10-year-old farmer dreams of becoming CEO

At just 10 years old, Jaina Beckford of Huntley, Manchester, is already pulling in bigger paydays than some adults, thanks to her love for farming and a natural business flair that seems beyond her years.

Her mother, 37-year-old farmer Shamar Dayes, beams with pride when she recalls how it all began.

"As a young single mother going in the farm as early as 5 a.m., I didn't have a babysitter, so I had to take her with me," Dayes said.

She said that instead of leaving young Beckford in the vehicle, she opted to take her on the farm. Beckford did not just watch her mother, she also got her hands dirty and in the process, trained her green thumb.

Dayes, who once worked as a junior accountant, said she gave up crunching numbers to focus on planting crops. Today, she farms sweet potatoes and carrots in Huntley, and manages a greenhouse full of peppers in Nain, St Elizabeth.

"I've had the farming background since I was a child but I switched over into farming in 2018. I was a junior accountant doing mostly bookkeeping, but I did part-time farming while working as a data entry clerk. Since I had her, it was difficult to balance work. So I started thinking about farming. The earnings and the convenience is why I switched," she shared.

That leap of faith has paid off, and now her daughter is proving she inherited not just her mother's green thumb, but her entrepreneurial spirit as well.

"She has made up to $20,000 in a day," Dayes said of her young daughter. "For the greenhouse, once the peppers reach at a certain stage, you have to pull them. While pulling them out, there are other peppers on the tree. I told her that whatever she picked for the day was hers, and she picked enough to earn her $20,000."

For Beckford, farming isn't a chore.

"Some people think it's hard to do, but I don't believe so. I have been doing it since I was very young, so I am used to it. I love doing the deliveries and selling mostly because I get tips and I see that people love our produce," she told THE STAR.

The budding farmer has dreams that stretch far beyond the greenhouse.

"I want to be the CEO of a hotel because I want to have a lot of money so I can help my parents and my family. I also want to help other people because it's the right thing to do. I plan to still farm when I get to high school," she said.

Beckford juggles schoolwork, extracurricular activities, and farming with ease.

"She was granted the privilege to be on the quiz team, so during the summer she had a lot of quiz training. When she is not at school physically, she joins the classes on Zoom on the farm, and as soon as she finishes her sessions, she comes to help us," her mother explained.

Her independence shines through in the way she handles money, too.

"My favourite subject is mathematics so I know how to count my money. The funny part is that whenever daddy gives me money, he asks me how much it is. So I know money from an early age," she said.

For Dayes, the most rewarding part is seeing her daughter's character shine through.

"I am a proud mom because you have some kids don't even want to lift a straw, but not Jaina. Even when I get home she say, 'Mommy you tired? Gwaan go bathe, mi a guh mek some tea for you.' She have her little Panini Pan and she toasts and butter bread for me," she said.

She also gives credit to her cousin, Dwayne Smith, whom she calls "the genius behind the farming techniques," for helping guide their greenhouse operations. Above all, Dayes says she is thankful for a higher blessing.

"I am most grateful for Jehovah's blessings for allowing the plants to grow, and for teaching my daughter something she can always rely on," Dayes said.