Patrick was laughing at me. “Look at you! And you!” (This to Val, one of the new trainees and fellow New England Foodie and Farm Enthusiast.)
“You two are just glowing with happiness! Clearly, you could not be happier!”

In my defense, it’s hard NOT to radiate bliss when munching on crisp, peppery arugula straight from the field you’re standing in. And when that field is 2,000 feet up in the hills of St Ann, blue ocean winking away in the distance….well. Honestly.

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, the organic movement in Jamaica is still in it’s infantile stages, and is being coaxed forward into the larger context of agriculture on the Rock by a few passionate advocates.

Lisa and Christopher Binns, of ZionItes Organics are active members of the Jamaican Organic Agriculture Movement (JOAM), and an afternoon spent at their Free Hill farm is something akin to experiencing nirvana. For them, organic farming is more than just a a way of raising tastier carrots (although it is certainly that!), it’s a way of life, a deep-rooted conviction that I think is shared by many practitioners of sustainable agriculture.

Listening to Lisa explain how every action taken on the farm is done with the aim of increasing the health of the soil, or following Christopher through the terraced fields as he points out companion plantings and munching on massive okra pods, one cannot help but share the joy, and come away secure in the belief that here, at least, something wonderful and positive and is going on.

It was an injection of optimism that I desperately needed as my main assignment continues to be mired in disfunction, and Patrick’s observation mirrored something my neighbor Barry said to me with a grin last week: “You always look as happy as can be when you’re going outta bush!”

The sense of involvement with the land that agriculture requires, and organics/bio-dynamics in particular, never fails to leave me feeling…complete, in a way. Is that cheesy? It’s true, though, and I spent my afternoon in Free Hill happy and secure in the knowledge that this was the sort of life I wanted to build for myself.
Everyone has goals for where they want to see themselves in 10 years: some want a fancy car, others want a family. This white gyaal yah so wants a Jamaican organic farm.

So, again, many many thanks to the Binns’, not just for the arugula (which was wonderful!), but for the inspiration as well!