It’s always a positive experience visiting the charming EITS Café nestled in the leafy refuge of the Blue Mountains in St Andrew. Michael and Robyn Fox are owners of the extensive 17 Mile Post belt, which is home to EITS Café, Mount Edge Guest House, and the Food Basket Farm.

It is from this farm that Fox gathers the greens and herbs that compose the fresh salads and savoury entrées that have seen EITS Café win the Best Ethical Restaurant Award at this year’s Jamaica Observer Food Awards. While we were captivated by the landscape of 17 Mile Post, our drive up the mountain allowed us the opportunity to engage with other small farmers and enterprising vendors who provide the fresh greens and hardy produce that fill our fruit bowls, animate our soups and spice up our stews — and, yes, provide those same ingredients to eateries such as EITS Café. Thursday Life gives you a peek at some of the growers and purveyors of foods we spotted along a winding stretch of road from the Papine area to the Redlight community.