A Choice That “Chose” Him

Urgency, lack of choice, or reality have pushed many to change their field of activity, or even their profession, after their studies. Alejandro’s story is interesting for several reasons. His mother (mothers always know!) suggested that he enroll in an agricultural high school because she saw that her son was attracted to things of the Earth and nature. But Alejandro decided to skip it because at the time, all his friends were going to Baimbridge High School, and agricultural high school was perceived, unfairly, as a dead-end.

However, because in life, nothing is lost, nothing is gained, and everything is transformed, and this love for plants and fruits remained deeply rooted in him, Alejandro later pursued studies in plant microbiology and arboriculture to obtain his certificate as a farm manager… at the agricultural high school, and that’s that!

When I asked him how long he had been a dendrologist, he laughed and gave me a great answer. He said, “I woke up one morning and said to myself, I’m a dendrologist.”

But what is a dendrologist ?

Well, it is a specialist in the study of trees. Sydney explained it by focusing particularly on the study of fruit trees…in pots! Why? Well, to offer everyone, including people living in apartments, the possibility of growing, harvesting and consuming their own fruits, with the added advantage of being able to take them with them in case of a move, but not only that! No more loss during the cyclone season, or limitations to the layout of their garden, whether it’s on a balcony or a lawn.

Dendrologists, usually commissioned by subsidized structures, are responsible for defined study subjects by their hosting structure and support, through the results of their research, the databases used by professionals in the agriculture sector.

Sydney, on the other hand, decided to be the master of the subject of his studies, and that is why CAVIAR VERT was born. He focused his work mainly around three points.

Firstly, the identification of trees through recognition and morphology (shapes, leaves, fruits…)…indeed, when he started talking to me about corinille or combava, I didn’t imagine that it was about white guava or lemon…and yes, I know that you didn’t either!

Secondly, he puts his patience and passion at the service of observing the culture of trees. That is, he studies the time before fruiting or the growth mode of species such as seed scarification or the fire test (did you know that some seeds need to be burned to grow?).

Lastly, the final point of his research concerns the development of new varieties that will arise from his experiments. That is, for example, he is able to pollinate two different trees (mixing the “ovule” and “sperm” but in plants), and by replanting the seed of the fruit obtained from this marriage (or cohabitation as you like), create a new species…it’s pretty impressive.

No money = no research

I really enjoyed discovering a multi-talented person full of ideas. Since Alejandro self-finances his work, he had to find a way to make it happen.

To do this, Mr. CAVIAR VERT became a speaker and trainer. He also works at the Agricultural High School, as well as in schools. He works with Community Centers, Holiday Camps, and the Regional Institute for Education and Health Promotion (IREPS).

Alejandro has a great experience as a trainer since he gave his first training on the theme of making natural pesticides and cuttings in 2017. A year later, he started workshops divided into modules where he worked alone, then he developed his business and was accompanied by other specialists such as Jérôme TIROLIEN, Agricultural Engineer, and Rudy NABIS, Agroecology Trainer.

The more I listened to Alejandro talk about his background, projects, and the first results of his work, the more I saw the width of his range of possibilities expand, and through the precious mine of information and knowledge he represents, I could even see a book coming… (but shhh)

Caviar Vert visiting Martinique

I really encourage you to take the opportunity to meet this passionate person ! With great excitement, Alejandro will be arriving in Martinique with his workshops on May 14th, 21st, and 28th. He will be at the “Le Monde des Végétaux” nursery in Morne Vert Ducos (21 hectares combining the production of fruit tree seedlings and the cultivation of over 70 species of tropical fruits) with the aforementioned specialists. They will be covering topics such as soil and potting mix preparation for tree growth, natural or chemical pest treatments, and making the right choices between fertilization, amendments, organic, mineral, or chemical inputs. You can even leave with your own potted tree !

You can find the registration form as well as all the information related to the workshops directly from Sydney via WhatsApp (0690 08 56 54 / 0696 85 25 81) or Instagram. 🍁🌳 Caviar Vert 🍀🍂 (@alejandro_caviar.vert) Reservations are possible until May 8th so don’t wait!