What are Ground Provisions?

Ground Provisions, called viandas and viveres in Spanish, are fruits and vegetables that were grown on provision grounds in the Caribbean during colonial occupation. The name “ground provision” come from “provision grounds” or the land allotted to slaves to grow “provisions” or food. The food planted on provision grounds had to be hardy and forgiving because slaves were often only allowed to tend to the crops once a week. As a result, many the foods commonly found on provision grounds were tubular root vegetables such as yucca, cassava, taro, malanga, sweet potatoes, and yams, or things like pumpkins, breadfruit, and plantains. All of these fruits and vegetables were able to grow without much tending and can be referred to as “ground provisions” because they grew on the provision grounds of slaves in the Caribbean.