Triple the Shade, Triple the Potential: Nevis's Only Vanilla Farm Grows
At Vanilla Paradise Nevis, the island’s first vanilla farm, whilst visitors explore our established growing areas, significant expansion has been taking shape beyond the original shade houses. We previously announced that we've doubled our cultivation capacity with the addition of five new growing structures, each about 5,000 sq ft (approximately 500 sq m), in addition to a vanilla processing plant. This expansion represents not just growth in production capability, but our commitment to sustainable agriculture on our beautiful Caribbean Island.
Preparing the Ground: The Foundation of Expansion
The journey of creating new growing spaces begins with careful preparation of the land. We meticulously clear the ground, preserving native vegetation where possible and removing the many large volcanic boulders that we find! The shade houses are built on a slight slope so we can be sure the vanilla orchids won’t be sitting with their roots in water. The vines hate that! With the groundwork complete and foundations marked out, the stage is set for construction to begin.
Nevis is a rocky Paradise!
Stones are all reused on the farm
Local Expertise at the Helm
The master at the helm is Vern Liburd, who helped us build the first shade houses and agreed to help us expand to a total of eight.
If you visited us recently, you would have seen our local Nevisian crew in action—a symphony of sawing, hammering, and problem-solving that is typical of what Nevisian determination looks like.
The Wooden Wonders Begin Their Journey
The story begins where our vanilla journey often starts—on the slopes of Nevis Peak. It’s here that the poles destined to become vine supports are sustainably sourced and cut by hand. These “Wooden Wonders,” as we’ve come to call them, are a foundational element of our farm, both literally and symbolically. Find our more about the Wooden Wonders here.
Isiah Parry, master wood craftsman, sources the poles sustainably from the nearby Nevis Peak forest
Before installation, each post undergoes an ancient yet effective preservation technique. They are thoroughly dried and then carefully charred by hand - one by one - creating a natural protective layer against rot.
Once prepared, each pole is positioned in a deep hole, firmly anchored to provide seasons of support. Cross poles are then secured horizontally at the top, creating the framework that will allow our vanilla vines to spread naturally at a height that will allow us to reach the blooms and pollinate them.
The New Structures Take Shape
With the wooden support system in place, construction moves to the shade house frames. These expansive structures, made from durable galvinsed steel must be precisely placed to weather all that the Caribbean weather can throw at them, as we know it will.
The galvinsed poles serve as anchor points, positioned in regular rows to support both the overhead shade netting and eventually, the complex network of vanilla vines. Once this support frame is raised, shade netting is stretched tightly above, calibrated to filter sunlight to approximately 60% intensity, recreating the ideal growing conditions for our vanilla plants.
Sustainable Growth Through our own Vanilla Orchid Vines
These new shade houses will soon be home to around 2,500 additional vanilla vines, all propagated from our own orchids: marking a major step in our journey towards full sustainability.
For these new structures, we've been using the same mulching system with coconut husks and mango leaves—materials that would otherwise go to waste. This simple practice helps keep weeds down and the soil moist, feeds the vines and it makes us happy to know we're reusing natural materials in a sustainable, circular way.
Operating Amidst Development
Perhaps most remarkable is that this significant expansion has proceeded whilst maintaining our regular visitor experiences. Guests continue to tour our original three shade houses, even as construction vehicles and work teams are building close by.
Honouring Nevis Through Naming
The first three shade houses have names that honour the wonderful tropical trees that we find around us: Ginep Shade, Flamboyant Walk and Coconut Grove. Find the stories behind the names here. We have named three of the new shadehouses so far; Frangipani Row, Gumbo Alley and Yellow Trumpet Rise. We are still thinking of names for the last two: we welcome your suggestions!
The Complete Vision Emerges
This doubling of our growing area coincides with the ongoing renovation of the historic Hamilton Sugar Mill manager's house, which is steadily transforming into our anticipated Vanilla Café. When completed, visitors will enjoy vanilla treats, admire the Sugar Mill, and, of course, the blue Caribbean Sea to the West with Mount Nevis towering over us to the East.
We can’t wait to welcome you to our growing farm, where you’ll see how we’re building on our earlier achievements while staying true to our roots: sustainable and rooted in the community!
A peek at the Vanilla Café under construction: watch this space!
