PEOPLE HAVE BEEN HEEDING the advice to plant their own food, and Patricia Davis’ Davis Plant Nursery has been reaping the benefits.
Davis, who has been into farming for well over 25 years, said that her business of selling seedlings has seen increased patronage.
“Many people are interested in getting seedlings for some of the crops which are grown and ready to harvest in six weeks’ time,” she said.
Speaking at the pre-Independence Farmers Market on the National Conservation Commission grounds last Saturday, she added that with Christmas just around the corner, pea trees had been very popular with people who wanted to make sure they had peas for the Yuletide season.
“The green pea trees will be mature and people can get their green peas in time for Christmas. They also like Chinese cabbage and lettuce; those sell quickly too,” Davis said.
As the farmers market got under way, people were trickling in at the Codrington Hill, St Michael compound to get some local produce at a “good” price.
Marcina Mottley, a first-timer at the market, said the atmosphere was good and she would bring the produce she grows on her six-acre Sherbourne, St John farm to the public.
Mottley, who has been farming for many years, said the economic situation had put a damper on the business but thieves posed the greatest challenge.
She said she had been hit by thieves many times and recently lost a considerable amount of yams and cassavas, but added she was not deterred and would continue to plant her crops.
Meanwhile, Sheldine Davis and her mother Patricia are hoping to get people coming to the farm and getting their produce directly at the source.
“We are trying to plant enough crops so that people can get them cheaper. Sometimes we have housewives coming to buy things.
“Rather than going to supermarkets where they have to pay markup, they come [to our farm] where they get [produce] fresh and cheap straight from the ground,” Davis said.
Sheldine, who was operating a stall, said she and her mother plant crops all year long at the Spring Hall Land Lease Project in St Lucy and they liked operating from that setting since cash-strapped customers could get food for less.
“We plant year-round, but we can plant early [to supply] the farmers market so that customers can benefit from much cheaper prices,” Sheldine said. (LK)
