Planting Stakes For La Hatte

On a nearby mountain are Acacia trees. Although they are considered invasive, they’re actually valuable because they grow fast and make great fuel for cooking. The Acacia tree also essentially becomes a placeholder and is prioritized for use, allowing other trees that offer fruits and crops to stay alive and avoid being cut down. Acacia trees also make great stakes for marking and supporting newly planted seedlings.

We cut these branches and turned them into 3 feet long stakes. Then our team painted them different colors so we could differentiate between each tree. Each of these colored stakes is being planted next to a new seedling of cacao, breadnut, or kenep fruit. We’re planting nearly 400 trees on Tisonson's land, and the colored stakes will allow us to track and prove tree survival. In combination with the stake color, the tree's size and species will provide enough data to improve the location services of our tree tracking service. Now we can determine each tree's growth over time along with its carn absorption data.

Kenep Fruit Seeds

This is Kenep/Genips fruit (Milicocus bijigatus) a very popular and nutrtious food in Haiti this time of year. We're excited to start planting from the seeds pictured here.

Kenep trees can grow up to 85 feet tall, and sturdy enough that storms won't easily knock them over. Their leaves also grow fast, so even after a storm, if leaves fall off, they'll grow and return shade to the area.

For agroforestry, they are great for honey making from bees. Many locals produce and sell wine with kenep fruit as well.