Dominican farmer, Jeffery Bruney has returned home after studies with plans to modernise agriculture with a hurricane resistant farming model which he believes will revolutionise the sector.
In an exclusive interview with GIS News on Friday, Bruney, who is certified in Aquaculture from Cornell University, told the nation that his farm model is really a simple and very logical idea.
“What really makes this system hurricane resistant is two things: number one, one part of the system is portable so when the storm is coming you put it away. The other part of the system that is more suitable for a larger, more commercial facility is a system which involves concrete rafts or a long narrow concrete swimming pool, filled with water and a nutrient solution. When the storm is coming, you lower everything and you cover it. When you lower the water level, the plants are submerged into the system and you cover it.”
Bruney gave an idea of how his hurricane resistant farm model works.
“The farm is based on hydroponics and aquaponics and simply put, it’s growing without soil and its all natural. Natural meaning that there are no pesticides or fertilizers. The nutrient solution which I use for the system I make. It is made out of some basic ingredients, molasses, oxygen and worm [faeces].
The system has several components. There’s going to be a worm farm, because I’m going to need to extract the worm poop to make my nutrient solution. Also besides worm poop, I will be using fish urine and [faecal matter] called aquaponics.”
Both methods, Bruney says are old and time-proven for millennia, the only difference he says is that he has modernised the concept.
According to him, this idea came from his lifelong love for farming and his search for solutions to the problems that plague Caribbean farmers.
Since the conception, Bruney continued, he has refined the plan several times until it became affordable for the average farmer.
To the question of whether he sees interest in the idea, Bruney says he has no doubt that business-minded farmers will get onboard.
Meanwhile, Bruney is actively working toward a partnership with Government and the Ministry of Agriculture.
“I see this as not just my farm but [as a] very lucrative agri-tourism product for Dominica. I think it’s a huge deal that you can have the first ever hurricane resistant farm on the island. I’m hoping that I can partner with the Government on that. I do not want it to be just something that I do, or my thing. I would prefer it to be a ‘Dominica’ thing.”
Bruney told GIS that his hurricane-resistant farm model has been validated by a professor of US-based Cornell University.
He has also posted a short demonstration of his Kubuli Farm online and has received several expressions of interest however Bruney insists that this belongs to Dominica.
Bruney hopes that others will further develop his concept. He sees this as a way of making agriculture more interesting to youth.
“Agriculture doesn’t have to be the thing that our fathers and grandfathers did. Agriculture can be cool if we do modern agriculture. So many components of aquaponics and hydroponics can be automated. There’s no soil and some people do not like working in soil. I have a small system in Queens (New York) and I do most of my maintenance through an app on my cell phone so this is something that the young people can get into.”
Bruney is seeking to get his concept patented.