Mill Demonstration

Posted on April 4, 2017 by Michael McLaughlin

Here is Pierre Moise of Jeremie Breadfruit demonstrating the use of a mill he received from Trees That Feed last year. Jeremie Breadfruit has been producing breadfruit flour for approximately four years in Haiti. Trees That Feed partners with Jeremie Breadfruit to provide locally-produced breadfruit flour for feeding programs in Haitian schools, orphanages and hospitals.

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Charlotin’s New Video

Posted on March 22, 2017 by Michael McLaughlin

We are very proud of Haitian entrepreneur Charlotin Frednaud, head of Groupe D’Appui a la Production Locale (GAPL). Check out his business’ new video below! Charlotin approached Trees That Feed Foundation in 2016 for support in starting his own breadfruit flour production business. In a matter of months, he set up GAPL. Once he received processing equipment and training, thanks to TTFF’s generous supporters, he started producing at an impressive pace. To date, he has produced over a half ton of breadfruit flour and is supplying flour to 15 schools and hospitals in NE Haiti. We are excited to continue to watch Charlotin’s business grow!

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Another Exciting Year for Trees That Feed!

Posted on March 22, 2017 by Michael McLaughlin

TTFF 2016 Annual Report

We are excited to share Trees That Feed Foundation’s 2016 Annual Report. 2016 was a big year for us! Thanks to all of TTFF’s partners and supporters. To date, TTFF has distributed over 120,000 food-bearing trees, 22 kits of food processing equipment and 12,000 pounds of breadfruit flour. We have reached hundreds of thousands of individuals across eleven countries since our first tree distribution in 2009.

Perhaps the most rewarding experience of 2016 was reaching the point at which the sustaining nature of our work hit full circle. Some of our initial 2009 tree recipients are now overseeing their own entrepreneurial tree nurseries, supplying food-bearing trees to TTFF’s new generation of recipients. Other entrepreneurs are processing their own breadfruit for distribution to local schools. We couldn’t be more thrilled to see these small businesses pop up that will simultaneously foster food independence, local jobs and environmental benefits! This is what TTFF is all about.

As we look to the rest of 2017, TTFF will continue to provide trees and equipment, but will also heavily focus on education. We will be holding even more training for farmers and entrepreneurs, and will be working more closely with schools and families to support environmental education for children. We are excited for what is to come!

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Breadfruit in Bahamian Schools

Posted on March 15, 2017 by Michael McLaughlin

Bahamas Forest Supervisor Wavell Hanna and Assistant Forestry Officer Amanda Newbold recently gave a series of presentations to Bahamian students about the importance of forests and trees. Amanda and Wavell visited four schools on South Andros and Mangrove Cay. After learning about trees and wetlands, students planted TTFF breadfruit trees!

   

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iSupport Club and Trees That Feed

Posted on March 14, 2017 by Michael McLaughlin

Trees That Feed Foundation visited a local Inside Out Club over the weekend to talk about the benefits of trees. As you can see, our little environmentalist participants couldn’t have been cuter! We rotated stations during the event to learn about geography, food-bearing trees, tree care and current environmental challenges.

Inside Out Club works to develop kids with character inside and out. Thanks to all of the families who joined the event. It was a great day spent learning together.

 

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Ascension’s 2017 Children’s Lenten Project

Posted on March 8, 2017 by Michael McLaughlin

Trees That Feed is excited to be partnering with Ascension Catholic Church in Oak Park, IL for their 2017 Children’s Lenten Project! Throughout Lent, Ascension’s families and students will be reducing their carbon footprint and learning about ways in which we can preserve our environment. They will also be raising funds to send trees and meals to families and students in Haiti. Ascension’s goal is to provide about 450 trees and 10,000 meals – we have no doubt that they can do it! Stay tuned for updates.

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Breadfruit nutrition

Posted on February 16, 2017 by Michael McLaughlin

Thanks to Global Breadfruit for this infographic on breadfruit nutrition!

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Join the Symposium!

Posted on February 2, 2017 by Michael McLaughlin

TTFF is excited to be in Jamaica this week. We will be hosting a breadfruit symposium in partnership with Jamaica’s College of Agriculture, Science and Education (CASE). Check out details below! All are welcome and we hope you can join us. Contact info@treesthatfeed.org or 876-593-5291 to RSVP and/or ask questions.

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Yams to Jeremie’s Foothills

Posted on January 26, 2017 by Michael McLaughlin

We received an update today on the yellow yams that were part of TTFF’s hurricane response effort. Thanks to the generosity of our donors and partners, and to the energetic efforts of Pierre-Moise and Renel, the people of Doudouche recently received yam saplings. Doudouche is in the remote foothills of Jeremie.

Immediately after the hurricane, TTFF secured yellow yams from an area in Haiti unaffected by the disaster. These yams were one component of our multi-faceted approach to the hurricane relief, as we worked to provide various sustainable food sources that would provide both immediate and long-term yield. Our partners then helped transport the yams to Jeremie, an area struck by the hurricane. Pierre-Moise and Renel, two local agronomists, spent time dividing the yams in the nursery to be able to maximize the number of yams and yam seeds from this distribution.

We are thrilled to see that the hurricane relief efforts are continuing to provide food sources that will help alleviate a need for charitable food contributions in the future. Thanks again to all of our supporters and partners.

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Trees for Suriname

Posted on January 4, 2017 by Michael McLaughlin

When working together, there’s nothing like the personal touch. Mary and Mike McLaughlin reach out by email, phone call, and various multiple social media channels. But when the time came to launch TTFF’s tree planting and entrepreneurship programs in Suriname, Mary and Mike felt they had to be there.

TTFF met Reiner Taus originally in Haiti, at the Breadfruit Symposium in Port au Prince in August 2016. Reinier works in the Suriname Ministry of Agriculture, and also serves as the Suriname coordinator for CaFAN, the Caribbean Farmers Agricultural Network. He received 2,000 Ma’afala breadfruit trees, provided courtesy of Global Breadfruit, our working partner based in San Diego, California and Frankfurt, Germany. TTFF committed

to assist with information and later with Factory in a Box equipment for processing the fresh breadfruit into chips or flour.

Mary McLaughlin visited the government agricultural station where the young trees are being hardened. Now, several months later, the trees are ready to be planted in the fields by farmers. The Government is looking to recoup the costs of hardening the plants, so TTFF agreed to a subsidy such that the plants could be sold locally at an attractive price. Mary also bought 30 trees and distributed them during the course of the visit.

 

To stimulate interest in breadfruit flour recipes,
Mary met with Patrick Woen, a top chef at Spice Quest restaurant. Patrick will help to distribute trees and hopefully develop local recipes, such as Pom, using breadfruit flour.

Mary accompanied by Reinier visited the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Djoemandie Kasamnoesdian, to discuss the program, then was interviewed on Suriname television by Shurly Larkin, head of the station. Together they planted a breadfruit tree on the grounds of the station! TTFF will also provide additional trees to an indigenous community in the rural farming areas of the country.

Later as the program develops and more trees come into fruit, Reinier and his business partner will be provided with equipment to set up a processing factory.

After leaving Suriname, Mary and Mike visited Barbados and Trinidad & Tobago, for several meetings farmers, government and academics. Our programs are developing there.  But that’s a story for another day.

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