Empowering communities through knowledge, training, and support – from soil to supper.

Extension & Outreach

At BAMSI, our Extension & Outreach division serves as the bridge between cutting-edge agricultural research and real-world farming and food systems across The Bahamas. Through this vital arm of the Institute, we deliver hands-on training, technical assistance, and community-based education to farmers, schools, and local organizations. Our goal is to strengthen food security, promote sustainable practices, and empower communities with the knowledge and tools to thrive.

Our flagship Soil to Supper program exemplifies our commitment to supporting Bahamian primary school youths from the ground up — it is lead by our BAMSI Students who offer guidance on seeding, plant propagation, soil health, crop production, post-harvest handling, and even sales.

With dedicated extension officers stationed in Long Island, Cat Island, Eleuthera, North and South Andros, and New Providence, we provide on-the-ground support tailored to the unique needs of each island and community. Whether it’s through school garden training, community presentations, or farmer workshops, BAMSI’s outreach efforts are helping to cultivate a stronger, smarter agricultural future for our nation.

BAMSI’s Extension & Outreach Division serves as the hands-on heart of our agricultural mission. We bring science and sustainability directly to farmers, schools, and communities across The Bahamas — helping them grow smarter, stronger, and more self-reliant.

Key Programs

Impact Highlights

Ready to grow with us?
Contact our extension team, attend a training, or explore our Outreach program today.
Contact Extension Services
ELEUTHERA OFFICE : 3321066 OR 5510505
LONG ISLAND : 8042034
SOUTH ANDROS : 8255020
NORTH ANDROS : 3291104 OR 4711202
NEW PROVIDENCE : 3976580
CAT ISLAND : 4646137

BAMSI Youth Engagement to Build Food Security 

The Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute’s (BAMSI) Soil to Supper program is focused on nurturing young minds and cultivating an appreciation for the wealth of foods grown in Bahamian soil that are used to create our favourite and most flavourful dishes. The youngest students get an opportunity to touch, feel, water, plant, cultivate and harvest produce that they then see deliciously transformed…from the soil to the supper table, all with an emphasis on developing an entrepreneurial spirit.

Leslie Brace, Manager of BAMSI’s Sustainable Tourism programme and founder and coordinator of the Soil to Supper Program, said the Soil to Supper initiative was launched to introduce the agriculture industry to the nation’s primary school children.

“The program helps students make the connection between the science of growing food and how the plants we grow end up in stores and on our plates,” Ms. Brace explained. “Students learn to appreciate that agriculture is a science and farming is a business. Food crops are grown at school farm plots, then harvested, sold or cooked.  At the end of the school’s growing season students visit BAMSI’s campus and farm in North Andros to share their experiences and enjoy a meal that includes fresh vegetables from the farm.”

For BAMSI President Dr. Raveenia Roberts Hanna, the program provides a unique platform for the Institute to nurture not only seeds and soil, but the sprit and skills of these budding agriculturalists. “The program instills the knowledge, the science and the art of agriculture into the lives of Bahamian youth. It is our hope that the seeds in them will spring forth much fruit,” Dr. Hanna said.

After a brief hiatus during the COVID lockdown when the college went virtual, the Soil to Supper program resumed in 2023 with Edward Martin, Primary School Guidance Counsellor for the Andros and Berry Islands District, at the helm. “The program is connecting students to their environment; planting, growing and harvesting crops; promoting healthy eating habits; teamwork; problem solving & responsibility; while developing leadership skills and building their self-confidence,” he said.

Mr. Martin is currently working with teachers and students of Roselda Woodside Primary, Mastic Point, and Clara Evans, Nicoll’s Town, and has launched the program at Bertram A. Newton Primary, Red Bays. 

Introduced in 2018 at the Mastic Point and Stafford Creek Primary Schools, the Soil to Supper program is facilitated by students in BAMSI’s associate degree programmes in collaboration with primary school students and teachers. To date the program has been launched in six primary schools in both North and Central Andros.

Boris and students of Bertram A. Newton Primary School, Red Bays 2023  

Clara Evans Primary Boys & Girls Club participate in Soil to Supper 2023

Clara Evans Primary, Nicoll's Town 2023

 Roselda Woodside Primary, Mastic Point 2023

Bertram A. Newton Primary, Red Bays, 2023

Stafford Creek Primary School, 2020

Clara Evans Primary School, 2019

Roselda Woodside Primary, Mastic Point, 2019

Stafford Creek Primary, 2018