Trinityville Primary School Garden Established

As part of Labour Day efforts on Tuesday (May 23), a garden that will comprise a variety of crops was established at Trinityville Primary School in St. Thomas by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining.

The initiative is a collaboration involving several of the Ministry’s agencies. These include the Jamaica 4-H Clubs, Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), Agro-Investment Corporation (AIC), and National Irrigation Commission (NIC).

State Minister, Hon. Franklin Witter, participated in planting seedlings and unveiled the official sign for the garden.

He told JIS News that the undertaking was part of efforts to promote climate-smart initiatives in agriculture and the benefits of school gardens.

“The garden will help to provide in the lunch arrangement for the students at the school. The NIC came in and they also provided us with a water-harvesting system for the garden. It’s really a grow smart, eat smart project,” Mr. Witter outlined.

The seedlings, which were provided by RADA, include cabbage, lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, cucumber, and hot and sweet peppers.

RADA has pledged to continue supporting the garden, through regular check-ins, to ensure the space is being properly maintained.

The garden’s daily management will, however, be the responsibility of the school’s 4-H Club members.

Acting Director of Youth Services at Jamaica 4-H Clubs, Charlene Edwards, who visited the school, pointed out that although Trinityville Primary is nestled in one of the remotest sections of the parish, it is important for the national message of food security to be heard by persons in that area.

“We believe that you need to reach all persons, and not because they are in farming communities. We need to get everybody to understand the value of agriculture and it’s meaning to food security. And so, we believe that the community, the children, and everybody needs to understand why school gardening is important,” Ms. Edwards told JIS News.

Meanwhile, Trinityville Primary Board Chairman, Caswell Rodney, in his reply, expressed appreciation to the stakeholders, on behalf of the management, staff, and students, for giving consideration to establishing the garden at the institution.

“We are grateful, and we pledge to do our best to utilise the knowledge shared with us today. The seedlings that are planted will be used for the operation of our canteen for the betterment of our students,” Mr. Rodney told JIS News.

Meanwhile, for the road safety aspect of this year’s Labour Day observance, Mr. Rodney said that a pedestrian crossing, situated in front of the school, is shortly to be painted.

This is being facilitated through the donation of paint from St. Thomas Western Member of Parliament, James Robertson.

Labour Day 2023 was observed under the theme, ‘Plant a Tree for Life… Promoting Climate Change Mitigation, Food Security and Road Safety’