Thinking of the mission SEED, walking in their fields, buying their produce, and meeting Frantz and Doris makes me feel like I'm living in a dream. I simply cannot really be doing this.
When I was maybe not even in High School yet, I remember my Uncle Joe and cousin Amy going on a trip to a place called Haiti and a place called SEED. They came back and told stories of this crazy country where they drove on roads so rough it felt like a plowed field, of people who stole half the boards off a bridge so there was only just enough room to drive on, of this man named Frantz, and showed the pictures of the animals and where they did veterinary work. Also, my friend Lindsy experienced SEED and Haiti about 2 years before my first time to the island, and I'm thankful for her time there and that she understands my crazy little life a little better for being here herself.
Last week I went there. I sat under the gazebo and listened to Frantz talk about the mission to a visiting work team. We explored the fields, saw the cows, bought cucumbers, soaked up the beauty of the January day. I've been to SEED many times, but this was the first time I was able to get a tour, and I want to share it with you.
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| The campus - and gazebo. |
SEED stands for Service Evangelization Education and Development. It was begun in 1992, after Frantz moved back to Les Cayes after studying in the United States. He and Doris were married around that same time. Doris is originally from Germany.
The college is a 3 year program, and teaches Bible training, agriculture, and veterinary care. The fields provide a place to gain practical experience, and to grow produce to sell locally and raise money for the mission. The third year of the program is spent in what is called an extension program. Students are matched with a pastor in the region, and sent out to help grow gardens, teach agriculture, animal husbandry, and God's Word. The veterinary clinic at SEED is a place for local farmers to come and bring their animals in need of care, and the students get experience also.
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| Rows and rows of cabbages |
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| Starfruit |
A Haitian crop, the Vetiver grass, is harvested to be used to make essential oil and perfume and shipped abroad. This is a pile of the factory's byproduct (the roots after they are processed) that SEED uses as mulch.
After Hurricane Matthew, it was hard to find feed for the cows as the elephant grass was destroyed. Here they are shredding sugarcane for feed.
SEED has several satellite farms, and one of the farms has more cattle.
This was pretty cool to me...they take the cattle manure and put it in the concrete structure here, and pipe the methane gas to the cafeteria to use for cooking.
There is more info online at
SEED's website. If anyone is interested in going to SEED, there is work team info on HarvestCall's website - or come visit us and we can take you there and show you around! Oh, and thankfully, the road from Port to Cayes has been paved...so you won't have to drive over a plowed field or too-narrow bridges for 120 miles....only about 8 if you come to see us :D
