Agriculture in the Central Plateau of Haiti (PDF | 1MB) - Virginia Tech

Agriculture in the Central Plateau of Haiti:
An International Approach to the Online Masters in Agricultural and Life Sciences
Since the January 2010 massive
7.2-level earthquake, with its epicenter
beneath the capital of Port-au-Prince,
Haiti has faced a cholera epidemic that
continues today.
Behind the headlines, lies a nation of
people struggling to secure a livelihood
for their families. Haiti, occupying the
western third of the island of Hispaniola,
has had a different history from the
Dominican Republic, which also shares
the island. Development of agriculture
has been hindered by environmental
degradation caused by deforestation. In fact, eighty percent of Haiti’s population lives in poverty with
two-thirds of the people involved in agriculture, mostly on small holdings.
Rob Slaughter, a Virginia Tech graduate student enrolled in the online Masters of Agricultural and
Life Sciences program, is conducting an economic analysis of farm families on the Central Plateau
of Haiti, including factors affecting pest management. As with most of the students in this program,
Slaughter, a resident of Norfolk, Va., maintains a full-time job in addition to his degree work.
The impetus to enroll in the master’s program stemmed from Slaughter’s return from an Army
Reserve tour in Iraq, during which his assignment involved working in agriculture, one of the areas
of focus of the U.S. reconstruction effort. “The fascinating experience abroad rekindled my life-long
interest in agriculture and motivated me to look for an online opportunity to pursue,” says Slaughter.
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ACCESS &
Innovation
Peter Macedo Named Director of Distance
Learning and Summer Sessions
Peter Macedo was appointed director of
Distance Learning and Summer Sessions at
the beginning of the spring 2011 semester,
with direct reporting to Daniel Wubah, vice
president and dean for undergraduate
education.
Macedo, who formerly served as the
associate director for the Institute for
Distance and Distributed Learning, serves as
a member of the executive staff responsible
for the coordination of the university’s distance learning activities,
including university-wide program planning, course development
and delivery, eLearning systems development and integration,
student and faculty support services, as well as course and program
assessment.
Peter Macedo
In addition, Macedo will promote quality synchronous and
asynchronous teaching and learning experiences and provide
collaborative leadership in the development of new, scalable models
of distance and distributed learning.
“I’m excited for the challenge and look forward to what we can do
as a department to support Virginia Tech in the areas of distance
learning and summer sessions,” says Macedo. “I feel confident that
through established partnerships and new initiatives we can all grow
and continue to be a leader in all our strategic efforts.”
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A Publication of the Office of Distance Learning and Summer Sessions

ACCESS &
Innovation
Haiti (cont’d.)
The genesis of Slaughter’s project originated from a visit he made to the Haitian
American Friendship Foundation, a Christian missionary organization located in the
Central Plateau village of Bohoc. “I was drawn to help the impoverished Bohoc farm
families, who display an upbeat spirit and remarkable ability to survive on meager
resources,” notes Slaughter.
Three trips to Haiti, including a week visit in October 2010, allowed Slaughter the
opportunity to see firsthand the challenges farmers face, as well as occasions to discuss
improvements. During the latter visit, Slaughter was joined by Doug Pfeiffer, Virginia
Tech professor of entomology and program director for the online masters program.
During his previous trips, and with the help of language tapes, Slaughter became
familiar with basic Creole, the language commonly spoken in Haiti (while French is one
of two official languages, Creole is more generally spoken). This ability in Creole helped
establish rapport with farmers, while a local interpreter was relied upon for the more
technical communication.
Pfeiffer and Slaughter gathered critical information on the crops grown, the yearly
planting cycle, prices for seed and other supplies, and how much crop is used by the
family versus being sold locally. In addition, the pair documented the perceived losses
from pests such as aphids, scale insects and mealybugs.
“I was drawn to help the impoverished Bohoc farm families,
who display an upbeat spirit and remarkable ability to survive
on meager resources.”
—Rob Slaughter, Graduate Student, Online Masters of
Agricultural and Life Sciences program
Farmers explaining to Rob Slaughter
seasonal development of plantain crops.
Data gathered will be used to estimate impacts of various changes in the farming
system, such as the advent of new pest management approaches, and to aid in
the adoption of appropriate cost-effective farming practices in this region.
Slaughter will complete his final project and graduate at the end of the year,
representing a four-year academic journey. “The courses have been interesting
and challenging, and the professors have been knowledgeable, accessible, and
accommodating,” surmises Slaughter. “Students are allowed to proceed at their
own pace which has been critical for me, considering the busy jobs I have held. I
proved that the courses can be taken from anywhere as I completed part of the
program from Afghanistan.”
—Article and photos by Doug Pfeiffer and Rob Slaughter
A Publication of the Office of Distance Learning and Summer Sessions
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