The island of Dominica is well-known for its fruit production. After several hurricanes, Dominica—traditionally known for its banana production—began producing other sustainable crops, including avocados, coconut, guava, and passionfruit. That brings us to places like Free Up Farm, located along a winding road in a lush green rainforest near the base of Dominica’s tallest peak, Morne Diablotins.
The farm, located roughly 6 miles southeast of Portsmouth, is all about permaculture and regenerative agriculture. It came about in the wake of Hurricane Maria, which devastated the island back in 2017. It consists of 7 acres on an old citrus and avocado farm, which the hurricane completely destroyed. They grow upwards of 40 varieties of fruits!
We headed down to Free-Up Farm, where I tried a cranberry hibiscus leaf, which was a little sour and flavorful. It’s unique and goes well in salads and makes great tea. I followed that with some lemongrass, which they also make tea out of. I chewed on it a bit and then tried some thyme. It was so tasty—they should have a salad bar here!
They arranged the debris from Hurricane Maria to make areas to grow new produce, including some delicious produce, including culantro and citronella. Our hosts also showed me a tree that produces a Frankincense-like sap that’s also flammable. They lit some on fire!
The farm also has moringa trees, turmeric root, a yummy turmeric flower, leafy greens called callaloo, vanilla vines, and banana trees. I tried a sweet and slightly bitter orange and a tangy grapefruit. There was also a nice herb that was tough to chew through but had a pesto-like flavor with a slight sweetness.
Next was a Trinidad Scorpion Pepper, or Chocolate Pepper, which was an immediate burst of heat similar to a habanero. The next fruit was a carambola, which is also known as a star fruit. It was delicious and took me back to my childhood in Miami.
I chopped down some bananas with a machete, and they knocked down some papayas. They took me to a vine swing, but when I tried it, I got turned around and crashed right into the tree!
I met a couple of their milking goats and then they took me to the house on they’d built at Free-Up Farm. They used wood including tree trunks, bamboo, and concrete. After the house tour, they made some coffee and a delicious fruit smoothie. The banana in it gave it a nice thickness and sweetness.
Then, they cut open a giant passion fruit and we sipped some coffee. The giant passion fruit seeds were both crunchy and a bit slimy, but so incredibly tasty. I couldn’t get enough of it!
From there, we left Free-Up Farm and drove through the mountain jungles and don the coastal highway on the western coast. Along the highway, we stopped at a stand called Call D Shots by the side of the road, which sold a medicinal drink made from herbs and anise. It was strong! We chased it with a ginger shot, which was much better!
Then, we ordered some fried tuna and cheese bake with pepper sauce. The tuna was nice and tender and I loved the creamy mix of cheeses in the bake. The contrast between the fish and the crispy exterior of the bake was really nice. I ended with a strong culantro shot.
Next, we drove through a village close to the coast and drove along the beautiful coast to end our journey!
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