Crazy COVID-19 Update and Farm Fresh List

Crazy COVID-19 Update For Belize

As of today it’s been 14 days with no new COVID-19 related infections in Belize.

As a result of this and the fact that our Statutory Instrument (the laws put in place during the pandemic) ended Saturday at midnight, we got a new set of relaxed rules handed to us from the Government – SI 62. To get an easily downloadable version go to the Government of Belize Press Office Facebook page, you can also view/download it in pdf form on the Government Press Office website, read the summary of Statutory Instrument No. 62/2020 or click to watch the Facebook live news version.

Although the entire country has been given rules, here on the island we are well trained and still waiting for the other shoe to drop. As far as San Pedro and Ambergris Caye go, on Reef TV this morning, the mayor called-in and arbitrarily set 2:00 pm as the store closure time for today. If you missed it, you can click and see the last Coronavirus update on tacogirl.com. The Emergency Operations Committee will meet today and decide what our new rules are. This is why I partly titled this piece “Crazy COVID-19 Update” because nothing is ever straight forward and it makes us all feel a bit loco and very confused. Also, so many new crazy changes are coming into place, like the Adjustment of Immigration Fees, which includes a new price hikes. WTF? Lets mess with the Belize economy some more – Not.

In case you are wondering, who makes up the Ambergris Caye EOC, due to the nature of the situation, our emergency committee is larger than usual with about 502 people at this time. The group is comprised of varying members from the town council, NEMO, and the business, tourism, and health sectors. Not an easy place to be at this time for sure.

Also not easy for many of us suffering income loss. I would like to thank everyone who has sponsored my blog after my last post, Bad Things Happen in Threes. Frank Lepine, Michael and Donna Waigand, Andrea Borders, a Belize lovin’ friend, and Joyce White.

A couple of people wanted specific write-ups too. Bill and Mary Yarbrough asked me to freestyle something and I will have a great post coming up for the two of you asap. Chuck and Joyce Veppert wanted a specific topic which is also in the works and I am leaving as a surprise for everyone as to what it will be.

Here are a couple of town pics to tide everyone over. I bet more than a handful of you wish you could be here for sunset or taking an afternoon drink at Carlo & Ernie’s Runway Bar and Grill.

If you enjoyed this write up and pictures, please consider sponsoring it, you are not only helping tacogirl.com in doing so you are also helping me continue to provide work for my editor Shirlee. If you would like to choose a topic and have me write about something specific, see the choices list. Sponsoring this or a custom blog post can be done by making a donation to my PayPal account with the following email: laurie@tacogirl.com Atlantic Bank Belize and Canadian Royal Bank of Canada e-transfer to tacogirlbelize@gmail.com are also available article sponsor options. A portion of all sponsored posts will continue to go to the Dangriga Cancer Center.

Kunahmul Organics

I was blissfully watching 90-day Fiance when Pandora messaged with some lovely pics and this week’s vegetable list. What I would give for a good dose of fresh air and to be walking in the farm fields right now. Thankfully I got to enjoy Pandora’s virtual visit and I hope you will too in the pictures below.

This week’s list: Amy’s Salad Mix, Green lettuce, romaine lettuce, red lettuce, collard greens, mustard greens, Malabar spinach, arugula, okra red and green, eggplant medley, sweet Thai basil, purple basil, Genovese Basil, mint, lemon balm, culantro, oregano, poblano peppers, hot peppa mix, kennikura edible flowers, Moringa edible flowers, lemongrass, watermelon, turmeric, heirloom cherry tomatoes.

New items: Pineapple: $1.50 p/p, Moringa drumsticks: $8.00 250 g, Amaranth (Callaloo): $5.00 230 g, Taro (coco): $1.50 p/p Sweet pepper Mix : $4.50 per 230 g

*Please note for vegetable orders you need to get them in asap as there will only be the Wednesday flight left this week. No flight on Friday due to the Labour Day holiday.

To order, you can WhatsApp +501-610-5115 or email Pandora at Kunahmul Organics kobelize@gmail.com place your custom order or if you like surprises, ask for your $50 tacogirl vegetable box. *Note sometimes their internet goes in and out. In this case, texting or calling can be the best way to reach them if you do not hear back quickly about your order.

If you want to know how to prepare Moringa drumsticks, click through and watch video.

I will leave you with a few farm pics courtesy of Pandora so you can see where your order is coming from. A mix of fruits with pineapple and watermelon, some lettuce, and moringa drumsticks hanging from the trees. *Featured Image above is from their Facebook page.

While Avery was learning what a doofus her “boyfriend” Ash was by watching him teach a relationship seminar to single women on “90-day”, I was learning from Pandora that Kunahmul Organics farm owners, Johnathan and Amy planted the highly nutritious moringa trees from seed in 2017. I also learned that moringa is a very fast-growing tree and that it’s bark used for teas. I knew that the leaves and the flowers are edible, and used in salads, have a nice peppery taste. Moringa Oil Uses and Benefits gives more detail the moringa nutrition.

This last pic is mine. I could not help but want to share a touch of the farm’s other beautiful side, the flowers. I was very grateful that I had put a credit aside a while back and that Pandora was willing to send some “emergency flowers” my way. In that spirit, I walked in the sweltering heat and paid it forward giving two bunches to my photographer friend Karen Brodie and asked her to pay it forward if she wanted and give one to someone who needed a pretty kind of boost. In case you are wondering what sweltering was, Karen’s thermometer registered 101°F or 38°C on her veranda.