John Myers Jr., Agriculture Coordinator
Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones, a Jamaican-born farmer admires the 40 acres of sprawling farmlands that make up his farm in Devon, near Cornwall, in the United Kingdom. - Contributed
From a bad boy to a millionaire, Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones has defied the odds and overcome the obstacles to become an almost perfect example of what a focused, determined and ambitious son of the soil can achieve in a foreign land.
The black farmer, as he is referred to by his white neighbours, has braved the gloomy British weather, blocked the distractions and racial prejudices and surpassed all expectations to establish one of the United Kingdom's most successful farms, generating millions of pounds annually.
"I am from extremely humble beginnings and I don't think there is anything special about me. I just think that I have been able to focus my way and the country that I have been in has been the sort of environment where you can do great things," he stated modestly.
Born in the rural community of Frankfield, high up in the hills of Clarendon in 1957, Mr. Emmanuel-Jones left the hills of the rural countryside for Birmingham, U.K., with his parents in search of better life at the age of four.
However, the dream of a better life was just a fairytale for the Caribbean native in his growing years as he, his parents and eight younger siblings were forced to live in a small house without the basic comforts that the relocation promised. So difficult were those years that he barely managed to get an education as the frustrations of a difficult life lead him down a troubled path.
"I left school without any qualification, I was a real bad bwoy as they say here," he revealed as he sipped on rum concoction from the hotel bar at the Sandals Grande Beach and Villa Resort in Ocho Rios, St. Ann. "I wasted my education and life was very tough for me as I was trying to sort out what I wanted to do," he continued.
Joining the army
But he soon realised his mistake and attempted to make good when he enlisted in Her Majesty's army, but that stint was short-lived as he was soon kicked out because of indiscipline behaviour.
At that time, "I realised that if you're going to make it in this world, you're gonna have to change ... to achieve things in life you've got to be focused, be disciplined and with that you can achieve your dreams."
With that in mind Wilfred enrolled in catering school and became a certified chef. Armed with a wealth of culinary skills, he ventured out into the restaurant circle where he served up some of his most delectable creations to the public.
He soon decided that it was not exciting enough for him and thought television would be a better stage for him. After a year-long struggle, 'the black farmer' got a foothold at the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) where he worked as a producer/director of documentaries on food and beverages from around the world for 15 years.
This he enjoyed thoroughly, but being a true man of the soil the glamour of the job was not enough to distract him from his dream of owning his own farm. Here, he stayed until he had amassed enough "dough" to establish a food and drink marketing company which earned him enough money to purchase his 40-acre farm in the hills of Devon, near Cornwall in the United Kingdom for 250,000 pounds.
"I always think that part of my DNA somewhere there was always this sort of farming DNA so even though my parents went to England in the '50s ... my father (deceased) always had an allotment (small garden) and my mother now in Birmingham has a small garden...so obviously with my father and my mother there is this big thing about growing your own food," he sought to explain.
The move to acquire farm lands in Devon did not go unnoticed as his white neighbours were left bewildered by the bold initiative of a blackman from the Caribbean venturing into what is considered white dominated territory.
"Most people had never seen a black person before...they couldn't (understand) why a black man wants to buy a farm but little did they know the power of a dream," he related.
Recognising his ambitious pursuit, they dubbed him the "the black farmer".
But instead of being offended by the racially suggestive and discriminating phrase, Mr. Emmanuel-Jones used to his advantage. He rears a sizeable herd of sheep, cattle and pigs on the sprawling English countryside and has a food processing business where he produces a range of sausages, roast chicken and a variety food sauces under "The Black Farmer" brand.
Today, the Black Farmer brand generates more than two million pounds in annual sales.
For his achievements he credits the struggles he endured as a youngster which gave him the courage to overlook all the racial and other negative overtones that may be thrown at him. "My life has been a real hard struggle and what has kept me going is courage (and) belief," he declared.
"Our parents did not come to Britain to live in certain enclaves. They came here to give themselves opportunity and to give their offspring opportunities. What we need to do as a second and third generation is to break out of some of these enclaves and claim the rest of Britain as our own, rather than waiting for the climate to change.," Britain's millionaire black farmer urged.
On Wednesday The Black Farmer reconnects with his Jamaican roots, shares his views on the island's political climate and explores business opportunities here.
Feedback: john.myers@gleanerjm.com
