Do you know where your fruit comes from? The students at our schools don’t have to wonder — they get a firsthand look at where bananas, mangos, papayas, and more grow, right behind the College James M. Stine (CJMS) campus.

From Soil to Sustenance: The CJMS School Farm

Our school farm, led by Agronomist Osnel, is more than just rows of crops. It’s a living classroom where students see the value of agriculture and sustainable food systems up close. From mangos, bananas, and plantains to papayas, beans, manioc, peppers, and okra, the farm is alive with nutritious foods that reflect Haiti’s agricultural richness.

While the farm occasionally donates bananas or plantains to the feeding program at Les Bons Samaritains (LBS), and students look forward to monthly “egg days” from our laying hens, its primary role is different: it operates as a small business. Produce is sold in local markets and restaurants, helping sustain the local economy while teaching students about entrepreneurship and farming techniques.

In the future, we hope farm profits will directly support our school feeding program. For now, the farm already brings enormous value — nourishing students’ curiosity, strengthening ties to their community, and offering a model of how agriculture can provide opportunity, stability, and hope for the next generation.