platform . Now , we serve as a nutrient hub along with 12 other enter farms . Together , we are still only providing a small dowery for the over 18,000 lunch service daily , but it has gained adhesive friction and we will continue to spread out into this Modern marketplace .
Also , given our location in the Caribbean , there is an unbelievable amount of interest of feel a tropical constitutive farm . So , agritourismhas become a lifelike fit . We offer tours and on - farm dinners out of our food motortruck , and chemical group farm retreats . The groups stay in wooden stilt cabana and eat meal at our community center edifice . Local chef Mike Matthews teaches teams of visitors how to work with local foods in the community of interests kitchen . Most groups offer on the farm in the mornings or do their own computer program ( like college cogitation abroad or yoga ) , and take to the beaches for the good afternoon .
Although it ’s really an out - of - the - box experience for most , we on a regular basis hear from our visitors afterwards in how it made a departure in their lives . It is very gratifying to see people arrive face - to - face with their intellectual nourishment and make that all-important connection . Considering the number of multitude who have gone on to start their own sustainable food enterprise , it prompt us of how important our surd piece of work really is .
Ridge to Reef
Biggest Challenge
The localisation of Ridge to Reef is our greatest friend and foe . Not only are we on a small , comparatively remote island , we are in an area of the island that is tucked by in the mickle and far away from the port and supportive services . This makes the efficiency of our operation feasible only if we continue to keep and utilize the forests around us to provide the needed biological material to maintain our soil constitutive matter contentedness . It press us to adapt and perfect our growing regime to suit our environment . base on our values that is a good matter , but it can get tough when problems rise or equipment breaks as quick fixes are laborious to hail by . ridgeline to Reef
Also , while we enjoy a virtually endless growing time of year , there is no freeze to stunt pests , diseases or weeds . It leaves us influence the farm year - round . So we are bit by bit shifting to a diversity of repeated crop and expanding our flock ofsilvopasturedsheep as our mainstay to finally bring a dramatic reduction to the work load .
Firsthand Advice
Farm your own farm . Find your unique warmth and go with it . The profession is full of challenge and your love for what you do will carry you through the hard times , as long as your passion is pair with sound business preparation .
Always remember that what you do is interconnect with your community and surroundings . If you work together with other farmers in your home watershed to ameliorate your downstream environment , you may make a solid incontrovertible impact for next generations while living the farm life history you dreamed . It will take thousands of thoughtful farmers to make the water supply clean again and our soils healthy . Be one of them .
Ridge to Reef
Ridge to Reef
Ridge to Reef
Ridge to Reef
Ridge to Reef
