OLD ROAD, St. Kitts, Monday, April 2nd 2012 - Using natural resources, people, bush and fruits, available in St. Kitts and Nevis, the Community Achievers Project (CAP) has created and produced two attractively packaged herbal (bush) teas made from the finest organic herbs to deal with (1) detoxification using aromatic and bitter herbs named Aromatic Detox and (2) boosting the immune system using aromatic and sweet herbs, called Immune Booster.
“Many people want more information about herbs and what they are good for”, says Sydney Berkeley, CAP Director of Agriculture. Berkeley learned about bush from his grandparents. As a little boy, his step grandmother used to take him to Nevis and back, and he learned and retained many of her herbal remedies.
However, he knows only local names for some herbs which make further research difficult at this time. But much research has been done on many of the herbs grown on the Riches of the Earth organic farm and these herbs are used in the two herbal teas. CAP has conducted research to cross reference information pertaining to the safety and usage of any products presented to the public, says Victoria Baucom-Berkeley, CAP Founder and Executive Director and former Research Analyst at SRI International.
To try to explain how herbs work, in a lecture, Steven Horne, Past President, American Herbalist Guild said that herbs restore balance to the internal environment of the body. He explained that all of the cells in our body live in an ocean of lymphatic fluid, and research have shown that as long as this fluid that the cells live in is kept in proper balance…, the cells of our body will continue to live and reproduce indefinitely with perfect health.
According to the article, when the fluids surrounding the cells become upset, people get sick because the internal environment has been compromised. “So the best way to understand herbs is to understand how they re-balance the body when the internal or biological terrain is out of balance,” Horne said.
The general classification for herbs is as follows: Aromatic/Pungent - Stimulating, Bitters - Detoxifying, Salty - Nourishing, Sour - Cooling, Astringent - Tightening, Mucilant - Soothing and Sweet - Tonifying.
For its teas, CAP selected bitter and aromatic herbs for the Aromatic Detox. The Immune Booster consists of aromatic and sweet herbs. The herbs for the two different tea selections have to be dried to a certain consistency to ensure the highest quality, said both Berkeleys. However, using dehydrators consume a lot of electricity, which would cause the price for the product to go higher.
To solve this problem, the USAID funded Farmer to Farmer program (FTF), administered by Partners of the Americas has come to the rescue, sending a food processing specialist. Ralph Bucca has been teaching farmers in Africa, Central and South America how to make solar dryers for the past five years.
This is the second year CAP has participated in the USAID funded FTF program. Last year Tom Syverud along with Berkeley, trained nine (9) CAP youth attending Basseterre High School. They focused on how to: make square meter gardens, organic compost, test the soil and locate and destroy pest. Joseph Hodge participated in this program and began to shine as a farmer and future leader.
Two other FTF specialists came last year to help Sydney devise marketing strategies, build small square meter gardens and for CAP to gain knowledge in starting its herbal business.
Two other former CAPsters, Kyla Herbert and Jamal Herbert worked with CAP and FTF during this training session. Jamal Herbert even managed to sell some of his jewelry to the FTF specialists. Now all three youth are in training at CAP. They hope to be able to earn a living selling the products made at the Riches of the Earth organic farm. The four older youth also give back to the community through their participation in CAP programs held at the primary schools and at the farm.
Using fruits in season, CAP makes herbal juices, providing a little information on the nutritional benefits of the fruits. Using the Bible as its guide, CAP references the verse in Ezekiel 47:12 God made the fruit for meat and the herbs for medicine. Papaya, Passion fruit, Sour Sop, Guava and Gooseberry, etc., are the fruit juices currently available.
CAP also dries fruits in order to make healthy snacks. As part of the program held at Irish Town Primary School, CAP teach the young CAPsters organic agriculture and agro processing, focusing on how to dry fruits. Last week, CAP and Partners of the Americas donated a solar dryer to Irish Town. Ralph Bucca, Sydney Berkeley, CAP Director of Agriculture, Kyla Herbert and Joseph Hodge, constructed the dryers.
At Irish Town Primary School the students became very excited about assembling the dryer and preparing the fruits. They worked together under the supervision of Annette Hodge, a CAP volunteer. Elisabeth Loudon is visiting from Austria and is volunteering with CAP at the school and at the farm. Both Ms. Boddie, Principal, and Mrs. Roberts, Sr. Education Officer, think the CAP program at Irish Town is educational and healthy for the children.
Bucca and some of the children at the school brought fruits to dry. As a team they cut fruits, carefully put them on trays and took turns watching the fruits dry in the solar dryer. “I can’t wait to eat those guavas when they dry”, said one little boy. All of the children declared that they would trade in their corn curls for these healthy snacks. Princess Nisbett, seven years old, shouted out, she wants to sell them.
The CAP team, consisting of Victoria Baucom-Berkeley, Sydney Berkeley, Kyla Herbert and Joseph Hodge are involved in every aspect of producing these value added products, starting from planting the seed, packaging and design, quality control to marketing the products. The Aromatic Detox and Immune Booster herbal teas and organic juices will be available at Value Mart, and Rams on April 2nd and the juices are available at Readi Fries and Sea View Inn on the Bay Road.
The proceeds from the money made from these products go toward operating and administrative expenses in order for CAP to continue training young people in the federation.
*************************
DISCLAIMER
This article was posted in its entirety as received by SKNVibes.com. This media house does not correct any spelling or grammatical error within press releases and commentaries. The views expressed therein are not necessarily those of SKNVibes.com, its sponsors or advertisers.
