The Tribune

By ANNELIA NIXON

Tribune Business Reporter

anixon@tribunemedia.net

TWENTY Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) employees swapped their desks for garden rows as they joined a community harvest at the St James Road farm, marking another milestone in the bank’s five-year partnership with the Agricultural Development Organization (ADO) whom they presented a $15,000 donation.

The donation was in support of its mission of expanding food security across The Bahamas.

The farm was in full bloom, with crops including kale, bok choy, Swiss chard, romaine lettuce, celery and eggplant ready to be picked. Supported by RBC since its creation, the St James Road garden is one of two community farms sponsored by the bank, the other located in Rolleville, Exuma. Fresh produce from the harvest is shared with neighbouring communities and donated to Ranfurly Homes for Children.

“Community and backyard farming is where food security starts, and for The Bahamas, it’s the future,” Dwayne Kemp, area vice-president of RBC FINCO said. “This needs to be an investment in every community. At RBC, we don’t want to support this from a distance. We show up, roll up our sleeves and help our communities grow something that genuinely improves people’s health and well-being.

“This initiative has inspired me personally. I’ve even started my own backyard garden because of it.”

RBC has partnered with ADO for the past five years, committing resources, volunteer time and practical support to community gardens that bring fresh food closer to home. The team coordinates at least two harvests a year at the St James Road site.

“The cost of fresh produce can be astronomical at times, and this is where community farming makes a real difference,” Mr Kemp added. “This food is good for the body. It helps to sustain communities. If we can harvest it, grow it, and show people how to do it themselves with gardening kits, even better.”

Philip Smith, executive chairman of ADO, praised RBC’s long-standing support.

“RBC has been an amazing partner for the last five years, at this farm and in Rolleville in Exuma,” Mr Smith said. “It is a privilege to work with a partner to make a real difference in the community, and having RBC staff here on the ground, harvesting the food in the garden and seeing the community around them, shows how hands-on they are.

“I thank them for everything they have done, from helping to create the garden to being here year in, year out to see the results.”

Mr Smith said ADO plans to establish a community farm in all 41 constituencies across The Bahamas, with five already in place.

ADO’s mission is to improve food security in The Bahamas, reduce hunger and help create a healthier population by growing what the country eats and encouraging Bahamians to eat what they grow.