Planting a food forest in Porrier
Foundation Sanite Jeanty Haiti is working with GTI on the Tiny Food Forest, a project to plant a food forest in Porrier. The goal is to plant 2,000 fruit and shade trees between November 2026 and May 2027.
Work has already started. We have begun building a perimeter fence around the land, and we are making blocks for a water tank. The next steps are preparing the land and setting up an irrigation system for the young trees.
Why planting trees matters
Trees do many jobs at once. Fruit trees put food within reach of families, which matters in a rural area like Porrier where steady meals can't be taken for granted. Shade trees cool the ground and the people who work on it.
Trees also protect the land itself. Their roots hold soil in place on hillsides, and their leaves slow heavy rain so more of it soaks into the ground instead of washing away. Haiti has lost much of its original forest over the years, so every tree planted helps restore what was lost.
What a food forest is
A food forest is planted like a natural forest, with tall shade trees, fruit trees, and smaller plants growing together in layers. Planted this way, the land can keep producing food year after year and needs less care once the trees are established.
Trees take time to grow, so this is an investment in the future. We hope the Tiny Food Forest will help feed the children in our care and benefit the wider community for many years.
Left: posts marking out the land. Right: workers installing the fence panels.
We will share updates and photos here as the work moves forward.