CAMBODIA
Overview
The Harvest Craft team walking through initial plans with one of the lead farm managers, Pastor Hong.
Cambodia is a country in Southeast Asia riddled with some of the world's highest rates of prostitution and malnutrition. Grace Opens Doors, the sponsoring project partner, approached Harvest Craft a couple years ago to provide the sustainability component for their developing Rehabilitation Center for rescued sex-trafficked girls. More than excited to join such a meaningful cause, the sustainability component of the rehabilitation center broke ground in November.
The flagship sustainability community farm project just outside of Kampong Cham is the realization of careful planning and collaboration over several years. We are excited for the group of pastors and the partnership with the local agriculture institute that will be aiding in day to day operations of the farm. We think this site will be effective for years to come with the strategic partnerships and relationships built. It will be a place for significant healing and vocational training.
The infrastructure and foundation for this almost two-acre food forest is nearly completed and the first crops like sweet potato and lemon grass already planted. Everything from a chicken house with 500 laying hens to a banana patch and frog farm were incorporated into this farm. This project presented new opportunities to practice contextual and cultural analysis. We are excited to see how this farm provides for the community and look forward to the stories of empowerment that come from this project.
On the Ground
Project Site Tour
Key Sustainability Components
- Chicken house: 500 laying hens producing 400-500 eggs per day
- Chicken run: allows for chickens to free range and pest control of fruit trees.
- Fish house: 3 large tanks that hold approximately 2,000 catfish per tanks
- Frog farm: thousands of frogs in four large holding tanks for lean white protein to eat and resell in the market
- Fruit Orchard: Banana patch, 70 lime trees, 20 coconut trees, 10 breadfruit trees, jackfruit trees
- Rooftop Water catchment installation: (2) 5,000L water tanks, (1) 2,500L water tank
- Drip irrigation water lines: utilizing recycled and nutrient rich water from the fish tanks to fertilize and water the fruit trees and seasonal crops.
- Compost bins: food scraps, chicken droppings, rice straw
- Seasonal crops: water spinach, sweet potatoes, TBD
Key Partners
- Grace Opens Doors
- Kampong Cham Agriculture Institute
- Agape International
“We are honored to be a part of a collaboration of community leaders to serve the marginalized and overlooked in Cambodia. Our hope is that the sustainability farm will provide an abundance of food and hope to the girls for years to come. ”
More Cambodia Details
For more behind the scenes details from the #HCinCambodia installation trip, then visit our very own Sam Becker-Miyadai's blog.