Welcome to the US Virgin Islands

The Virgin Islands Sustainable Farm Institute is over one hundred acres of rolling green hills and valleys nestled in the highlands of the northwest corner of St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Work began in February 2003 on the orchards, gardens, and construction of the school infrastructure, and has slowly evolved from neglected farm and pasture land into a budding permaculture development. The gardens are now lush with perennial greens and vegetables, the orchards filling in and beginning to fruit, and the windbreaks and swales are responding to inclement weather. The bamboo groves seem bigger every day, and the tilapia in our pond get excited as cool evening drops its curtain.

VISFI’s genesis began as Ben Jones’ love for the natural world led him to his first farming venture over ten years ago. A five-acre patch of hot peppers scorched north Georgia and kindled his desire for farming. Extensive agroecological work in Ecuador and fieldwork in rural Cuba fueled this fire and led him to studies in Herbalism and Permaculture. In an effort to dedicate his life to preservation and education, Ben founded VISFI to promote local and sustainable agriculture with the hopes of spreading this message to communities around the world.

VISFI promotes the development of agroecology: an innovative field of agriculture that enjoins productivity with resource conservation, using ecological and indiginous management models to create sustainable life systems. We believe local, organic agriculture and a practical educational experience are the first steps toward building vital communities and achieving long term sustainability within a healthy environment. These beliefs led to the establishment of our Four Pillars: Education, Sustainability, Community, and Environment. We use these focal points to guide decisions that will promote our farm’s vision.