By Belize, For Belize — Cultivating a Shared Vision for a Sustainable Future
Q&A with Silk Grass Farms Chief of Staff Tyeshia Casimiro
At the heart of Silk Grass Farms is a dedicated team that embodies the company’s guiding principle: “By Belize, for Belize.” Silk Grass Farms employs more than 400 Belizeans engaged in work that helps protect the country’s rich natural resources and delivers high-quality products to its people.
One of Silk Grass Farms’ goals is to foster a community of workers who are committed to creating an agribusiness that benefits the land and people of Belize.
Chief of Staff Tyeshia Casimiro exemplifies the company’s “people first” business model — one that seeks to provide high-value jobs and encourages professional development and career advancement. After graduating from the University of Belize with a degree in biology in 2019, Tyeshia joined Silk Grass Farms in an administrative support role. “Initially, I thought this would be temporary while I figured out my next step — but four years later, I’m still here!” says Tyeshia. In that time she has become an integral part of Silk Grass Farms’ senior leadership, serving as Chief of Staff to Executive Director and Co-founder Henry Canton. Today, her extensive list of responsibilities includes human resources, product development, local marketing and community engagement. She is involved in oversight of all farm and facility operations, and plays an instrumental role in cultivating a healthy and inclusive company culture.
In this Q&A, Tyeshia shares what it means to be part of the Silk Grass Farms team, and why the work is important for Belize and future generations.
Executive Director Henry Canton, Chief of Staff Tyeshia Casimiro, Founding Farm Manager Alex Martinez, and Operations Manager Courtney Campbell.
How do you help the Silk Grass Farms team build support for the company’s mission?
We make an effort every day with the people working in our offices, the factory, and fields to instill a strong sense of responsibility and accountability. We emphasize that even if a task is simple, it is essential to the whole picture of what Silk Grass Farms is trying to accomplish. Everyone is important and treated equally. We strive to create a feeling of family. When employees struggle, we find ways to counsel and encourage them. We want everyone at Silk Grass Farms to feel they are cared for and valued. Our workers are paid well, and have access to health insurance, a pension plan, education, and more. Offering this high standard of living shows our employees in a very tangible way how Silk Grass Farms can make a positive difference for Belizeans.
What qualities do you look for when you are interviewing someone for a position at Silk Grass Farms?
What we are doing at Silk Grass Farms is truly innovative and often new to all of us. We need our staff members to be open minded, patient, and flexible. With work that is so dynamic and ever-changing, employees have to be comfortable shifting around, doing one thing one day and something entirely different the next. We also place a high value on honesty, and we look for leadership skills — people who will think critically and take initiative. If someone on the team has a willingness to learn, there are exciting opportunities here for training and growth.
How do you see the farm and factory benefiting local farmers and the community? What potential does it have for Belize and its economy?
Here on the farm we can’t possibly grow everything that the factory is capable of processing. Take mangoes, for example. At Silk Grass Farms we grow Tommy Atkins mangoes, which are big but not as tasty as the local varieties. In the surrounding communities, there are mango trees in every yard that produce more mangoes than anyone could ever eat. Most of the time the fruit just falls to the ground and rots, attracting mosquitoes. This year we encouraged people from the community to sell buckets of those mangoes to Silk Grass Farms. We were able to combine our volume with the fruits from the community to create a delicious mango puree.
This is a great demonstration of Silk Grass Farms’ “no waste” principle in action. Our goal is to collaborate with farmers and individuals to make value-added products from crops that would otherwise go to waste like the mangoes — also beans, tomatoes, and more. Working together, we can innovatively transform crops into high-quality foods and rely less on the import of refried beans and canned tomatoes, for example. The factory positions Belize to be more self-sufficient, and provides a real boost to our local economy.
Tyeshia Casimiro, Silk Grass Farms Chief of Staff.
For the last three years, we’ve been diligently building Silk Grass Farms around our mission, vision, and goals. This year is the first opportunity we’ve had to really get out into the community to tell our story. We’ve been present at local events like the National Agriculture and Trade Show and the Mango Festival. There, we talked with people about who we are and what we do. We also have an online presence through our website, Facebook, and Instagram where we share updates about the farm, the factory, and Silk Grass Farms Wildlife Preserve. By next year we’d like to host farm tours for students, so that we can share the Silk Grass Farms message with young people about what we are trying to achieve for the future of Belize.
What has been challenging about your work with Silk Grass Farms, and what do you enjoy the most?
I have learned so much in the last four years. Starting this job green out of university I doubted myself a lot. Over the years I’ve built confidence by developing knowledge. Henry always reminds me that in the beginning I never said “no” to anything. I would always jump in, do it, learn it. I spent a lot of time at home on YouTube and Google reading, researching — there is a lot to know on topics like biochar and regenerative agriculture! — but I wanted to be able to participate in the conversation. I have more confidence now, but I continue to be challenged every day, and every day is one of learning. I’m about to start an online program for a master’s degree in business administration, so the learning continues!
Another great part about my role is that I get to interact with employees, help them with different issues, and see them grow — it’s very rewarding. I've always been passionate about helping others. Silk Grass Farms is making a direct impact in people’s lives, and that is very exciting to see.
Do you view Silk Grass Farms’ protection of the wildlife corridor as important to the region and the country?
The wildlife and the jungles of Belize make us unique. It’s what visitors come to see and enjoy. It is what we Belizeans enjoy! If I have children, I’d like them to be able to experience the land as I have. Silk Grass Farms’ dedication to protecting the animals and preserving the rainforest — it’s awesome. As we actively battle deforestation and hunting, I think Silk Grass Farms has the potential to have a real influence in minimizing this destruction across the country.
The wildlife cameras we have out on the farm are capturing footage of animals and activity no one has seen before — even workers who have spent many years outdoors and in the fields. We are all having a renewed appreciation for the nature we know so well, as well as some discovery, which is very exciting. As our Co-founder Mandy [Cabot] says, “there’s room for all of us,” so we make a point to not bother the wildlife. We have learned where to go and where not to go so that we and the animals can coexist peacefully.