Organic Farming and School Visit


By Astrid Songmene


Asking Mr. Scott (RADA) a few questions

Wednesday started off with a wonderful breakfast consisting of fresh fruits, plantain and cereal. At 11:30 am we had the honour of welcoming guests to the Geddes Great House. They were two representatives from the Rural Agriculture Development Authority (RADA), Mr. Sheldon Scott and his colleague. We spent the morning having an open discussion about organic farming and potential strategic marketing options to create an acceptance of such farming techniques and selling these methods within the Jamaican community. This guided conversation with these experts was important for the project development for the organic farming/social marketing team. It helped in justifying the research we had done so far and gave us new ideas for establishing social marketing methods that matched with the current agricultural industry in Jamaica. 




After the discussion we had lunch, which consisted of chicken and vegetable wraps with pineapple juice. Once completed, we headed off to visit a nearby primary (i.e. elementary) school named Bamboo Primary School. The purpose of our visit was to donate school supplies. These school supplies were given to the Vice Principal of the institution in order for him to redistribute the supplies in an equitable way. We spent time playing with the children and learning about the Jamaican education system. This helped us understand the daily of life of a child and how important education is for the future of the nation. A deeper appreciation of the Jamaican culture and the realities of life in the different parishes is important for our project as it develops a sense of realism in contrast to solely relying on secondary sources. 
Dr. Brown makes a presentation to the Vice Principal of Bamboo Primary School, St. Ann

We returned to the Estate for dinner where we had local fried fish with potatoes, steamed vegetables, and chocolate cake with custard for dessert. After dinner, we had free time and decided to play a game of cards, enjoy a nice dip in the swimming pool, and had a movie night together. 

Another successful fun-filled day in Jamaica! 

Astrid Songmene is a 3rd-year distance student in the Bachelor of Commerce program at Nipissing University. Astrid is working with Team Organic Farming on this expedition.

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