Plans of becoming a pilot were quickly replaced when Shane Lyn-Cook tried his hand at farming and planted his first crop of carrots in 2022.
He was so taken-in with the whole experience – from planting to reaping – that he has since committed to a career in farming.
His 1.5-acre farm in Aboukir, St Ann, is now the source of a variety of produce, including sweet potato, hot and sweet peppers, lettuce, and cabbage.
But Lyn-Cook wants to go further.
Upon discovering the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining’s Rural Youth Economic Empowerment Programme (RYEEP), which offers training in farming practices and farm business management, he eagerly seized the opportunity to learn of the various ways to improve his farm.
RYEEP, a six-month training programme, aims to empower young Jamaicans living in rural areas to become successful agricultural entrepreneurs. It is being facilitated by the Jamaica 4-H Clubs and HEART/NSTA Trust.
Lyn-Cook’s cohort is set to complete training this month, he reflects on the experience, while highlighting the value of the knowledge exchange with other farmers.
“It has been good, very informative. I have met a lot of individuals who are also in my field, and those not in my field and are looking to go into it, so it is just a whole sharing of knowledge at this point,” he said.
He added that there is also a strong focus on the business aspect of farming, which Lyn-Cook admits agriculturalists do not always consider.
“There are other aspects of it, especially the business side. And it’s been very informative on that part. They've been bringing us through classes that would cover all of these things that we don't normally, as farmers, take into perspective,” he shared.
Already an established farmer, the 21-year-old admitted that prior to receiving training through RYEEP, he did not find it necessary to embrace innovative techniques such as hydroponics and drip irrigation.
He now sings a different tune, however, as he was taught, through the programme’s crop production course, how to use the techniques properly and is already seeing the benefits.
“I have lettuce on it (hydroponic system) so far, and they're doing really good. I know other persons in my area are planting crops, and it's failing because it's the dry season; it's drought [and] I don't have that issue right now,” Lyn-Cook said.
With the success Lyn-Cook is already experiencing, he looks forward to expanding his farm and utilising hydroponic styles and other unconventional farming techniques to grow his produce.
He envisions building a shade house – similar to a greenhouse but with plastic cover and mesh siding— and implementing the Dutch Bucket hydroponic style to grow heavier crops like watermelons and tomatoes, among others.
The young farmer plans to improve the Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) hydroponic style he currently uses, by placing a cover over his set-up which should allow for a more efficient production.
“Without it being covered, there is a lot of stuff that is affecting it, like the heavy sun. It's not a huge impact though, but I mean, if I can take that off by covering it, then I would have a better quantity of produce at the end of the four weeks. So, that's where I want to take the farm to,” Lyn-Cook said.
Introducing livestock, specifically goats, and building a pond on his farm, are also on his to-do list, all of which he hopes to achieve between 2025 and 2026.
