Landowners gift 34 acres of land to rehab farm

| 06/12/2022 | 47 Comments
(L-R) Granger, Marjorie and Scott Haugh, Governor Martyn Roper (patron of Beacon Farms), and CEO Sandy Urquhart

(CNS): The future of Beacon Farms in North Side, which combines sustainable food production with the rehabilitation of recovering addicts, is now secure as the land on which the farm was established has been donated to the Beacon of Hope Foundation, the Cayman-registered non-profit that runs the facility. The farm is already gaining a reputation locally for quality produce, all of which is grown by Caymanians recovering from drug and alcohol abuse.

The land was bought by the Haugh Foundation, which was established by the Haugh family to support rehabilitation and inclusion programmes. Beacon Farms, which was set up on that land, provides a safe, structured, supervised, clean and sober working environment for the team of recovering addicts. At a recent event to mark the generous donation, Chief Executive Sandy Urquhart said the Haugh Foundation’s investment in the farm was life-changing.

“Beacon Farms gives people a better chance at rebuilding their lives after substance abuse,” he said. “The programme offers the opportunity to learn new skills, earn a wage and gain confidence to rejoin the community. We currently have twelve members of staff employed at Beacon Farms. This donation should allow us to increase both the scale of our farming operations and the number of people we can support in the programme.”

Urquhart said that the farm aims to become financially self-sufficient by the end of 2025. This will be through sales of agricultural produce and manufactured products as well as its recently launched Beacon Farming Services, which offers a rock-crushing and soil improvement package to other farmers.

“Beacon Farms has been blessed to have such a generous and caring benefactor to help us get started,” said Urquhart. “With the Haugh family’s support, we have been able to invest in the training, machinery and land improvements needed to operate on a commercial level. We anticipate it taking another three years before we break even. Eventually, our farming programme will sustain our social programme.”

To help bridge the gap as the direct funding to run the operation from the Haugh Foundation is scaled back and farming operations are scaled up, Beacon Farms has launched a fundraising campaign to ensure jobs on the farm are not put at risk in the interim.

“Beacon Farms has a valuable role to play, helping people get back onto their feet as productive and responsible members of society,” Urquhart said. “We all have a duty of care towards those who need our help, and we hope our Caymankind community will provide some financial assistance until the point Beacon Farms can fund itself.”

The Haugh Foundation initially purchased 34 acres of land and an old farmhouse in North Side in 2017 with the idea of offering a continuum of care for people in recovery. As early supporters of The Bridge Foundation, a halfway house in West Bay, Granger and Marjorie Haugh and their son, Scott Haugh, recognised the challenges facing Caymanians seeking employment after leaving transitional housing and saw Beacon Farms as an opportunity to help them on the next step of their journey.

Granger Haugh, who established the foundation after selling his medical diagnostics company, said that helping Caymanians rebuild their lives was a way of giving back to the community where the family has now lived for more than forty years.

“Beacon Farms not only provides jobs and training, but it’s also making impressive advances in agriculture. We are extremely proud of all the farm has achieved in its first five years and look forward to seeing what the next chapter brings,” he said.

Donations to Beacon Farms can be made through its website.


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Comments (47)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    I like the idea of a rehab farm. Can they ‘rehab’ ilitate drunk driving, speeding and lack of general driving ability? Oh and armed robbery.

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  2. Anonymous says:

    Granger is a saint.

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  3. Anonymous says:

    Cayman is blessed, be grateful and contribute to momentum of opportunity created on this small and humble island.

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  4. Anonymous says:

    This is great! We need more wealthy investors on island to tackle the food scarcity issue, not just buy up land for million-dollar condos.

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    • Anonymous says:

      What is wonderful here is that the Haugh Family are making a donation without expecting or demanding anything in return, just like Susan Olde.
      Add to that the fact that the Haugh family have for several years, funded the setting up of Beacon farms as a place of peace and rehabilitation for persons trapped in substance abuse.
      Thank you Haugh family, hopefully you have inspired Wealthy Caymanians to follow your example.

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    • Anonymous says:

      …wealthy investors, data scientists/IOT engineers, agri-robotics…its all available…somebody just needs to put all the pieces together.

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  5. Anonymous says:

    so where is dart? he buying ..not donating or selling?

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    • Anonymous says:

      A vulture capitalist and career reneger, not a philanthropist. Not without self-interest.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Nice try. Here’s to hoping you don’t need institutionalized hospice care anytime soon.

