What's Happening in Frederick, MD…

Florence Reed, who is the founder and president of Sustainable Harvest International (SHI), spoke at Hood College in Frederick recently.

Reed talked about the successes her organization has had in Central America. SHI has been teaching farmers in Belize, Panama, and Honduras to stop their “slash-and-burn” practices, and instead adopt methods that help enrich their soil.

Reed became interested in sustainability during her work in Panama as a Peace Corps volunteer, when she saw the damage certain practices were doing to the rainforest. She founded SHI in 1997, to help farmers in the region use their land more efficiently.

During her presentation, Reed spoke about Demetrio Martinez, Jr., who got in touch with SHI to move away from the slash-and-burn tehcnique he had been using. The method creates a layer of ash on top of the soil, which provides fertilizer, but only for one crop, after which time the farmers move on. Martinez wanted a better alternative. After five years using SHI methods, his farm has rich, dark-brown soil, which enables him to grow enough food to create a balanced diet for his family, without using pesticides that can damage the environment.

Since Hood College hopes to send students to work with SHI in Central America, school officials might create Brochures so students can consider the program at their leisure.Get a Free Quote for Brochures