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

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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