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RBC Partners with ADO, Launches Second Community Garden in Rolleville, Exuma from leading bank’s $50,000 donation

Tue, Dec 19th 2023, 02:41 PM
Community/Charity Environment

Declaring “growing our own food is essential to the economy, our way of life and our very survival,” Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Investments & Aviation Chester Cooper officially opened a half acre community farm in Rolleville, Exuma this week.

Cooper was among nearly 100 people in attendance to help plant and celebrate the community project, a partnership between the Agricultural Development Organization and the Rolleville Commonage and funded by leading bank RBC.

It was the second of three community farms RBC is funding through ADO, a non-profit that grew out of the Bahamas Feeding Network in an effort to boost food security.

ADO Exeuctive Chairman Philip Smith said the goal to “growing more of what we eat and eating more of what we grow” is as straightforward as raising funds to plant more backyard, school, community and commercial farms and inspire individuals to go back to the very Bahamian roots of farming for healthier lifestyles and greater food security.  

“ADO is in a unique space in that we go out and solicit donations. The government has a limited budget, but our budget can be unlimited if we can bring in sufficient monies,” he said. With support from entities like RBC, Royal Caribbean International, Disney Cruise Lines and Teekay Foundation, Smith said ADO is demonstrating the power of partnerships with tangible benefits, including the distribution of more than 2,500 backyard farming kits since the non-profit’s launch less than two years ago.

For RBC, projects like the community farm have a direct impact. Ehren Hanna, RBC Manager, Exuma branch explained.

“This initiative helps us to create and foster a future of self-sufficiency in our country’s food supply,” he said. “We also see it as empowering our community and fortifying the relationship with the land that sustains us. So through our generous sponsorship of $50,000, RBC is delighted to assist ADO in funding the development of community greenhouse gardens and providing backyard garden kits to neighborhoods across New Providence and Exuma.”

Earlier this year, ADO and RBC partnered to create a smaller version of a community farm with RBC volunteers planting an above ground garden at Pilgrim Baptist Church on St. James Road, transforming a section of parking lot into a garden capable of feeding up to 150 neighboring families with fresh produce and greens.

RBC volunteers were again part of the launch but this time nearly the whole settlement turned out with children as young as three getting the feel of the soil, something the Deputy Prime Minister said he had to do as a youngster growing up in Exuma.

“So we are here to celebrate this great initiative of the Agricultural Development Organization in partnerhsip with RBC and the Rolleville community, and I can’t help but reflect on my days of subsistence farming as a child,” said Cooper, who is also the member of Parliament for the constituency. “It was tough work and I hated it. But we did it because we had to. Now as we advance as a people and we become a little more sophisticated we focus on food security.  During the pandemic, we got caught flatfooted and we started to wonder what would happen if the ships didn’t come. It scared us quite frankly. And then we went back to basics and started talking about food security.”

Cooper applauded the initiative, calling it important on several levels – providing a focal point for community engagement along with netting food and herbal remedies to be harvested.

“It goes beyond providing food for ourselves,” he noted. “It goes to healthy living and healthy lifestyles…I hope that what you are doing here with ADO is an inspiration for some young people to get involved.” He also implored local resorts – Sandals, Grand Isle and Peace & Plenty – to buy from local farms.

“I am inspired by what I see here,” said the DPM, “and I want to say a special thank you to Philip Smith who has been giving his time to charitable organizations starting with the Feeding Network and now with ADO. I also want to thank RBC. Rolleville, you can be the example for the rest of the country. If we are going to make transformative change, we’ve got to be more consistent. So Rollevillle, we are counting on you for consistency to keep this going and make this happen and make this a shining example. It’s now riding on your shoulder to make this successful. On behalf of the communities across Exuma and all of the islands across the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, Rolleville, you must succeed.” 

Declaring “growing our own food is essential to the economy, our way of life and our very survival,” Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Investments & Aviation Chester Cooper officially opened a half acre community farm in Rolleville, Exuma this week.
Cooper was among nearly 100 people in attendance to help plant and celebrate the community project, a partnership between the Agricultural Development Organization and the Rolleville Commonage and funded by leading bank RBC.
It was the second of three community farms RBC is funding through ADO, a non-profit that grew out of the Bahamas Feeding Network in an effort to boost food security.
ADO Exeuctive Chairman Philip Smith said the goal to “growing more of what we eat and eating more of what we grow” is as straightforward as raising funds to plant more backyard, school, community and commercial farms and inspire individuals to go back to the very Bahamian roots of farming for healthier lifestyles and greater food security.  
“ADO is in a unique space in that we go out and solicit donations. The government has a limited budget, but our budget can be unlimited if we can bring in sufficient monies,” he said. With support from entities like RBC, Royal Caribbean International, Disney Cruise Lines and Teekay Foundation, Smith said ADO is demonstrating the power of partnerships with tangible benefits, including the distribution of more than 2,500 backyard farming kits since the non-profit’s launch less than two years ago.
For RBC, projects like the community farm have a direct impact. Ehren Hanna, RBC Manager, Exuma branch explained.
“This initiative helps us to create and foster a future of self-sufficiency in our country’s food supply,” he said. “We also see it as empowering our community and fortifying the relationship with the land that sustains us. So through our generous sponsorship of $50,000, RBC is delighted to assist ADO in funding the development of community greenhouse gardens and providing backyard garden kits to neighborhoods across New Providence and Exuma.”
Earlier this year, ADO and RBC partnered to create a smaller version of a community farm with RBC volunteers planting an above ground garden at Pilgrim Baptist Church on St. James Road, transforming a section of parking lot into a garden capable of feeding up to 150 neighboring families with fresh produce and greens.
RBC volunteers were again part of the launch but this time nearly the whole settlement turned out with children as young as three getting the feel of the soil, something the Deputy Prime Minister said he had to do as a youngster growing up in Exuma.
“So we are here to celebrate this great initiative of the Agricultural Development Organization in partnerhsip with RBC and the Rolleville community, and I can’t help but reflect on my days of subsistence farming as a child,” said Cooper, who is also the member of Parliament for the constituency. “It was tough work and I hated it. But we did it because we had to. Now as we advance as a people and we become a little more sophisticated we focus on food security.  During the pandemic, we got caught flatfooted and we started to wonder what would happen if the ships didn’t come. It scared us quite frankly. And then we went back to basics and started talking about food security.”
Cooper applauded the initiative, calling it important on several levels – providing a focal point for community engagement along with netting food and herbal remedies to be harvested.
“It goes beyond providing food for ourselves,” he noted. “It goes to healthy living and healthy lifestyles…I hope that what you are doing here with ADO is an inspiration for some young people to get involved.” He also implored local resorts – Sandals, Grand Isle and Peace & Plenty – to buy from local farms.
“I am inspired by what I see here,” said the DPM, “and I want to say a special thank you to Philip Smith who has been giving his time to charitable organizations starting with the Feeding Network and now with ADO. I also want to thank RBC. Rolleville, you can be the example for the rest of the country. If we are going to make transformative change, we’ve got to be more consistent. So Rollevillle, we are counting on you for consistency to keep this going and make this happen and make this a shining example. It’s now riding on your shoulder to make this successful. On behalf of the communities across Exuma and all of the islands across the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, Rolleville, you must succeed.” 
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