Farm
As part of a 17th-century estate, Belmont Farm, our CERES-certified organic farm, is primarily cultivated with cocoa and nutmegs complemented by tropical fruit orchards, banana fields, vegetable plots and forest. Its operations also include a goat dairy for the processing of chรฉvre (goat cheese), a greenhouse for propagation of plants and seedlings, and a small cottage industry.
Our farm is the centre of our operations. It is highly likely that whatever you purchase at Belmont Estate has some origins from our farm. Fruits, vegetables, ground provisions and goat cheese are used in our meals at our restaurant. Our cocoa is used at our chocolate factory for chocolate, cocoa powder and cocoa balls, while our spices, fruits are used to make jams, jellies, condiments, sauces and other treats. Even our tours are heavily focused on our farm.
We believe in the sustainable development of our lands for the protection of our environment as reflected in the agricultural practices we employ throughout the estate. Our certification mandates the no use of pesticides and fertilisers in our soil and plants. To help reduce the impact of agricultural activities on the environment, forested areas are maintained with appropriate pruning and replanting to ensure the preservation of the ecosystem and biodiversity. Composting and other alternative methods such as vermiculture are used to assist with soil preservation. To balance crop production, we adopted an irrigated cropping system by tapping and abstracting water from the natural river for irrigation.
We work with other farmers and suppliers providing fruits and other produce for intra-regional and international trade, contributing to our national goal of increasing our exports. Through our partnerships with the Cocoa Research Centre of the University of the West Indies, we are now able to provide additional benefits to cocoa farmers through training and research.