Breadfruit Institute Receives Grant to Distribute Breadfruit Trees in Hawaii

The Breadfruit Institute is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a grant by the Ceres Trust to distribute breadfruit trees in Hawaii. The Ceres Trust, whose name pays homage to the ancient Roman goddess of agriculture, has as its main focus the support and promotion of organic and sustainable agriculture.

Our Plant a Tree of Life - Grow `Ulu project aims to distribute more than 4,000 trees statewide in partnership with organizations that serve native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, low income residents, and their communities.

If your organization in interested in participating in this project to help enhance food sustainability in Hawaii by planting more breadfruit trees, please send us an email at: breadfruitinstitute@ntbg.org

Follow the project on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/PlantBreadfruitTrees

Posted in Hunger Initiative on Friday, July 20th, 2012

Congratulations to the Winners of the Breadfruit Drying Contest

The University of St. Thomas in collaboration with the Breadfruit Institute at the National Tropical Botanical Garden and Compatible Technology International would like to thank the 15 teams from multiple countries that submitted designs to the Peace Engineering: Breadfruit Drier Contest and announce the two winning teams.

First Place was awarded to the `Oldsters` from Compatible Technology International consisting of George Ewing, Hank Garwick and Dave Elton using a stacked shelf method.

Second Place was awarded to the team from the University of California, Davis consisting of Michael Reid and James Thompson using a natural convection method.

The two winning teams will present their designs to the Breadfruit Institute in March.

Congratulations to these two teams and we all look forward to seeing the results of your designs in Hawaii.

To learn more about the breadfruit processing enterprise: http://compatibletechnologyinternational.blogspot.com/2012/02/tackling-hunger-with-breadfruit-tools.html

Posted in Hunger Initiative on Wednesday, February 22nd, 2012

Hawaii Women Inmates Nuture Breadfruit Trees

In September 2008, the Breadfruit Institute and Global Breadfruit donated 10 micro-propagated breadfruit Ma`afala plants to the Garden Club of Honolulu for a project at the Women`s Community Correctional Center on Oahu. Volunteers from the Garden Club and the Kailua Outdoor Circle provide inmates with horticultural training and are helping enhance the prison grounds by planting food, lei, and other useful plants. The warden, Mark Patterson, is a strong advocate for the role of horticulture in rehabilitation.

Breadfruit trees and project information displayed at the GCH show at the Honolulu Academy of Arts in April 2009 won a prestigious education award from the Garden Club of America.

All 10 plants were planted at the prison in July 2009 and are thriving under the care of the inmates. The trees are close to eight feet tall and beginning to bear their first crop of fruit.

Diane Ragone, PhD, Director of the Institute, joined volunteers from the Garden Club on February 14, 2012, to talk with the newer inmates about the benefits of the breadfruit trees and the role they will play in caring for these trees and in creating a healthy food source.

The women involved with the project are passionate and feel personal responsibility for its success.

Media coverage of the project included a report on Hawaii Public radio.
http://www.hawaiipublicradio.org/content/inmates-find-mutual-growth-through-breadfruit-trees

Posted in Hunger Initiative on Thursday, February 16th, 2012

Trees That Feed Foundation Expands Haiti Breadfruit Projects

Mary and Mike McLaughlin, co-founders of the Trees That Feed Foundation, recently visited Haiti to promote breadfruit planting projects for food security, reforestation and income generation. They delivered 500 Ma`afala plants from Global Breadfruit (http://www.globalbreadfruit.com). Recipients of the donated trees included three orphanages, a new botanical gardens, watershed restoration groups, other small organizations, and a few interested individuals. The foundation is working closely with Three Angels Children`s Relief and establishing partnerships with new organizations, such as Floresta Haiti, a reforestation organization interested in planting breadfruit trees in rural areas.

