September 3 Farm Analysts Meeting & Follow-Up

[Editor’s note: This document was transcribed by Heather Shannon. The editors are grateful for her invaluable assistance.]

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[Handwritten notation at top of page: “Johnny”]

Analysts Meeting Followup — 3 September 78

  1. Gene [Chaikin] to lay out plant material for peanuts Monday A.M.
  2. Gene lay out plant material for gardens Monday A.M.
  3. Russell [Moton] to test the compost for oil – see if too detrimental.
  4. Test plant 1 row of radishes in the oil-soaked compost area
  5. Jack [Beam] make order for Tampala spinach from Yates in Gtn.
  6. Greens, cucs, lettuce, chinese cabbage, eggplants, okra and radishes to go in garden with carrots in side area… green squash growing now in plenty…
  7. Jocelyn [Carter] pick cutlass from #7
  8. Make Arbors for the cucumbers and green squash – less fungus
  9. Check with radio to see when pullet chicks coming out.
  10. Take list left for Jack by Rob Gieg, and followup on Anthony
  11. Citrus needs pruning and cutting of suckers from roots
  12. Tanya [Cox] take over care of coffee – to receive training in this. Procedures…
  13. Becky more on lab work with John Harris.
  14. Papaya crew – Ciney Newell, Dorothy, David Chaikin… verify with Jack.
  15. Plant 3 papaya per hole then cut out males later.
  16. [Rob] Christian to complete re-survey of fields by #; Darrell [Devers] tell him to see Gene for additional information Christian needs.
  17. Johnny [Brown Jones] asked for copies of new Farm Plan, harvest calendar and planting schedule – Jack said Carolyn [Layton] will get the information and make up the CAO copy.
  18. To plant cuban black beans; store others; to plant way man at coop does.
  19. Demo put bananas back in ground if fall and prop with forked stick.
  20. Cassava mill crew to be re-established; select crew; tell Mary [Wotherspoon] she should have been at meeting. This item was tabled.
  21. List of analysts, supervisors and others who should attend Analysts to be given to Tish prior to rally Tuesday night… warnings will be written.
  22. Inspectors to write up corrections needed; copies to be given to dept. supervisors. This is not debatable as inspectors go through…
  23. Jack will get with Albert [Touchette] and get the wheelbarrows arranged for, possibly order some wheels.

 

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[Handwritten notation at top of page: “Johnny”]

Farm Analysts Meeting

3 September 1978

Attendance: Russell Moton, Harold Cordell, Don Bowers, Gene Chaikin, Sarah [Harriet] Tropp, James Morrell, Guy Mitchell, Shirley Smith, Eartis Jeffery, James Simpson, Freesedry [Kivin Earl “Freezedry”] Smith, Demosthenes Kutulas, Tish Leroy, Darrell Devers, Danny Marshall, Vicky Marshall, Caroline Kirkendall, Chris Talley, Carolyn Layton, Jan Wilsey and Jocelyn Carter.

Planting

Got some of the plowing done today, first in long time. Gene to lay out plant material for the peanuts in the morning. Lay out the stuff for the garden. Plowed in a lot of pig shit this morning. However, was from the piggery compost pile that had a lot of deisel on it. Freesedry commented he had noticed a lot of oil draining off of the stuff he got… when rains hit it. Tish commented that stateside they use the deisel to kill weeds and grasses. Demosthenes confirmed: said he used a combination of deisel and kerosene and it killed the weeds for a year – nothin grows when this is used as a rule. Russell said that most of the fertilizers are petroleum derivatives… May not be relevant…

Russell was to have checked the compost with the deisel to report if it could be used on gardens and he has not done this. Now it is in the garden. The resolution Gene suggested was to plant one row in radishes, a fast grower, and in 5 days we will know… Rest that we are not planted is to go in the area where we have none of the compost.

Every Other Row in okra suggested Gene…

Tish had mentioned need for the salad greens, Carolyn Layton mentioned talking with Joyce T. [Touchette] on this. Analysts agreed to grow more salad greens… the shading will be needed for the lettuce. Will alternate with chinese cabbage, which can also be used raw; is tender.

Tish asked about the Timpala spinach which reseeds itself and can be eaten raw and does not have the oxalic acid crystals when eaten raw… Gene says can order this from Yates in Gtn [Georgetown]… Jack to place an order for some of the seed.

Decision was against peas and limes… in the regular garden even though Fannie [Ford] is having some success with them. These can later be tried in the intensive farming.

Russell said our eggplant dying out now – need to have more plant all agreed to this.… Would like more boras but last 4 crops flubbe with the beetle… Lettuce and cabbage don’t do well in full sun… All agreed get in more quick crops – are having to buy garden vegetables locally, Need shallots also… Cabbage takes 4 mo. have some in…

Greens, cucs, lettuce, chinese cabbage, eggplants, okra and radishes to go in garden with carrots in side area… green squash growing now in plenty…

Cutlass

Jan says that we have enough cutlass beans in field 7 for 5 bags maybe… Jocelyn is to check this and pick them.

 

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Plowing

Mike T. [Touchette] is to plow three fields and Jan gave the order of this… first is the hill beside the soap factory.

