Young St James farmers look to sorrel
ST JAMES — Plans for sorrel production by young farmers of Adelphi and surrounding communities in East Central St James are underway.
The sorrel production initiative, which is aimed at providing employment opportunities for young people and increasing their earning potential, came out of discussions held during the recent St James Parish Council community forum at the Adelphi All Age School.
Raising concerns about the future of the young people, especially the young men, the Council’s secretary/manager, Christopher Powell, called for a pooling of ideas and resources to chart a new economic path for the parish and country.
“I believe the time has come for all communities to begin to look seriously at what type of future is being formulated for the young people,” Powell said.
Past principal of the Adelphi All Age School, Sydney Finnikin, and former teacher at one community school, Glenis Rose, have both volunteered to lead the group of young farmers into sorrel production.
Technical and other assistance would be sought from a number of organisations, including the National Union of Co-operatives and the Scientific Research Council (SRC), so the project could begin with a firm foundation.
At the meeting, there were suggestions for sorrel to be planted on a large scale that would provide a consistent supply to hotels as well as for the making of sorrel drink, chutney and jam as well as other by-products.
It was also suggested that the vandalised Content Community Centre be upgraded as a factory base for the processing of sorrel by-products, thereby opening up employment opportunities for more young persons of the area.
“The possibilities of upward mobility for this community will be endless when this project takes off. The quality of life and the level of behaviour will definitely improve, and the joy will come to us seniors to see our young people blossoming into useful citizens,” Finnikin told JIS News.