Feeding the Future: Bluefields Farms and the New Era of Bahamian AgriBusiness

By Kendea Smith

How Bluefields Farms is pioneering sustainable farming, strengthening food security, and inspiring a new generation of agricultural entrepreneurs.

In a nation where fresh and local produce is becoming the gold standard, Bluefields Farms stands proudly among The Bahamas’ best in agriculture; feeding families, fueling mega-resorts and elevating what it means to grow Bahamian. From their rich fields to their forwardthinking farming practices, Bluefields Farms has become a trusted partner for everyday consumers, restaurants and the country’s most prestigious resorts, proving that sustainable, home-grown excellence can thrive at scale.

Co-owner of Bluefields, Tom Stacks, said the vision for Bluefields is to provide fresh produce all year-long using technology.

“When we began it was the summer. We had to utilize a significant amount of technology to allow us to produce crops year-round. Through technology, through research and testing, we’ve managed to fix a lot of those problems and now our summer production is almost on par with our winter production and that’s been our biggest challenge,” he explained. “We circulate all of our water, grow medium and we steam sterilize it and then use it again and that keeps going for a better nutrient pack to grow the best product that we possibly can. We solely use rainwater. We have about two million gallons of rainwater. We collect this water off of the roof of our green houses and then store it in very large tanks. Because we use greenhouses, we use 90 percent less space and three to four pounds of sellable produce every week in a space of less than two acres of greenhouses. All of our soil is composted, and steam sterilized and reused.” Bluefields specializes in micro greens, tomatoes and herbs. They also sell eggs and honey and assist other farms in The Bahamas with selling their produce.

“We partner with other Bahamian farms to help them sell their products. I think the largest challenge is getting the scale of economy right so that you can supply the market here,” Mr. Stacks said. “We partner with a lot of private chefs and very often we are seeing more and more requests. We work very closely with chefs and resorts to ensure we are giving the very best possible not only with nutrients but in also making sure that there are no illnesses. Our core goal is that we can trace every product that goes out. A huge part of it is that we don’t want any food borne illnesses. We have a huge amount of policies and procedures to follow to make sure we have the best possible product. And then the other side of that is service. Really service is our number one product.” Recently, Bluefields teamed up with CG Atlantic for CG Zest Wellness, a holistic program designed to improve the health of Bahamian families. The program includes demonstrations on what nutrients are good for the body and how Bluefields Farms could provide produce to that end. “[CG Atlantic] was looking to show people the correct way of eating and by coming to the fields, they can really feel, taste and touch and see what the health benefits really are. Our goal is to make people healthier by supplying them with healthy products and then the insurance company is looking at it from their side that the healthier people are the less sickness there is,” Mr. Stacks said.

“I think it is a core thing that needs to be addressed not only in The Bahamas, but worldwide that the insurance industry, health industry, fitness industry and agricultural industry all joining forces together, so that people are eating healthier that there is less sickness, better health, less pain throughout their bodies and less inflammation. And really by agriculture you are keeping the machines running correctly. I think the produce offers a connection because at the end of the day, they are wanting fit people and what we offer is a healthy product.” The Bahamas imports more than 90 percent of its food. Mr. Stacks said Bluefields Farms is motivated to change that narrative.

“What gets me up in the morning is that we are making an impact here not just in Nassau but through the whole archipelago. We do supply the Out Islands. We know that people who once got 10-day old food coming to Nassau from the US and then another three or four days coming to the Out Islands now they can get fresh produce from us that is only a couple of days old. I think that’s the greatest impact that we have had right across the islands,” he said.

“We try to make a dent in the food import bill. Every year, we try to grow more and more products. I think we play quite a significant role because we are so involved in the tourism industry through Atlantis and Baha Mar and every day our trucks are on the road supplying local restaurants. We are very much a core part of people’s daily food intake.” Bluefields Farms also engages the youth through internships with the University of The Bahamas and the Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute (BAMSI). He added that this how the company is preparing young people for a future in agriculture.

“Through those programs, we have employed a total of seven staff members. And some of them have come here and moved on to do other things,” Mr. Stacks said.

Photo credits: Fly Wright