Jocelyn feels should use the cutlass as a rotation crop and plow under after picking in about 4 months… as green fertilizer… Presently is not [handwriting: underlined] in the farm plan. Seemed to be a disagreement between Jan and Russell on this issue…

Cutlass subject to mosaid… Russell said only in small plots; he has not found this in fields. Jan said #5 on both sides were infected; Russell said was not that – was an insect that thrives in dry weather…

Lettuce

Gene said best when transplant, and use lot of shit and transplant late in the afternoon on a wet day… Jan said use proper shading and won’t be problem. Jan said best cucs were on arbors and same with long green squash. Russell said it reduces the fungus, also other disease problems. Shirley to let Gene know how many flats he is to set out and the nursery will do it.

Poultry

Rob thinks is cleaner than has ever been… Russell said when he went there they had disinfected one of the chicken houses and was just as it should have been…

Feed problem… Jack thinks broiler starter best because does not increase the fat – down to 25 bags egg ration… James Morrell concerned to find formula so we don’t later find our chickens in deficiency problems. Harris thinks they might have changed formula on some of this — Rob is to check out when he is in town at the Siminar on chicken raising… Leaving on boat Monday morning, will be in Gtn 7-8 for seminar; will go rest of way on the steamer.

Rob is to leave list of what is to be done with Carolyn for Jack and Darrell to follow up.

Rob was instructed to have his hair trimmed neatly and go get some fairly nice clothing. Darrell to land something and he can call Bev [Beverly Livingston] to warehouse.

Plowing

Mike T. to plow the two back fields, let at brick house, Field X, then #7 and then back field and old squash field Jack will show him. After peanuts out of 16, Mike needs to go in and push roots. Jen wants springtime cultivator. Gene says no, will mess it up…

Reports & Evaluations… being done by all supervisors. Allowing them to come in on Thursdays at 5:30 and start them since take a lot of time.

Inspectors

Question if they do not put more emphasis on fields of their own interest? Tish and Gene challenged, Jack had raised original question when Teena and Galenda and others had complained had no time to do their own maintenance as pool was pulling them always away from their own area… Demosthenes [Kutulas] also…

Gene said need a lot of pruning and cassava growing all over the citrus. Gene said lemon trees all have to be out back and pruned up. A lot have root suckers that need pruning… 2-3 days… The citrus should now be moved into nursery rows and this will take a lot of time. Gene says citrus is Galenda’s job. She said has more than can handle.

Gene says when it comes to planting Papaya should be planted by orchard people with experience… Galenda now has citrus, coffee,

 

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Analysts 3/Sept/78

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Mixed fruit and orchard. Formerly was with Jan and Becky who are not now doing this… Becky doing more lab on Dad’s request and doing with John Harris. Jan is an inspector…

Jan, Becky, Gene and Galenda only ones know citrus…

James Morrell thinks should take coffee from Galenda and let another handle this. Jan suggested Tanya… who agreed to it.

Papaya Crew

James Morrell says on the Papaya, Ciney Mewell, Dorothy B., and David Chaikin should in his estimation be on this… Gene did not like this. Feels with landscaping will need them… But landscaping is nearly completed and should not require so much of his time… NOT RESOLVED… far as I could detect.

Coffee

Jan said right now Tanya has rice and pineapples. Galena is getting her crops more centralized except for citrus out on roadside… The landscaping will be farther along… Mike will have to go in and take out the trees…

Papaya

Gene thought cassava and papaya in beneath that in 90 days… Some places plant 3 per hole and later cut out the males and end up with better field… Once up to where flower is showing is too big to transplant, and you end up with too many big gaps in your field from the male plants.

Survey

Rob Christian still has not completed the resurvey he promised Jack for every field. Carolyn has paper on it… Darrell to Tell Christian to get with Gene for some information Christian needs. CAO’s to receive copy… Carolyn to make it up.

Beans

Pam was recently in and [unreadable] planting beans even though it is late. Morell said this has happened before and Pam has only gotten 40% of expected crop… Jen said okay to try on the cuban black beans, feels other seed should be vacuum stored… all agreed to this. Jen said after talking to Calle Charan will have more input… went to see man at coop and he is doing very well with his crops. Does not plant beans way government says, and he is doing best of all around… Jan will learn his method and we will try this with the black beans.

Bananas

Jen said that when Mike had gone thru a field and had knocked down he tree he had just got out, stuck it back in ground and propped it… it grew well. We will start to try this. Demosthenes agreed to it… will try and see.

Cassava Mill Crew—to be reestablished; wants 7 persons… Tanya said Wanda Souder, Loretha Buckley, Toi Fonzelleand Cleveland Newell were mentioned by Mary… TABLED BECAUSE MARY WAS NOT HERE. SHE SHOULD JACK BEAM… … … HAVE A WARNING…

Others not attending as they should be. Darrell is to give Tish list of persons who should be here: analysts, supervisors and others who should be here every time; roll will be taken and unexcused absenttees will be given warnings in rally.

John Harris—item on agenda and he is not here. JOHN HARRIS TO BE GIVEN WARNING FOR BEING ABSENT… WAS PAGED SEVERAL TIMES SAID JACK. John’s agenda item was tabled to next meeting.

 

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Inspectors

Give copies of their reports to Carolyn who types extra copies for the supervisors. Decision best that inspectors not debate what they find with supervisors… write their reports as they see it independently and turn them in…

Last time in which corrections are to be made… Warning if not done. Jan will help them schedule the time to get it done with a crew.

Wheelbarrows needed said Demosthenes —Jack will get with Albert and make decision how best to either make them, buy wheels, etc. but will see it gets done.