BRYAN Reid is both an engineer and a farmer.

As a child, he would accompany his father Bryan Sr to the farm in Chudleigh, Manchester, and assist with various tasks before going to school. His chores included ploughing soil, picking crops and feeding cows, for which he was rewarded with an allowance.

As he progressed in school, his interest in mechanics and engineering blossomed, giving him two career options from which to choose. He decided to marry the two, and three years ago Reid’s Agriculture and Tractor Company was born.

The company supplies tractors to farmers to plough their fields.

“I wanted to focus on using engineering to improve my production and those of other farmers. But to be honest, I see myself more as a farmer than as an engineer,” Reid told the Jamaica Observer.

The 23-year-old is from the small community of Ova River. The farm that he shares with his father produces livestock and cash crops.

“Agriculture is all around me. I grew up seeing my grandparents, my father and my mother doing it for a living. And I was always helping them on the farm, so it became a part of me as well,” Reid shared.

“What I like most about farming is that it offers satisfaction, which is not often found in other careers. Planting my own crops provides me with food to eat and produce to sell to vendors who supply consumers across the island,” he explained.

Upon completing Christiana High School, Reid wanted to become an auto mechanic, but shifted to mechanical engineering, in which he now holds an associate degree from Knox Community College.

“Farming gives me joy,” Reid said. “Planting my seeds and watching them germinate and to see young shoots mature and then harvest the crop [fills me with joy]. As for the livestock, it allows me to develop a relationship with the animals, who must be cared for tenderly and patiently.”

Reid gave an insight into how profitable farming has been for him.

“Everything in life has its ups and downs, and farming is no different. We are sometimes affected by glut and even the weather. However, farming is profitable enough to cover my day-to-day expenses.”

He added, “For me, the downside to farming has to do with the investment that you put into the crops. Sometimes the results are not what you expected them to be. There are times when the price of the produce is low, which affects your profitability. However, this hasn’t deterred me; I simply go back to the drawing board and start all over.”

His produce are sold to local vendors. His long-term plans include increasing production on his farm to help eliminate imports.

“I am working on producing enough products to supply the local market, and this will help in reducing the country’s high import bill,” he explained.

Reid is a Nutramix Youth in Agriculture ambassador.

“I strongly feel honoured to be recognised as an ambassador for Nutramix Youth in Agriculture. And as a young person, I deem it a privilege to be given this recognition and opportunity,” said Reid.