The Tribune

By YOURI KEMP

Tribune Business Reporter

ykemp@tribunemedia.net

A Bahamian farmer is expanding by launching a fresh produce market that he aims to have ready within the next three months.

Sidney Sinclair, principal of Down to Earth Adventure Farms, told Tribune Business that the move is both a revenue generator as well as to provide other Bahamian farmers with a location to market their produce.

“I have my own market here now, but my intention is to bring in another ten people that do different things so it would make the market more complete,” he explained. “Within the next three months you will be able to pick up your fresh vegetables and soaps and all of these different things that people like as well.”

Down to Earth has a small market now where it sells fresh produce in addition to preservatives of every kind of native fruit. It also makes fresh juices for sale and has a small bottling operation for both the juices and preservatives. “We also sell fresh cane juice and use our own cane juice for our juices. We can also make sugar from our canes as well,” Mr Sinclair added.

The farm is also branching out into the honey business. “We have already started setting up some bee hives in the back. So within the next couple of months we will be harvesting our own honey,” Mr Sinclair said.

Mr Sinclair said he aims to have 500 bee hives before year-end. Each hive can house up to 80,000 bees, which can make up to three gallons of honey every 60 days. “We are also making hives to sell for other people as well. That’s been going well as we have people from all around the country who we have been selling hives to,” he added.

“We also teach them how to keep the hives, too. Once you have the Queen, the bees do the work themselves. All you have to do is feed them with syrup or sweet items and they give you fresh honey.”

Down to Earth, based in the Carmichael Road and Cowpen Road area, has developed from selling fresh produce to featuring chickens, ducks, iguanas, crabs, peacocks and a pony that entertains students when they come on field trips.