I am able: Blind Manchester farmer gives generously

Although he lost his vision over 15 years ago, Manchester farmer Earl Smith will readily tell you that he has never had an accident because his memory is fully active.

When THE WEEKEND STAR visited the 67-year-old Spring Grove resident, he was busy with his extremely sharp machete, cleaning out the small farm behind his home.

“Mi used to go on farm work back in the days, and knife slice one a mi finger already and damage it bad, and those time I could see really good. Now that I am blind, mi never one day lose mi way or get even a small scrape. I still store everything in my memory. Nothing nuh change,” he said.

He explained that he went blind years ago after he began having severe headaches. A visit to the doctor revealed that he had glaucoma in both eyes. His vision went shortly after.

“Mi lose mi sight one time for about three months and then it come back and after that mi lose it again, and it never return. I don’t let it bother me, because it doesn’t hinder me much. The only thing that prevent me from farming the way I would want to is the lack of water. Sometimes the children dem have to carry water from far. So because of that, mi can’t farm and do business the way mi would want to,” he said.

Nonetheless, very soon Smith will be able to reap plantains, star apples, string beans, corns, pumpkins and coconuts.

He said that these days he does not sell his produce, but offers them as gifts to persons in the community.

“When I used to farm over at Dawkins, I used to sell back because the land space was really big. I have nine children, and farming is what I used to provide for my entire family. Now I give away to church people and so forth because I believe in helping others. Regardless of everything, God has been good to me, so I like to help,” he said.