Penguins in the News

Rick and Jeri Kemmer in Tanzania, where they first learned about the moringa tree.

In 2012, Clark 24/7 profiled BEECH Administrative Assistant Jeri Kemmer for the work she and her husband, Rick, have done to create a nonprofit planting moringa trees in developing countries. The moringa tree can be of great benefit to people living in marginal economies; its leaves and green seedpods are nutritious, its dried seeds have coagulant properties that can help filter contaminants in dirty water, and its ripe seeds produce an oil that can be used as machinery lubricant.

At the time of our article, the Kemmers’ nonprofit, Strong Harvest International, was just getting going. Recently, however, it’s been gaining more publicity; the Columbian ran an article on Strong Harvest earlier this month, and just last night KATU aired a segment on Strong Harvest and the moringa tree. Kemmer, meanwhile, says she and Rick plan to continue growing the nonprofit, eventually expanding into Tanzania and Haiti. (They currently operate in Nicaragua and Mexico.)

Photo courtesy of Jeri Kemmer