Teen farmer loves growing her own food

Kedean Thompson is often called an 'old woman' by her peers, but she said the term is only used out of pure admiration and respect.

The 16-year-old Manning's School 10th grader is mature beyond her age and is not about the latest fashion and hype. Instead, her free time is spent tilling her field, tending to her animals, preparing a tasty meal or baking.

"My peers say I am an old woman and they look up to me and I inspire them. They always support me though. They say I am something else. I really don't dress up a lot unless it is like my mommy's birthday or Mother's Day and so on. That's when I will put on a long hair, make-up and a nice little dress. But other than that, every day you will see me in my water boots once I come home from school," Kedean said.

The youngster said she grew up in the farming district of Barham, Westmoreland. For years, she said she observed intensely as her father Adrian Thompson tended to his farm, and approximately three months ago, she started her own. She documents her progress on TikTok, and she is often seen chopping bush with a machete and using a pitchfork to dig the soil. These are extremely strenuous tasks, but Kedean said she enjoys every minute.

"I found out that growing your own food can be healthier because you can use your organic manure to nurture your plant. Since I started, we have saved so much money because I don't have to buy callaloo at the market any more as I can just go on my farm and pick it," she said.

The teenager's day usually begins at 6 a.m. tending to her farm, chickens and pig. After completing her classes, she is off to a fitness centre in the evening, after which she attends to her chickens once more before retiring to bed. Her mother Sherol Thompson assists her throughout the days.

Kedean also posts videos of her preparing sumptuous dishes on a coal stove. She said cooking and baking are her other passions, something she feels was inevitable as her parents are chefs.

"From I was a very little girl, I was in the kitchen with my parents and I learned to cook over time. I cook on a coal stove because I love the natural ways of doing things with my coal and all of that. Everyone says I am an old woman and I usually grow with my grandmother, so it's in me. My mother doesn't like when I wash the pots and is always working. She always tells me to sit down but I like being busy," she said.

The young farmer said she is fully focused on achieving her goals, which she strongly believes will ease her family's financial burden.

"I live in the bush so Wi-Fi services are not that great. So a lot of the times I will do my homework at school. Even if I put on data, I have to be holding my phone in the air trying to get service. I don't let nothing bother or slow me down though, because I am on my way to becoming a certified chef and an agricultural specialist. I see how much my parents are struggling so I am starting my future from now. I want to own one of the biggest farms in Jamaica," the teenager said.

Thompson said that from Kedean was 10 years old, she realised that she was a special child.

"She doesn't give trouble and she is always very helpful. Once I am doing something, she is always around me trying to help. She is a top student at school and she just really has her head screwed on properly. Her teachers says she is a motivator to her peers," Thompson said.