MAY PEN, Clarendon — An unexpected call to return home five years ago has paid off for Anita Facey who, along with fellow educator Caleen Walker, leased 11.6 acres of lands at Parnassus Agro Park in Clarendon. They are currently clearing the property to plant cassava.

“I lived overseas and there was a calling to come back home. The way some people cuss Jamaica, I can’t believe I come back home and [am] better off than I was before; so I am very elated, words cannot explain,” Facey told the Jamaica Observer a few minutes after being handed lease documents.

The presentation was made during a ceremony to launch the agro park and officially commission the Parnassus Irrigation System into operation on Wednesday.

“The aim is to contribute to food security, reduce crime and violence in the area, improve the GDP [gross domestic product] in Jamaica and, by extension, play our part to contribute to the country achieving its sustainable development goals as per Vision 2030 — especially the goal that speaks to the reduction of poverty,” Facey explained.

Her co-worker, Walker, already had property at another agro park, so their collaboration made a lot of sense.

“As farmers both trained at CASE [College of Agriculture, Science and Education], and now agricultural educators, we both want to mentor and help other women succeed in agriculture. What better way to do that than to put our resources together,” Facey shared.

Walker was equally elated.

“I feel very good being a part of this ‘women in agriculture’ initiative. We want to help other women in agriculture to be successful and so I feel very good about this experience. We can disseminate information and share our knowledge with the young people. Food security is the way to go and young people also need to get involved in this drive to achieve food security so we can be on top of our game as a country,” Walker said excitedly and Facey agreed.

“Farming is no longer being viewed as the ‘dirty hands profession’, and farmers no longer drive Probox, they drive nice cars and live in mansions. Although we don’t have much people doing much of the labour-intensive work, there is a time and place for forks and hoes. Not everywhere on the property you can go and set up a hydroponics system. Land clearing requires those things and you can’t use a D-6 in a small area, and even though things have evolved, there’s a time and place for everything,” stressed Walker.

The Jamaica Agricultural Society crowned Facey a phenomenal woman in agriculture in 2023 and that motivated her to take on farming as a way to fulfil a mandate given to mentor other women.

“This project is a phenomenal one. Many times farmers don’t get to acquire land as it is usually passed down through generations, but today we are first-generation owners, so we’ll be passing down land,” Facey said.

She said they plan to employ students of agriculture.

“We have a plan but will not divulge much at the moment; but you’re gonna see us,” she promised.