While in Haiti, they visited many potential growing areas. They also held a meeting on the grounds of the Hotel Montana in Port au Prince that was attended by close to 30 people, including many young Haitians, to share their knowledge and passion for breadfruit`s potential for Haiti. At the meeting they displayed breadfruit products that are made in Jamaica, Barbados and Indonesia with low tech equipment.

Their goal is to plant 1,000,000 breadfruit trees in Haiti within 10 years.

To learn more about the Trees That Feed Foundation: http://treesthatfeed.org

Posted in Hunger Initiative on Friday, February 3rd, 2012

Breadfruit Institute Year in Review - Part 1

Ten countries have received breadfruit plants from Global Breadfruit (http://www.globalbreadfruit.com) as part of the Breadfruit Institute`s Global Hunger Initiative.

In Africa, plants have been shipped to nurseries in Ghana, Mozambique, Nigeria, and Tanzania.

Haiti and Jamaica in the Caribbean, and Honduras and Nicaragua in Central America have plants in nursery and many trees have planted in farmer`s fields, agriculture stations, and orphanages.

Hawaii and Guam round out the list, with homeowners and farmers planting trees.

Tree planting partners include Sustainable Harvest International, Trees That Feed Foundation, ARN Foundation, and the Hunger Alliance of Ghana.

Download file: BF_country_map_Dec_2011.pdf

Posted in Hunger Initiative on Wednesday, January 4th, 2012

Breadfruit Processing Enterprise

The Breadfruit Institute and Compatible Technology International (CTI)in St. Paul, Minnesota are partnering on a processing enterprise to transform breadfruit into flour. CTI engineers, in conjunction with students from the University of Saint Thomas, have designed a manual processing system--a shredder, dryer, and grinder--that can be used to make breadfruit flour.

The breadfruit processing system will be tested at the Breadfruit Institute in Hawaii to demonstrate the equipment`s functionality and economic viability.

Families and communities planting Ma`afala and other breadfruit varieties from the Breadfruit Institute will have access to a simple means to process breadfruit into flour and generate income.

To learn more about the CTI breadfruit shredder:

Download file: CTI_Breadfruit_Shredding.pdf

Posted in Hunger Initiative on Wednesday, December 21st, 2011

Breadfruit Dryer Contest

The University of Saint Thomas has announced a contest to select two 2-3 person teams to design, build and deliver a breadfruit drying structure to the National Tropical Botanical Garden (NTBG) in Kauai, Hawaii in March 2012.

A simple, innovative, cost effective, and scalable dryer is sought.

The contest is open to everyone, and the winning teams will be chosen based on the creative capacity of the team and the skill set to build and deliver the dryer to NTBG for use by the Breadfruit Institute in an initiative in collaboration with Compatible Technology International to address critical global food security issues by promoting the use of breadfruit for food and reforestation.

The first and second place teams will win $3,000 and $500 prizes, and both teams will win a trip to Hawaii to demonstrate their design at the National Tropical Botanical Garden.

Teams must send notice of their intent to submit by January 15, 2012 to Camille George at: cmgeorge@stthomas.edu.

For the full contest rules and submission requirements (6MB PDF):

Download file: Breadfruit_Contest.pdf

Posted in Hunger Initiative on Wednesday, December 21st, 2011

Trees That Feed Foundation Launches Haiti Breadfruit Projects

The Trees That Feed Foundation is now establishing breadfruit tree planting projects in Haiti. Volunteers from the Chicago area have helped establish a roof top nursery at Three Angels Children’s Relief (orphanage, school, and medical clinic) in Port au Prince. Three shipments of trees have been received and are doing well.

To Learn More about TTFF and their work in Jamaica and Haiti:
http://treesthatfeed.org/

Posted in Hunger Initiative on Wednesday, November 2nd, 2011

The Breadfruit Revolution Begins in Africa

The Breadfruit Institute has launched its first collaborative breadfruit program in Africa working with the Hunger Alliance of Ghana under the leadership of Nana Ayim Poahwah. This project has been in the planning stages for nearly a year and on 13 October 2011, the first 1,000 trees were delivered to Ghana by Garry Grueber of Global Breadfruit.

