Agriculture & Happy Stones – An Interview With Ital Shack
In our highlights of people making destination St. Maarten / St. Martin special, todays interviewees are Roland Joe, aka Ras Bushman, and Dirkje de Jong. Together with Bushmans’ family, they are the driving force behind the Freedom Fighters Foundation and Freedom Fighters Ital Shack Restaurant. Rastafarian Ital Shack ranked 4th best restaurant of the Caribbean in a poll by USA Today and was selected by the late Anthony Bourdain on his culinary Caribbean travels.
It is passion for nature and love for the island driving this successful, but highly affordable restaurant that also organizes several art workshops in the “Shack” on Bush Road. Joe: “The ability to connect our cooking to nature and community is a true driver.” De Jong adds: “To be connected to an organization that have roots so deep in the community is great, the Rastafari culture is all about love. I am proud to help raise money through the art workshops for a water irrigation system. Our foundation exist since 1992 without support from government. We always push for agriculture.”
On Culture
Joe was born on Curacao, but hails from a St. Maarten family. The shack now in use as a music studio, was once both a family barber shop and house. Over time, he saw St. Maarten culture change. “When I was small when I came on vacation with my father here from Curacao, the island was more connected with nature and cultural then now.” Still, he considers the island “the Friendly island”.
For a Rastafarian, that does not always come easy in the Caribbean. With their distinct beliefs and principles, the group is not always understood by every fellow islander. An example by Joe: “For an agriculture project, expertise is being sought (and bought!) on Santo Domingo and St. Kitts instead of here on island. The Rastafarian community and their relationship with nature brings tremendous tacit knowledge. We know the soil, the fruits, the trees and how to respectfully harvest. We never needed science or governments for that – a great untapped opportunity for future agriculture on island”.
Insider Visitor Tips
As unison as Joe and De Jong might be about their societal drive, they differ of opinion on their St. Maarten beach of choice to recommend to visitors. “Great Bay Beach, because it is great”, jokes Bushman. De Jong’s choice out of the 37 St. Maarten / St. Martin beaches on offer is the quiet ones. “Beaches are a perfect spot to unwind. Drifting on the ocean, away from people for a bit. Friar’s Bay is a favorite, because the water is always calm and I can find perfect stones up here for my Happy Stones” (De Jong runs a Happystonessxm site on Facebook).
De Jong: “If I was a tourist, I would also rent a jeep, tour around and find some geocaches, that brings you to nice places. Explore the beauty of the hills, the vegetation and the beaches – a core quality of St. Maarten.” Joe agrees – for him, “the hills is where I get my peace of mind”.
After a nice beach (or hills) Saturday, they recommend visitors passing by Ital Shack for their Redemption Night evenings. Every year, they organize an even bigger music event: The annual tribute to Bob Marley in February. Joe: “This year marked the 25th time that the foundation organized it. The event featured I- Wayne, Luciano, Mutabaruka, Queen Ifrica, Tony Rebel and many others over the past years.”
If Joe and de Jong were to “staycation” themselves, they would choose Belair Beach Hotel and Mary’s Boon respectively. Joe: “The farm behind the Ital Shack can be interesting too for visitors. It is there since 1985. When I am in the mood, visitors can go up with me and see it.” De Jong: “A visit to the Salt Pond is also important. People should know the history of the island.” Regarding shopping recommendations, Joe likes Carrefour. De Jong recommends the Art shop close to the roundabout leading to St. Peters.
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