Greenhouse boost
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Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Floyd Green, unveils greenhouse signage at St Catherine High School, joined by (from left) Marlon Campbell, principal of St Catherine High School; FAO Representative Dr Ana Touza; United Nations Resident Coordinator Dennis Zulu; High Commissioner of India H. E. Mayank Joshi; IRL Project Manager Dr Inessa Salomão; CEO of RADA, Garnett Edmonson; and students, marking the symbolic handover of 14 protected agriculture structures under the IRL Project.
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Sherene Smith (right), head of the agricultural science department at St Catherine High School, with grade 11 student Ladona Gordon.
Students and staff at St Catherine High School are a step closer to achieving food security, following the handover of a greenhouse by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
The facility is expected to reduce the school’s reliance on purchased produce by enabling the cultivation of fresh vegetables on campus for its population of roughly 2,000 students.
The initiative builds on work already under way at the institution, where agricultural science has been introduced as a core subject in grades seven and eight. At the upper levels, students may opt to continue the subject for external examinations.
Interest among older students has risen since the installation of the greenhouse, which forms part of a wider FAO-backed project aimed at improving rural livelihoods through resilient agri-food systems. The programme, funded by the Government of India at a cost of US$1 million, also targeted farming communities across St Catherine.
“The greenhouse is geared towards food security here at St Catherine High School. It can house approximately 1,800 plants, so with this number of plants it is definitely geared towards food security,” said Sherene Smith, head of the agricultural science department.
Smith noted that beyond food production, the project exposes students to modern and non-conventional farming techniques while opening doors for deeper community involvement.
“We are in the future looking to house and accommodate the community as well, because we see it as a way of certifying our youth in agriculture,” Smith disclosed.
The greenhouse will produce crops already used in the school canteen, including lettuce, cabbage, sweet pepper, spinach and tomatoes. “We will eat what we grow here,” she explained.
According to Smith, younger students have already shown increased enthusiasm for agriculture.
“I had the opportunity of taking some of these students into the greenhouse and they were quite enthused, so in terms of numbers we are looking forward to the changing numbers in terms of selection of agriculture. We are looking forward for greater numbers in the discipline,” Smith stated.
She added that the programme emphasises agriculture as a viable business. “This is one of the things we push. We push the financial aspect of agriculture. We encourage them, we build on their background because some of them are coming from homes where they know about farming, so we just build on that aspect, put things into perspective and allow them to see that agriculture is profitable,” Smith said.
Grade 11 student Ladona Gordon said her interest in agriculture stems from its global importance. “I chose agriculture because I think it is important not just for our food security but also the world,” Gordon told The Gleaner.
“I am interested in producing a design I created; it is a mechanism to help farmers determine what to add to the soil before planting,” she disclosed, highlighting the importance of the greenhouse to the development of her project.
Principal Marlon Campbell described the greenhouse as transformational.
“To the students, the greenhouse is more than just a building. It is a living laboratory, a place where you can explore the wonders of botany, conduct scientific experiments and develop a lifelong appreciation for the environment.”
ruddy.mathison@gleanerjm.com