The SVG Conservation Fund says that maintenance work on the three new vetiver nurseries in the North Leeward area is still going on.
Farmers have been cleaning and trimming the vetiver grass. Cuttings from the vetiver are being used as organic mulch. The mulch would be beneficial, especially for the upcoming dry season, SVGCF stated.
“As a deliverable of the project, vetiver cuttings were installed both on Belle Isle Correctional Facility’s farm and farmers’ plots to improve soil stability. “Seeds such as watermelons, eggplants, sweet peppers, and more were distributed to increase their crop production,” SVGCF said.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines Conservation Fund (SVGCF) awarded Hand2Earth a grant to construct a vetiver system for farmers in North Leeward to restore farmland, conserve land, and secure food supplies.
Vetiver grass grows back year after year and can survive temperatures from 0 to 50 degrees Celsius.
The Vetiver System is a simple, inexpensive, and effective way of preventing soil erosion and promoting soil conservation by planting Vetiver grass in hedgerows.
