André Houssney

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André Houssney (center)

André Houssney and his wife Vanee are the founders of Jacob Springs Farm and Sambah Naturals and the parents of Elias, Silas and Ezra Houssney.

Andre and Vanee started a co-op of farmers in Zambia in 2004, Currently with 1,196 farmer-members they produce mainly certified Organic Honey and Beeswax as well as essential oil crops for import to the USA.

They own and operate Jacob Springs Farm, a diversified, beyond organic farm in Boulder Colorado

André is a first generation immigrant born in Beirut, Lebanon during that country's civil war which lasted from 1975 to 1992. As a child, the Houssney family, escaping war, moved several times within the Middle East and Europe before finally settling in Boulder, Colorado when André was in elementary school.

As a refugee from a war-torn country, at first Andre did not adjust well to life in the United States, he did found a refuge in working on the Niebur farm (West of 75th and west of Dry Creek between Baseline and Arapahoe) from a young age. Jay Niebur, who was the president of the Enterprise Ditch Co. and a capable farmer and stockman, trained Andre in irrigation, training horses, operating farm machinery and other farm skills starting in grade school. There he fell in love with agriculture and began to keep bees, pigeons, chickens and goats of his own starting around 5th grade and continuing until he graduated from High School. Andre went to Douglass Elementary, Nevin Platt Junior High School (now middle school) and graduated with honors from Fairview High School in 1996.

Seeking out opportunities in agriculture he won a full scholarship to Deep Springs College - a school with a huge BLM allotment and a cattle herd in the California high desert. He completed my studies as a double major in Music and Civil Engineering (Water Resource Management) at CU Boulder.

Andre is also working on agricultural and business projects in the US Africa and the Middle East. His Fair Trade businesses like Zambeezi and The Zambian Soap Company create income for over 1,000 families in Zambia.

In the farming off-season Andre is a frequent consultant and lecturer in the areas of regenerative Agriculture, the environment, and social development.