From her farm to your table

On International Women’s Day, Sagicor’s From Her Farm to Your Table Brunch celebrated the strength, innovation, and tenacity of women in agriculture. Each beautifully plated dish, garnished with vibrant microgreens and delicate edible flowers, captured the care behind every ingredient. Behind those elegant touches is 53-year-old farmer Janice Dacres-Jones, whose journey from rural Manchester to St Andrew embodies the spirit of the occasion.

Born into the ebbs and flows of farm life, Dacres-Jones developed a love for farming early on. “I’m originally from Mizpah in Manchester,” she shared. “My father and grandparents were farmers. It was always around me. I just love having my hands in the dirt. It’s how I wind down. It’s how I think.” She fondly recalls those early mornings on the farm, the rhythms of planting and harvesting, and the lessons learnt working alongside her family.

Building on these roots, she brought her passion to St Andrew, starting Halifax Farms, a venture born from a lifetime of experience. Her approach to agriculture, however, was sharpened in corporate Jamaica, where she worked for years as a business strategist. “I don’t approach farming the way most people do. For me, it’s a business first,” she explained. “You have to ask yourself, who am I growing this for? Do I have a market? Too many people plant first and hope they’ll find a buyer later. That’s why you end up with gluts, everybody plants tomatoes because tomatoes are doing well, and then when the crop comes in, there’s too much and the price drops.”

Specialising in microgreens, edible flowers, herbs and speciality lettuce strains, the farm combines quality, creativity, and market value. Rather than competing in saturated markets, she researched global food trends and identified a local niche. “When I started farming, I stepped back and asked, ‘What’s not being provided?’

“Microgreens and edible flowers aren’t mainstream products. People eat with their eyes first. My products are used to garnish and to elevate dishes. Food can be functional and beautiful at the same time.” Complementing her operations, she also manages a 50-acre coffee property in the Blue Mountains for the Jamaica Coffee Corporation, overseeing about 35 acres under cultivation.

At the International Women’s Day brunch, her produce added colour and refinement to every plate. The occasion struck a deeper chord with Dacres-Jones. “It’s rewarding to know that women are being recognised for contributing to farming in a major way,” she shared. “There are so many women in agriculture doing incredible work, some of them single mothers, sending their children to school through farming. Farming done right can get you through life.”

Though agriculture has long been male-dominated, she believes the tide is turning. “There have been moments where people dismiss you as a woman farmer, but women have proven [that] we can farm at scale and run it as a serious business,” Dacres-Jones said, acknowledging that challenges remain, particularly around managing cash flow. This is why, she noted, corporate support must extend beyond celebration. Farmers need access to insurance, pension planning, and financial literacy because building generational wealth is difficult without a proper safety net.

As guests lingered over brunch, Halifax Farms’ microgreens and edible flowers stood as a quiet symbol of innovation in Jamaican agriculture and of women leading that change. “I want people to appreciate that we can all contribute in different ways,” Dacres-Jones says. “You don’t have to do what everyone else is doing. Look for your niche. Be strategic.” For women considering farming, or any bold pursuit, her advice is steady: “Do it. But do it with strategy. Do your research. Know your market and don’t be afraid to bring your magic to the world. Everybody has a purpose.”

lifestyle@gleanerjm.com