The trees will be cared for in the nursery of the Crops Research Institute - Agricultural Research Station at Bunso, and then distributed to farmers and research stations for monitoring of growth, production, and yields. Trees will also be planted at urban and rural homesteads, at public schools, in other community plantings, and on small farm forest and field plots.

"The trees will be admired and observed in the general course of life around small and medium-sized towns and their rural environs." Nana Poakwah.

The Institute wishes to thank Dr. Jeff Marck for his tireless efforts to incite a breadfruit revolution in Africa, Mr. Poakwah, Josh Schneider and Garry Grueber of Global Breadfruit. We are especially grateful for the support of an anonymous donor who made this project possible.

www.breadfruit.org
www.ghanahungeralliance.org
www.globalbreadfruit.com
www.jeffmarck.net/BreadfruitRevolution.htm

Posted in Hunger Initiative on Friday, October 14th, 2011

Maafala Breadfruit Tree Planted at Kings House, Jamaica

The Governor-General of Jamaica planted a Ma’afala breadfruit tree at King’s House, assisted by the Custos of Trelawny. This Samoan variety was planted as part of major initiative spearheaded by the Trees That Feed Foundation working with the Kingston Rotary Club and other local organizations. Their goal is to have a breadfruit tree in every backyard in Jamaica.

King’s House is the official residence of the Governor General of Jamaica. http://kingshouse.gov.jm/

To learn more visit: http://treesthatfeed.org

Posted in Hunger Initiative on Saturday, October 8th, 2011

Trees That Feed Foundation Brings Breadfruit Trees To Jamaica

An article in the Jamaica Observer Newspaper on Trees That Feed Foundation’s work to promote breadfruit tree planting projects in Jamaica.

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/magazines/career/TTF-Foundation-brings-600-new-breadfruit-trees-to-JA_9382304

Posted in Hunger Initiative on Sunday, August 7th, 2011

Breadfruit Global Hunger Initiative

The Breadfruit Institute is engaged in an initiative to respond to critical global food security issues by expanding plantings of good quality breadfruit varieties in tropical regions. The institute manages the world`s largest collection of breadfruit, conserving over 120 varieties. The Breadfruit Institute has developed effective methods to propagate and distribute millions of breadfruit plants of selected varieties that can provide a year-round supply of nutritious fruit. This initiative aims to disseminate breadfruit plants to support more sustainable agriculture, increase crop diversity, and enhance food security in the tropics. The Breadfruit Institute is seeking partners to help fund this work and help distribute trees to farmers.

Download file: Breadfruit_Initiative_April_2011.pdf

Posted in Hunger Initiative on Thursday, December 30th, 2010

Haiti Breadfruit Project Launches

The ARN Foundation is working with the Breadfruit Institute and Global Breadfruit to introduce new breadfruit varieties to Haiti. The first shipment of 64 plants of the variety, Ma’afala, was hand delivered to the nursery in Digue Matheux.

We are very excited about this project and breadfruit’s potential for food and reforestation in Haiti.

To learn more: http://www.signahaiti.com/signa/arn-foundation

Posted in Hunger Initiative on Monday, October 25th, 2010

New Breadfruit Trees Planted in Jamaica for Food Security

Trees That Feed Foundation is working with the Breadfruit Institute and Global Breadfruit to introduce new breadfruit varieties to Jamaica. The first shipment of 50 plants of the variety, Ma’afala, was shipped in December 2009 and were field planted in summer 2010.

There is great interest in breadfruit for food security initiatives and to supply the local and export fresh fruit markets, for manufacture of gluten-free flour, and for breadfruit chips and other products.

To Learn More: http://treesthatfeed.org/news.html

Posted in Hunger Initiative on Wednesday, August 25th, 2010