By RICHARD SITLER
Indiana Correspondent

SPANISH TOWN, Jamaica — One good turn often encourages another. Because of a healthy harvest from bean seeds donated by Seeds to the World through the Food For The Poor (FFP) hunger relief organization, the Thetford Small Farmers Cooperative chose to give 20 percent of their crop back to the charity.

“The generosity started with Food For The Poor,” said co-op member and farmer Noel Johnson. “They give us things – water boots, tools and food.”

The Thetford Small Farmers Cooperative is located in the central Jamaican parish of St. Catherine. According to co-op member Robert Lewis, there are 60 active members in the group and each individual member farms from 2-5 acres, where they grow a myriad of crops. These include cucumbers, okra, sweet potatoes, June plums, dashen, hot and sweet peppers, pumpkins, sweet and hybrid corn, scallion, callaloo, cabbage and bok choy (Chinese cabbage).

Although red kidney beans are an integral part of the everyday diet of Jamaicans, served along with rice (and referred to as rice and peas), most of the beans eaten in Jamaica are imported because of the inability of local farmers to grow enough to meet demand.
According to a press release from FFP, the organization provided seeds for the farmers as well as tools, fertilizer and training. The seeds, which were initially donated by Seeds for Change, were planted in January.

Despite never growing red kidney beans before, members of the cooperative – using the seeds, training and tools given to them – had a successful first harvest in February, described by FFP as a “500-pound treasure to feed the hungry.”

Beth Carroll, project director at FFP in Jamaica, said the agency wanted to buy back a portion of the crop after donating the seeds. But because of supply and demand, the farmers could get more for the beans than the agency was able to pay.

The decision to donate a portion of the crop to FFP came from one farmer who discussed it with about a dozen other members. There was no formal meeting or votes; they just decided through talking that it was the right thing to do.

“Based on we and Food For The Poor, they always contribute to us over past years when programs come in and we decide to work with them,” Lewis said. “We could sell back for a price. We saw it fit to return a percentage.”

Johnson added, “We decided we give back 20 percent since we got 100 percent. We got so much .... so it is nothing to give back. The decision came as individual members of the cooperative discussed it and came to an agreement to do it.”

Lewis added, “We feel good by contributing back so that others can see that we play our part.”

The donation will be put to good use, the charity said. The bean project is one of FFP’s strategies to implement sustainable projects intended to break the cycle of hunger and poverty. These donated beans will go to feed the hungry at Salvation Army Street Feeding Project in Kingston, children at Mustard Seed communities and Missionaries of the Poor.

“Food For The Poor is so proud to be standing beside Jamaican farmers in this way,” said Robin Mahfood, FFP president and CEO.
“This is the most meaningful gift they could have given to thank us for the seeds. Now, hungry children and others will benefit from their gift from the heart.”

Jamaicans have colloquial proverbs for just about any occasion. When the members of the farmers’ co-op were asked for one to describe their actions of reciprocal charity, after a short discussion member Mervin Thompson came up with: “If you no give, you no get.”