Tonight I am thinking about the devastation and loss of lives and livelihoods wreaked by the recent hurricane across Central America. As a member of Jamaica’s Chapter, JAWIC, of the International Women’s Coffee Alliance (IWCA) I see the faces of friends and coffee sisters and hope and pray that they, their families and communities are not too badly hit.
In Jamaica, farmers across the island have lost crops to flooding. In the mountains, those coffee farmers who were reaping lost most of it to rains that battered the cherry to the earth. It has been a hard year, Severe Drought, devastating flood rains and COVID. Now with many roads destroyed farmers who can now reap have hard time getting their produce to the processors.
So far, Rowan’s Royale has survived, no land slides, little loss. But, we were lucky, we do not usually start reaping until late December into January. Who knows what lies ahead?
Ian Francis, Farm Team leader braved the bad roads to bring me photos on his phone ” because I know you will sleep better if you see the farm!” He is so very caring. The right type of person to be on an organic farm; care for the earth, respect for trees, bushes, flowers, animals and people…. Here are a few of his photos: coffee and ginger loving the rain
