{"id":8497,"date":"2021-05-05T13:00:50","date_gmt":"2021-05-05T17:00:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/drealfmgrenada.com\/?p=8497"},"modified":"2021-05-05T13:00:50","modified_gmt":"2021-05-05T17:00:50","slug":"meet-the-farmer-gerard-slatta-john","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/drealfmgrenada.com\/index.php\/2021\/05\/05\/meet-the-farmer-gerard-slatta-john\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet the Farmer \u2013 Gerard \u201c Slatta \u201c John"},"content":{"rendered":"

Gerard John is continuing\u00a0 a family\u00a0 tradition,\u00a0 making his\u00a0 contribution to food and nutrition security on the sister-isles of Carriacou and Petite Martinique.<\/p>\n

Gerard, in\u00a0 his late twenties (20s),\u00a0 is following in the footsteps of his dad Joseph John, a well-known farmer in Carriacou, along with his grand-father (maternal) and other family members\u00a0 who have dabbled a bit in agriculture.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis has helped me to grow that love and vibe for agriculture, something that actually pays off. I enjoy what I currently do, I work hard and smart,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Although farmers, like Gerard, on the\u00a0 sister-isle are challenged by\u00a0 water which lead to \u00a0frequent drought like conditions, traditional crops\u00a0 such as corn and peas are cultivated.<\/p>\n

He said, \u201cAny type of crop that can grow in the Caribbean, I grow them here; but you see watermelons, those are my favourite . Once\u00a0 I have that in the garden, I can eat that every day;\u00a0 it keeps me full for long periods, so I can complete my tasks on the farm.\u201d<\/p>\n

Slatta, as he is known, has his\u00a0 own poultry farm, supplying\u00a0 eggs and meat to his\u00a0 market and also\u00a0\u00a0 has a bit of\u00a0 livestock \u2013 sheep and goat.<\/p>\n

While his farming includes a number of dynamic agronomic practices, he\u00a0 prefers crop rotation as, according to him,\u00a0 \u201cthis practice helps to add back nutrients to the soil and assists with controlling pests and diseases.\u201d<\/p>\n

Slatta, a well-known Soca Artiste,\u00a0 has won\u00a0 the Soca Monarch and Road March titles on the island, and also\u00a0 headlines small concerts in the US and UK. He explained how he balances all of this, along with his farming career.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you love something, you have to make time for it. \u00a0I love farming and\u00a0 I love my music, so when I am on the island, I schedule my time to make sure I come to the farm early, complete my tasks\u00a0 and when I\u2019m not on the island, I have people that help. I have two employees and my\u00a0 ten-year-old nephews, they know how to do everything on the farm, so they help out their grand-father.<\/p>\n

The COVID-19 Pandemic was another challenge for the\u00a0 Mt, Royal youth; he elaborated on the impact it had on his farming. \u201cIt was good and bad because I normally do things on a large scale, so\u00a0 I had a lot of spoilage. This, however, helped me to understand the importance of better planning, which allows me to save more and make better business decisions.\u201d<\/p>\n

John envisions himself doing great things in agriculture . \u201cIn the\u00a0 next five (5) , ten (10) or fifteen (15) years , I want to acquire more\u00a0 land\u00a0 where I can plant and have my animals . One of the types of crops I would like to grow here on a large scale is grapes, because people grow grapes here but on a small scale for\u00a0 home use .\u00a0 While I have storage here for water, I also wish that us farmers in Carriacou \u2013 in the Mt. Pleasant, Dumfries area \u2013 \u00a0get wells where we can store water for our\u00a0 farms.<\/p>\n

His advice to upcoming farmers is to work hard, work smart and be persistent .<\/p>\n

To purchase his crops, you can contact Gerard\u00a0 on instagram @slattapah,visit John\u2019s Supermarket\u00a0 in Hillsborough or contact 473-443-8387.<\/p>\n

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Things to note about Gerard John:<\/p>\n