      But that’s just one example. Maybe ask the National Trust how much they’ve been gifted over the years if you need more? See if they are willing to share.

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    • anon says:

      What does Dart have to do with this? Live and let live.

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  6. Anonymous says:

    And to think that these dimwits that we call government is traveling to secure food. What a bunch of sore losers we have as GOVERNMENT. Shame on you Wayne.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Numbnuts, we cannot produce enough food here to feed the population. Unless you want to eat sargassum seaweed and mosquitos?

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      • Anonymous says:

        Do you know how much food can be produced on 1 acre? Add vertical farming and there is more than enough here.

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        • Anonymous says:

          Got a feeling you’re not a farmer

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          • Anonymous says:

            Green House Tech, a different type of farmer where we can monitor everything with AI. Real time climate control and nutrient feeds are run with algorithms. Works for small solariums added to a house to football sized greenhouses built in parallel.

            An acre of corn for open field farming can feed about 16.5 people per acre, per year. Think of all the other possibilities to amplify that for all other type of foods. It makes more sense to have many small farmers than just a few large ones.

            • anonymous says:

              Exactly just like the farm of two acres that Fabian started.It is amazing what has been produced and it is all organic.

      • Anonymous says:

        We absolutely can if only anyone in government or agriculture had a clue about modern sustainable farming and agritech, or would talk to those that do.

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    • Anonymous says:

      How can they be sore losers, they won the election dodo…

  7. Anonymous says:

    What a great story. Haugh family’s contribution will live on for generations.

    Also good to see the Premier and so many of our esteemed politician out the for the ceremony. Oh wait…. Too busy I guess.

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    • Anonymous says:

      When last you think he saw a lettuce?

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    • Anonymous says:

      6.41 this worthy family are not voters , so politicians don’t need to inconvenience themselves by extending the simple courtesy of acknowledging their contribution.

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    • Anonymous says:

      They wouldn’t be there remember they are traveling to Honduras, Jamaica, etc.. to secure food. It would take too much work and effort to secure food locally. Besides they wouldn’t get their frequent flyer milage.

  8. Anonymous says:

    These are the type of wonderful people that Caymanians appreciate coming here and calling the Cayman Islands their home – people that show that they care about the people and the islands.

    Thank you all so much!

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    • Anonymous says:

      And yet if you read the comments on any immigration related story we shouldn’t be granting PR or status to anyone.

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  9. Christopher Goddard says:

    Thank you Granger Haugh. We are proud to have you as a part of our community.

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  10. Anonymous says:

    A truly amazing act. Being outside in the fresh air can help heal one mentally. I think this is a fantastic idea to help recovering addicts. Plus the addition of farming is a sensible idea. Self help and adding to national food security. I hope those recovering find a new purpose in life.

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  11. Anonymous says:

    Thank you Mr. Haugh / Beacon Farms and the generous donors. This is a great venture, we need to support their products…I think there are a few outlets?

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  12. Anonymous says:

    This is great but do not forget Policeman Fabian O’Connor whose efforts from his team on their small farm on Hirst Road have provided so much in the way of free vegetables to the poor and needy at no cost. This NPO should be applauded as should Fabian. Their more recent project has included supporting Meals on Wheels.
    They have also sent vegetables to the Brac in addition to all the districts.
    An interesting aspect is that the local community many of whom wish to remain anonymous have assisted by donating items to the farm. This is the true spirit of Cayman of yesteryear.

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    • Chris Johnson says:

      How can anyone give the above the thumbs down. There are some sick people blogging this site.

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  13. Anonymous says:

    Thank you Haugh family. I once was homeless, sleeping in my old beat up car. A member of the community took an interest in me and gave me a place to sleep and some work.

    Now many years later I give back to not only that community but also to my community here in Cayman.

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  14. Anonymous says:

    Wow indeed, congratulations to all involved and all the best for the future of this very worthwhile programme.

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  15. Kirstie Johnson says:

    This is the best news I’ve heard this year. Thank you thank you thank you! God is so good. We are forever grateful to the Haugh family.

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  16. Elvis says:

    Wow really good things can still happen in the world. Id love to take a drive up and. Uy some produce , well done all involved

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  17. Anonymous says:

    Wish it could have been a wealth generational Caymanian.

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  18. Anonymous says:

    this is what we need more of. proper rehabilitation programs that are positive.

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  19. Anonymous says:

    Wow, kindness!

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