A woman’s love for farming has blossomed into a flourishing small business that is now making its mark on supermarket shelves and gift shops in western Jamaica. Dedicated farmer and food processor, Sheryl Kerr-Palmer, of Whithorn in Westmoreland, has transformed her backyard pepper garden into a brand that is not only feeding her entrepreneurial spirit but also inspiring others. “I...

As the Atlantic Hurricane Season approaches, greenhouse farmers are being encouraged to prepare their farms to withstand storms. The urging comes from Managing Director of Abbey Garden Farm and the Caribbean’s Young Farmer of the Year for 2023, Diandra Rowe. Ms. Rowe, who has been farming for over a decade, shares that her greenhouse farm suffered damage of $40 million...

In a nation consistently plagued by water scarcity that can cripple farming, one player in the agricultural sector is urging more Jamaicans to get on board with hydroponics. The relatively new company, Fresca Farm, is championing the soil-less means of cultivating crops, which it points out offers numerous benefits. Fresca Farm’s Director, Miguel Garnett, explains that hydroponic farming is “farming...

In the small rural community of Giddy Hall, St. Elizabeth, Alandor Barrett and his wife, Doris Clarke-Barrett, cultivate the land that sustains them and feeds the nation. As Jamaica celebrates Farmers' Month in April under the theme 'Celebrating our Food Heroes’, the husband and wife represent the dedication, resilience and passion that farmers exhibit to keep the nation nourished. Their...

As Farmers’ Month activities wind down for April, the spirits of those optimistic about the future of farming in Jamaica remain high. Twenty-eight-year-old Kimaal Barrett-Prehay is one of them and she is determined to use farming to secure early retirement from her nine-to-five job and to create generational wealth for her family. In a joint conversation with JIS News with...

Farming for the White family is more than a career choice, it is a tradition that has been passed down through the generations, and practices evolved with the availability of information. Patriarch Clarence White was exposed to farming around age eight when he would help his father in his yam field, and his mother with carrying out and feeding the...

The COVID-19 pandemic was a turning point for many people and Cleo Jones is no different. The 23-year-old poultry and livestock farmer lost his party rental business due to lockdowns during the pandemic. But, instead of falling into a state of despair, Mr. Jones decided to venture into what he terms as an “essential business”— poultry farming. After considering businesses...

Lamar Douglas made history last year as one of four Jamaican farmers with disabilities selected for the Canadian Farm Work Programme. She spent six months in Ontario, from June 12 to December 9, before returning home. Ms. Douglas is a former student of the Abilities Foundation where she spent two years studying housekeeping and horticulture, while working as a full-time...

Plans of becoming a pilot were quickly replaced when Shane Lyn-Cook tried his hand at farming and planted his first crop of carrots in 2022. He was so taken with the whole experience – from planting to reaping – that he has since committed to a career in the farming industry. His 1.5-acre farm in Aboukir, St. Ann, is now...