Unbroken will
Hurricane losses fail to break the fighting spirit of a young farmer
Published:Saturday | December 20, 2025 | 12:07 AMRuddy Mathison/Gleaner Writer
The resilience so often used to describe the Jamaican farmer is clearly exemplified in 35-year-old Latoya Burrows-Johns, who, along with her partner, operates a 15-acre crop and livestock farm at Salt Pond, a section of the Bernard Lodge in St Catherine.
Barely a year old, the farm – with three workers – was ravaged by Hurricane Melissa in October. Acres of pumpkin, okra, sweet pepper and other crops were destroyed, while goats and pigs perished. Losses are put at over $3 million.
Burrows-Johns, who had agricultural produce slated for the lucrative Christmas market, said those plans were severely disrupted.
Despite the setback, the young female farmer, who grew up watching her parents cultivate crops for the Jamaican food market in St Mary, has refused to give up on her lifelong dream of operating a successful farm.
Although momentarily dumbstruck by the destruction she encountered on her first visit to the property after the hurricane, Burrows-Johns said she quickly resolved to rebuild – and to do so bigger and better.
“I came to the farm two days after the hurricane and what I saw broke my heart. I sighed and turned around and did not returned for a few days,” she told The Gleaner, describing scenes where entire plots of pumpkin, okra, sweet pepper and cucumber were submerged in water up to the level of her waist.
“I was very concerned about my staff who worked so hard to do land preparation and planting and now, seeing their efforts totally wiped out, it was heartbreaking for them also.”
The emotional toll extended beyond the crops. Burrows-Johns recalled that one of her employees, Vivine Haslam, was deeply affected by the loss of several animals, including a pig that had just given birth.
She said the female worker was devastated by the loss of several goats and pigs, including a pig that had just given birth, and was unable to function.
“I had to stop her from work for a week because she was so attached to the animals and the sight of them dead affected her emotionally,” Barrows-Johns said.
After mustering up the courage to return to the farm, Burrows-Johns said she explored whether any of the crops close to harvest could be salvaged.
“We gathered about 4,800 pounds of pumpkin, didn’t know if they were edible but, before we could find out, somebody who thought it belong to them took advantage of the malfunctioning camera and took off with some,” she said.
She later discovered that the pumpkins were badly affected by floodwaters and were unsuitable for the market. So were the cucumbers.
“We were able to salvage some okra, which we sold at a time when the price was above the normal price,” she noted.
Actively Replanting
Throughout the downturn, Burrows-Johns retained all three of her employees. When The Gleaner visited the farm on Thursday, workers were seen actively preparing land for replanting.
Haslam, who primarily tends to the livestock but also assists with crop production, reflected on the damage.
“We couldn’t see anything it was water waist-high, we were sad when we see that she didn’t make anything from the crops and she still kept us on.”
“We don’t just come here to work money, the farm is like our home,” she continued.
Another worker, identified only as Ray, described the extent of the losses.
“The farm lose a lot because of Melissa, we as worker here, we really see that a lot was loss, the money put in the time, and effort and just to see it go away like that is bad to all of us,” he stated.
Burrows-Johns expressed hope for a stronger response from the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), pointing out that farmers on the Bernard Lodge lands have received no assistance since the hurricane. Nonetheless, she is preparing to rebuild on her own.
“My plan going forward is to diversify my production line. I will be doing onion, carrots and sweet corn, because i am trying to gain as much attention as possible. I want to give the consumers options,” she declared.
She added that she has already planted East Indian mangoes and citrus trees as part of the diversification thrust.
“I am a fighter. Once you are a farmer you develop the fighting spirit. I am ready to rebuild, stronger and better,” she said as she opened the trunk of her vehicle to display several bags of vegetable seeds.
However, Burrows-Johns said the trauma of losing livestock has prompted a major shift in her farming strategy.
According to her, she will discontinue livestock farming, explaining that it was too painful to witness the animals dying under such circumstances. Instead, she plans to transition into poultry rearing, focusing on layers to supply the local egg market.