Brief History on Farming in Exuma

This photo of Great Exuma is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Agriculture and farming on the island of Exuma can said to have started with the arrival of the Loyalist and their slaves from the Carolinas and Georgia around 1786, in the aftermath of the American War of Independence.

The Loyalist were granted huge tracts of lands throughout the Bahamas where they attempted to recreate their cotton plantations, however in just a few years their  efforts failed due to soil exhaustion and pest Infestation, particularly the boll weevil and the chenille bug.

By the time of emancipation in 1834, slave owners and slaves were practicing subsistence agriculture, but had also converted to creating livelihoods from the sea, salt harvesting, sponging, and fairly large scale fishing, in particular.  In addition to their knowledge of growing cotton, the slaves knew how to raise corn, sweet potato, peanuts, onions cassava and  okra, as well as a wide variety of tropical fruits.

The major landowner on Exuma was Lord John Rolle, of Devonshire. England. He established five plantations on Exuma, Rolleville, Steventon, Mount Thompson/Ramsay and Rolletown.  After emancipation he bequeathed his holdings to his slaves and their descendants and today, a third of the estimated 4,000 or more population of Exuma bear the last name, Rolle.

Up to the mid -1950s, Exuma farmers enjoyed healthy incomes through the export of their crops to the capital city of Nassau, and in addition to the popular crops already mentioned, Exuma and the nearby Long Island produced most of the mutton consumed in the Bahamas.  Agricultural decline in Exuma can be contributed to several factors. In 1942, Britain and American signed a land lease agreement which granted the United States land in the Bahamas and in other parts of the Caribbean for military bases . In return, Britain received vital and necessary war material for their efforts against  Germany. Part of that agreement also allowed Bahamians to migrate to America to work on farms and factories to supplement the work force which was now diverted to the military. The “Contract” as it was commonly called, lasted until 1962 and it is estimated that over 20,000 Bahamians benefited from the program.

Many Exumians, like their counterparts across the Bahamas, never returned to their home islands. Hundreds, “jumped the contract” and stayed in the Unites States, while others stayed in Nassau which was beginning to enjoy a year-round tourism industry.

Today, agriculture in Exuma is in the hands of the old, many of whom were once farm workers in the United States. In the 1970s and 1980s the government at that time established packing houses on all major agricultural islands where farmers could bring their crops and obtain a fixed price from the government.  This practice has been discontinued but there are now tourism facilities on most islands that could accept farm produce on a large scale. Most food items to support the tourist industry in Exuma is imported once a week from Nassau and elsewhere, with “native” crops sold to small retail outlets

Exuma has the potential for large scale farming to support both the domestic and the tourist population. The prime growing season, November to May, coincides with the prime tourist season. It is also the dry season, which can be a challenging with some farmers but which could be also remedied with modern irrigation techniques.

The fresh water resources of Exuma are more than adequate, considering its relative size and low rainfall. The mean annual rainfall is 40 inches. The rainiest months are June and October. December through March are the driest months. Two major fresh water lenses exist on the island, one in the area of the western end of the island and the other to the south of the capital, Georgetown.

The Land Resources Survey of 1970 has identified some 2,000 acres(810)hectares of arable land on Exuma. Farmers can also benefit from assistance in new seed varieties, crop rotation, and harvesting and packaging techniques.

There are more than four different soil varieties on Exuma, Black Loam, Sandy, Red Soil and brackish swamp. Each soil variety supports a different form of agriculture. The soils in Exuma are also thin in most places and farmers build up planting beds with sand from the sea shore which is augmented with mulch from  the  thick coppices that cover the island and which makes an incredible growing medium. Brown mineral soils are found in more sloping hills at the foot of ridges that run the length of the island. Another important type is muck soil, which occupy wide hollows which flood during heavy rainfalls. Farmers add sand, rocks and leaves to make level planting areas. These muck soils produce excellent crops of onions and watermelons where they lie over fresh water.

Bahamian farmers also practice an often misunderstood “slash and burn” farming technique. They would identify a virgin piece of land, or a previously used parcel of land and slash the vegetation then burn it. The practice eradicates the bugs and other soil-born pest as well as adding potash to the soil. Experts say this is as close to organic as you can get.

Exuma has a rich history of producing onions. However because of traditional ways of farming, large commercial productions have not been explored. Other crops that grow well on Exuma, include, Hot Peppers, Bananas, Watermelon, Tomatoes, Cabbages, Broccoli, Eggplants, Irish and Sweet Potato, Cassava and Papayas.

Exuma has had a long tradition of livestock raising and in particular, sheep and goat, but the industry on the island has declined over the year.