2025 National Farm Queen on a Mission to Transform Agriculture

With the title of National Farm Queen comes more than a crown and sash – it offers a powerful platform for the incumbent to inspire and motivate.

For 18-year-old Menen Ross, Jamaica’s newest ambassador for young women in agriculture, her year-long reign – which began on August 2 with her victory in the annual competition – offers a chance to cultivate a new generation of farmers and address pressing challenges facing women and youth in the sector.

The Claude McKay and Knox College graduate shares that her passion for agriculture is a deeply rooted family tradition.

“My grandma… she’s a poultry farmer. She [has been growing] broiler birds for a very long time. My father does rearing of pigs, and we also do a little bit of backyard gardening… we also own a restaurant; so that’s good for us, because we don’t have to purchase a lot of the stuff that we use,” she tells JIS News.

Ms. Ross notes that her family’s agricultural background inspired her to join the 4H Clubs organisation, which she served as President during her final year at Knox College.

No stranger to leadership, the Farm Queen approaches her role with purpose – not merely to wear the crown.

She doesn’t just bring ideas, she brings a blueprint – a suite of initiatives designed to uplift young Jamaicans, confront food insecurity head-on, and lay the groundwork for a more sustainable agricultural future.

One of the first initiatives she will undertake is a collaborative effort known as the ‘Green Globe’ Project.

The project, initiated in March by Miss Jamaica World Western Region 2025 finalist, Tannevia Pottinger, aims to increase youth involvement in agriculture and provide farmers with sustainable agricultural tools to industrialise their operations.

The Farm Queen, who resides in Clarendon, also has plans to pursue a project closer to home and her heart.

“In my community, James Hill, we have a lot of poultry farmers that do broiler chickens. I would like to initiate a project where I target mostly young women in James Hill to provide them with some form of training and access to build up their coops, provide them with some young chicks [and] some feed, so they can produce more,” Ms. Ross tells JIS News.

She emphasises that the project would respond to local demand for chicken that is often unmet due to limited resources.

Ms. Ross’ third and perhaps most ambitious project, a farming incubator for youth, is dubbed ‘Roots to Riches’.

“It [would] provide land access, training and start-up support for young Jamaicans, especially women… because we realise that many young people want to farm, but they lack the resources,” the Farm Queen outlines.

She emphasises that the programme is designed to provide a “real start with mentorship, equipment, and even to help find a market for their produce”.

Ms. Ross, who is embarking on law studies beginning this month, affirms that she remains committed to agriculture.

“The aspect of law that I’m going into is environmental law and agricultural law,” she informs.

Ms. Ross notes that her research paper, submitted as part of the Farm Queen competition, reflected both her love for the law and her unmistakeable passion for agriculture.

“My paper was about land access and land use policies,” she says, noting her intent to assist in further modernising the legislation.

But with those plans still a few years ahead, Ms. Ross is content with her current role as a Youth Ambassador, and consistently encourages young people to venture into agriculture, even at a modest scale.

“Agriculture is where the money is. [It is] the most important occupation because, without farming, how are we going to eat? So, I encourage all the young people, all the young women, all the young men in Jamaica, to venture into farming,” she states emphatically.

The Farm Queen emphasises that there is also merit in backyard farming, which can be done alongside traditional occupations.

For those afraid to get their hands dirty, she points out that innovative farming technologies, such as hydroponic systems, can eliminate that hassle.

“When I went on the courtesy call with the Prime Minister [Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness], he told me that he also does his little farming. The Minister [of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining] also does his little farming,” Ms. Ross shares.

“I believe that the [‘Eat Jamaican’] campaign that the Jamaica Agricultural Society is now undertaking… is very good. I encourage every Jamaican to have their backyard garden and continue to eat what they grow and grow what they eat,” she adds