Claudia Gardner, Gleaner Writer
Christopher Grant (left) and Tadeen Simons of the Askenish All-Age tend to dasheen plants on the school's farm. - Claudia Gardner
HANOVER:
THE ASKENISH All-Age School in Hanover has resumed cultivation on its five-year-old farm, despite suffering from the recent drought and hurricanes and the lack of piped water.
The farm, which was established through a loan from the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), has been up and running for the past eight weeks. So far, students have replanted yams, corn, dasheen and pumpkins on the two squares of land located adjacent to the school.
Principal of the school, Alton Bennett, said that the farm was established "to get the children interested in farming". Students have planted vegetables such as calaloo, tomato, cabbage and pepper. They have also ventured into poultry and pig rearing and
horticulture.
"Askenish is a farming community and the whole idea is that we will not only emphasise the academics, but that we need to pay attention to farming because it is a part of our culture," Mr. Bennett said.
CEASED POULTRY FARMING
He said that the produce from the farm is usually sold to the school's canteen and helps to significantly reduce the cost of school lunches. He said, however, that the school ceased production on its poultry farm since the passage of Hurricane Ivan last September. He said the school has taken the decision not to resume chicken or pig rearing until the school's regular water supply had returned.
"Some students practice willingly and appear to find it rewarding because they practice farming at home and over the years past students have ventured into careers in agriculture after leaving high school," Mr Bennett noted.
Fourteen-year-old grade eight student, Christopher Grant, told Farmers' Weekly that he enjoys working on the school farm and that he cultivates vegetables at his home in Askenish. He said that he would make farming a career but would only cultivate short-term crops such as vegetables, herbs and spices. Fifteen-year-old ninth grader Tadeen Simons told Farmers' Weekly that if she took on farming as a career, she would cultivate only exotic and ornamental flowers.
The school's next major agricultural project will be the planting of 50 coconut trees on the school compound in a bid to win the Coconut Industry Board's coconut rearing competition for Hanover schools.
