Husband and wife take on greenhouse farming

George Henry, Gleaner Writer

MANY PERSONS venture into farming for different reasons. Some do so to earn a living in order to provide for their families; some because they like to watch things grow, while others do so because they see it as a profit-making activity.

Well, all those reasons resonate with Sanguinetti residents Charmaine Palmer-Cross and husband Leebert Cross. They have been involved in greenhouse farming since January 2010, and got into farming in that Clarendon community when Mrs Palmer-Cross came up with the idea and shared it with her husband, who did not hesitate to give it a try.

Although they have been able to produce some of the best crops of lettuce, callaloo, sweet peppers and tomatoes, Mrs Palmer-Cross disclosed that prior to venturing into agriculture she had no idea of what she was really getting into.

"I had no idea; I just know that I am passionate about farming, to the extent that I do a lot of horticulture at home; but I wanted to extend my hobby somewhat, hence my thinking about extending it in terms of greenhouse farming," she explained.

When she started greenhouse farming she had very little knowledge about what was involved in the greenhouse industry, but in order to get herself acquainted with the rudiments of the sector she aligned herself with the Jamaica Greenhouse Growers Association, in an effort to arm herself with information to get started.

"What made me got excited about it was the fact that the market was out there. We were told that the market was out there and we just needed to produce ... and I just ventured into it," said Mrs Palmer-Cross.

Sticking to the task

Palmer-Cross, whose training is in public health, said her first crop was Romaine lettuce which, according to her, is very easy to produce. She chose that crop at the time because she was aware that it was in demand. Despite the fact that at times she experienced a glut with the crop, she stuck to the task of producing it, being aware that in farming there will be good times and bad times.

Leebert Cross said prior to getting into the real business of greenhouse farming, he and his wife started with a bamboo house in January 2010. They scouted around trying to find a most suitable location for the erection of their greenhouse, and finally settled on a piece of land owned by his mother in Sanguinetti.

"This place is most suitable for this kind of farming because it has water, which is very important to farming. During the dry season, we have a little stream here which is never dry; so that is one of the greatest advantages that we have in this area," he said.

Costly maintenance

Although they are enjoying what they are doing, while making a profit from especially producing sweet peppers on a large scale - and employing three persons - the farmers were quick to point out that to maintain this crop is costly on a daily basis.

Mr Cross pointed out that they have to keep a keen eye on the crop because the peppers grow very fast. He noted that if he and his wife do not attend to them there can be a lot of breakage and the fruits can end up dying.

As for Mrs Palmer-Cross, who works with the Government in the public-health system, she does not see working on her farm as being difficult.

Said she: "I do not consider it difficult. As a matter of fact, when I leave my nine-to-five job I come here in the afternoons, and if it is even an hour I spend it here, even just to look at the plants. It is not hard; the only thing is that it is a bit technical. The work here suits a woman, because the plants need the tender touch of a female."