Farmer hopes to capitalise on vegetable market
Published:Friday | June 25, 2021 | 12:06 AMRasbert Turner/Gleaner Writer
Organic farmer Jenore Graham is banking on increased interest in health and well-being as a driver for his investment in vegetable cultivation.
A vendor at the famed Coronation Market in Kingston, Graham seriously tried his hand at farming four years ago and hasn’t looked back since.
Graham, who occupies about half-acre of land adjacent to the Church Pen Cemetery in St Catherine, grows crops such as kale, red and green spinach, broccoli, celery, tomatoes, Scotch bonnet peppers, and pak choi.
But why kale?
“I started to plant kale after I realised that it was a champion vegetable. That was too expensive for me to buy and sell to make a profit,” the 49-year-old said.
“I eventually got the seeds, start to plant and I can make a living, as it is now $800 per pound,” Graham said.
The super-vegetable is used in green juices, in salads, as seasoning or garnish, or steamed.
Kale is chock-full of antioxidants and has rich reserves of vitamins A, B6, and K.
“As a person who sells vegetables for a living, I eat very healthy, so I know the value of kale. I can tell you that it is not cheap, but the benefits are great,” said Graham.
He said he does not use artificial fertiliser or additives.
Graham revealed that he uses chicken manure to fortify his yield.
“I have watched this man utilise this piece of land properly and get some nice crops from here,” Melrose McDaniel, a resident, said of Graham.
Farming is tough work for the grandfather, who is up from 5 o’clock every morning.
When he’s not at the market, he can be found “weeding, watering, and planting in the little vineyard”.
Graham credits his prowess in farming to his grandparents, whom he keenly watched as they cultivated crops.