George Henry, Gleaner Writer

Rennie Larmond (left), his little friend Mickhale Cameron and Howard Bennett, a worker, show off carrots reaped from Mr. Larmond's farm in Potsdam, St. Elizabeth. - photo by George Henry

Malvern, St. Elizabeth:

Rennie Larmond, 48, used to wire houses for electricity, but the former electrician turned farmer, is now transferring that energy to the soil.

Mr. Larmond told Farmers Weekly that his former job of installing electrical wiring in houses could not generate enough income to support his lifestyle and he decided to take the plunge tilling the soil 30 years ago.

"The boss was not paying me enough money that I think would be able to help me to achieve what I wanted in life. It was then that I decided to switch to farming," explained the proud farmer. "Shortly after I started to farm I started to get some very good crops and I decided that I would stick to farming."

Mr. Larmond, who is the father of four, has not looked back since and today is sure that that decision to change careers 30 years ago was the right one. He plants crops such as carrot, cabbage, red peas, and cucumber, and rears pigs and chickens on his six-acre farm in southeast St. Elizabeth.

Great rewards

The rewards have been such, that he is able to also employ a small number of persons from the community. He owns his home and funded the education of his children.

"All the members of my family are in farming. Everybody helps in doing the various work to be done until the time comes for reaping," Mr. Larmond stated. "I love farming, and I intend to stay in it until I cannot do it anymore," he assured.