2022-05-01, Arvid, Osterberg

This Creative Component is titled "Using Greenhouse Agro-Parks to Mitigate Poor Soil Conditions in the Turks and Caicos Islands. A greenhouse agro-park is a crop production facility that comprise greenhouses, grading and packaging area, bathroom facility, chemicals and fertilizer storage area, cold storage for produce, retail and whole selling area, water harvesting facility and more. The greenhouse agro-park concept is a model that caters for the entire process from seed sowing to storage and marketing. The management of the greenhouse agro-park is done by a farmers group that is trained in greenhouse crop production and management. A greenhouse agro-park is a viable supplemental and or alternative crop production system in the Turks and Caicos Islands because crop production outdoors is negligible partially because of poor soil conditions (high ph, low cec, poor water holding capacity, minimal interest, etc.). This Creative Component is meant to address a real issue in the Turks and Caicos Islands which is to improve local fruit and vegetable production and consequently reducing imports; creating employment; increasing local fruit and vegetable production; engaging younger youths; and improving overall food security on the Islands.