By Dennie Quill, ContributorI SEE housewives beating their heads against the wall and wringing their hands in frustration as they comb supermarket shelves for fresh supplies of food. They are finding it extremely challenging to feed their families as the prices of vegetables and fruits soar to unprecedented levels. All of this in the aftermath of Hurricane Ivan which did not make a direct hit on the island, but nonetheless dealt a severe blow to farmers especially in key agricultural areas of St. Elizabeth and Manchester.
The reality of escallion and tomatoes at $200 per pound got me thinking. Why am I not growing my own? With our strong tradition in agriculture there was a time when Jamaicans would plant fruits and vegetables at the back, front and sides of their homes and it didn't matter if they were owners or tenants. Some years back, I regularly reaped sweet peppers, okras, cucumbers, callaloo, gungo and pumpkin with very little effort.
One of the first things I did on buying property was to plant coconut trees; over time, I added guava, mangoes, breadfruit, oranges, limes etc. One Christmas I gave breadfruit plants to my friends as a way of encouraging them to plant stuff. Jamaica is endowed with fertile earth and it doesn't take a scientist to turn soil into vibrant plots of plants. I can remember reading with admiration about the efforts by some locals who lived in high-rises to cultivate container gardens.
KITCHEN GARDEN
For our parents and grandparents, the kitchen garden was partly a coping strategy for it meant reduction in household expenses while it ensured food security and provided a nutritional boost for the family. However, now that many of us are being blown away by these Ivan-induced prices, we have resolved to improve production at the household level returning to basics. Last week I planted a few stalks of escallion and I am eagerly watching them take spring, for one thing I am never going to buy it at current prices.
There was a time when schools all over the country boasted thriving agricultural programmes, in particular their school gardens. The 4-H clubs used to play a leading role in animal husbandry and food production. One can also remember that it was imperative that the lignum vitae and/or the blue mahoe trees were planted on the school grounds. It appears that much of that was abandoned when the Ministry of Education revamped their curriculum. One wonders where the future farmers of Jamaica will come from, and what is the role for agricultural education in the new strategy for our schools.
Instruction in agriculture must be seen as a great way of reinforcing the students' understanding of science by associating basic scientific principles and concepts with relevant application in agriculture. It also encourages environmental stewardship. It is not surprising that our students have performed poorly in the sciences for they rarely undertake agricultural tasks or get the opportunity to observe the growth of animal and plants in their urban towers.
Many of those students have never seen a greenhouse, have never planted a blade of grass nor fed a pet. One should also consider that our under-funded schools are always engaged in various fund-raising efforts, which is read as begging for additional resources.
They could be much more independent if they were to start organising under-utilised plots around their campuses for growing agricultural or horticultural products. They could use the food for their own consumption and sell the extras.
For example, an enterprising school could grow poinsettias for Christmas sales and earn rich dividends. I believe the private sector could donate seedlings and other planting materials and equipment to the schools to encourage the revival of agriculture.
These institutions should also be encouraged to enter their produce in the various agricultural shows which are held across the island each year. Retired agriculturists should be co-opted by the Ministry of Education to visit schools and share some of their vast knowledge and expertise with students.
There must be a concerted effort to ensure that the schools undertake a comprehensive approach to learning through agriculture, for this will surely have an impact on the ability of the agricultural sector to produce and market products from the land.
Dennie Quill is a veteran journalist who may be reached at denniequill@hotmail.com
