CuisinArt Golf Resort and Spa in Anguilla has the distinction of growing its own vegetables for its five restaurants at its expansive, long-established and unique Hydroponic Farm.
Now, over the past several months, working through its very active, efficient and separate landscaping department, the resort has added what is called an “Agro Garden”.
Partly growing a variety of additional vegetables, the Agro Garden complements the Hydroponic Farm. It also grows thousands of ornamental and flowering plants, from cuttings, for the property’s coming new Reef Hotel. The garden encompasses a large acreage of vacant land to the north, and is a new dimension to the general work being carried out by the resort’s well-known Landscape Manager, Everette Clarke, the Assistant Manager, Brian Corbett, and the crew of workmen. The Hydroponic Farm is a special project, of much acclaim, under the long-time and distinguished management of Dr. Howard M. Resh and team.
While on a mission to the resort’s main building, an excited Brian Corbett invited The Anguillian to visit the new agricultural area. Speaking on behalf of himself and Everette Clarke, he said: “Today, we are introducing to the public our Agro Farm. This is different from the Hydroponic Farm where the plants grow by water, but here we are producing our plants and products straight from the soil. We are giving to our guests two different sites of agricultural food.”
Corbett continued: “See, right here we have pumpkins that weigh 25-30 pounds, and others which may range between 40 and 50 pounds. We started this garden some six months ago and we are already reaping a lot of stuff. Over here, we have some seasoning hot peppers to make all of the hot sauce we need at our five restaurants. We already have tomatoes and sweet peppers at the Hydroponic Farm, but here we have a different variety coming from the soil – the tomatoes are firmer and the sweet peppers are harder. Unlike those at the Hydroponic Farm, which are prettier, these are open to the elements and therefore look different.
“Even though we are producing pumpkins and other vegetables, we want to support our locals instead of ordering everything from outside Anguilla. You will find that about 75% of our food is produced at the Hydroponic Farm and the remaining 25% breaks up between our local and overseas suppliers. But what we are doing is cutting down on the percentage of our imports…We are also trying to build a community where we have people involved – not only our guests, but schoolchildren and others when they visit us. We are also taking part in the health promotion fair labelled ‘straight from the farm to the plate.’ There, we will be showing off some of our produce.
“Not only pumpkins, sweet peppers and tomatoes are here on our Agro Farm. Here we have our basil, lemon grass, thyme, scallion, celery and egg-plant. Later on, we will plant some kale, which is presently in the nursery, squash and cucumbers. Behind us, here, we have already begun to set up these rows so you can have a good idea of what we plan to do in the near future.
“At the back of us, we are growing plants as well. As you know, every hotel normally brings in plants but we are trying to cut out that. We want to be more diverse and effective in getting our own plants by doing cuttings and other means of plant propagation.”
Meanwhile, Everette Clarke, who eventually joined the tour of the Agro Farm, surveyed the acreage now under thriving vegetable and plant production. “We are propagating right now our 45,000 plants for the grounds of the new hotel that is supposed to be coming on stream, while developing our Agro Farm in the natural environment,” he stated.
Corbett is originally from Montserrat where he is accustomed to fertile volcanic soil and lush plant life, and Clarke, his Manager, is originally from Nevis. “Those are volcanic islands so the soil is very rich, but here we have to maintain the richness of the soil,” Corbett stated. “We mix the soil with compost and add some fertiliser, including iron, to enrich it as the soil’s composition is more of a limestone and alkaline base. By enriching the soil, crops like these, I have mentioned, can grow as efficient as those that grow in volcanic islands.”
He went on: “Mr. Everette Clarke is the Landscape Manager at CuisinArt Golf Resort and Spa. With his guidance, and help, both of us got together and we really put out something for the general public and also for our guests to enjoy. Mr. Clarke was one of the main persons from the inception of the resort who set up the landscaping work. Later on, I came along to help him institute some other areas of the work as well. With his guidance, love and passion for landscaping, and our coming from nature islands, so to speak, we have a good knowledge of agriculture and landscaping to provide that extra service and boom within the hotel organisation. But despite, our knowledge, we need a team and the workers we have are a very hardworking team – and we appreciate them a lot.”
Corbett said something that every worthwhile, skilful and dedicated worker would like to boast about. “We have the full support of the management as well as the owner who is a person who loves landscaping and loves agriculture. It is very commendable and encouraging when you have the management force behind you one hundred percent,” he told The Anguillian.
“We are choosing this media house to really thank the management and the owner for taking the initiative and putting their trust in us to make this happen,” Corbett proudly added.
