First Heritage Co-operative Credit Union grants $1.5m to three young entrepreneurs
THE PRACTICE of farming has changed significantly over the years. Thanks to modern technology, the early-morning treks to the field to tend to crops has been replaced by outdoor farming monitored by GPS technology, and indoor and greenhouse farms monitored by the Internet of things (IOT). These farms yield far more crops in smaller, more controlled environments and is far more efficient than traditional farming processes.
Thanks to this technology, while the ‘Maas Joes’ of the farming world still exist, a more tech-savvy, educated and preppy farmer is taking centrestage.
Enter Brunswick Farms, a new farming operation located in Spanish Town, St Catherine. Brunswick Farms is taking advantage of technology by using one of the more popular methods -- vertical farming – to grow leafy, green vegetables in a hydroponics, closedloop watering system using grow lights. For the unlearned, vertical farming is the practice of growing produce in vertically stacked layers. The farm is owned and operated by young farmer Marcus Sewell.
Q: Marcus, you represent a new breed of farmers using innovative methods to grow crops. Tell us about the technology you utilise on your farm.
A:
Brunswick Farms uses no land space and manages resources such as light and water efficiently during the growing process.
In an indoor environment, hydroponics enables the grower to manipulate and monitor every aspect of the plants’ growth, leading to optimal food production results.
“My farm takes up 59 square feet and takes 14-20 days to produce leafy, green vegetables,” boasts Sewell. “I am able to use less resources, and while the LED grow lights grow the vegetables, I am using less water by reusing the water in a closedloop irrigation system,” he shared.
Q: How have you been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic?
A:
While the planned roll-out of the business was affected by COVID-19, Sewell has his sights set firmly on entering the gastronomy and tourism industry. “It is a big market which has a lot of opportunities for a farmer like me, and now that Jamaica is open for business, I can really kick off production,” Sewell shares. In the meantime, however, he is also supplying the local market as “vegetables are not exportable,” he disclosed.
Q: What sparked your interest in farming?
A:
Of course, farming is not new to Sewell but the process he now engages is. His early introduction to farming came while growing up in Two Past, a farming community in the hills of East Rural St Andrew. “My granduncle had seven acres of land on which he planted coffee, mangoes, banana, plantain, coconut and naseberry, along with layers and broiler chickens,” he shared. “Living with him for four years gave me some farming experience, but my formal reintroduction came in 2015 when my sister and I planted and sold some crops,” he stated. Excited by the experience, he enrolled in a course in aquaponics farming with an organisation called INMED and also did a produce & food safety course with the United States Department of Agriculture which spurred his interest in farming again, this time with a twist.
“I was doing some research on farm innovation and technology to find out what was available that was adaptable to our climate, and what crops can be grown that was high value [and] with little competition,” he stated. Now, he proudly boasts that most of his knowledge of tech-based farming is self-taught. “I read a lot and watch a lot of YouTube videos to understand my processes, plus I learn a lot from going on farm tour with my RADA officer,” he disclosed.
Q:
What growth an expansion opportunities do you expect with the use of technology on your farm?
A:
Like any entrepreneur, Sewell dreams of expanding his business to benefit both himself as well as the local economy. “We are planning to scale the business to meet new customer demand with a specific focus on areas of farming that has less competition but high profit margins” he revealed. “Innovation and technology,” he said, will continue to play a major role in the growth and expansion of the farm.
Q: How did you learn about the First Heritage Entrepreneur Award?
A:
His confidence was boosted when Sewell and two other small entrepreneurs were announced as winners of the First Heritage Co-operative (FHC) Credit Union Entrepreneur Awards for 2020. “I came across the FHC advertisement on Instagram last year. I submitted my application, and I received an email inviting me to pitch my idea in front of a panel of judges. I showed up and did just that, with samples to boot, and the rest, as they say, is history,” he beamed. “It feels good to be a winner.”