Deejaying farmer uses talent to promote agriculture

Twenty-one-year-old poultry farmer Cleo Jones is using his talent as a deejay to promote his Raised Right Poultry Farm and to attract more young people to the sector.

Since February, he has been operating his farm in Glade, St Catherine, as a supplemental income stream. Alongside his uncle Raymond McFarlane, he tends to more than 5,000 chickens. They also raise pigs while planting crops. With posts of original songs about agriculture and life on his farm, Jones has racked up about 27,000 followers on TikTok. These posts have gained him valuable recognition, which has translated to numerous lucrative business partnerships.

Jones tells JIS News that he has been creative since his days at Kingston College.

"You know, one of those things that we did in school was clashing. Every Friday, we set up the desks, benches and the chairs and we clash. That's where the musical journey basically started for me," he said. He decided to incorporate his talent in farming as a marketing strategy.

"I just wanted to be different. I was thinking about a marketing strategy and I'm like, 'alright then, I'm good at this. Why not infuse my creativity into the farming and basically see how best it can push sales?'" he said. "Trust me, it's doing a great job, so far. Sometimes I walk into a restaurant to meet with the owner and they recognise me as 'de yute pon TikTok a raise e fowl dem'."

"Right there and then, it sets off a relationship instead of me having to start from scratch," he added. In one of his songs he sings:

"Yutes, start farming an mek a million quick, next year di business ago gimmie wah whip. Wi a try fi teach di yutes an mould dem, if we nuh farm weh we ago nyam, rodent? We need fi import less Jamaica mek wi grow den. Seeds dem? Plant dem water wid hose dem!"

Jones believes there is value in self-sustenance and establishing businesses that build and serve communities.

"I always tell people, we probably need a lawyer once in our life, or a doctor a few times. But if you eat five times a day, you need a farmer five times. Farming is very important to society. Farming has given me a sense of pride and belonging to know that I am doing something for society. I'm providing society with food," he said. Jones recognises the value his farm adds to the lives and livelihoods of community members.

"We're providing jobs. Apart from permanent employment we have people we will call to come to do work for a day or two when we're slaughtering chickens. We also give back to a nearby basic school. Sometimes we supply them with eggs and chicken. We also try to get the kids actively involved in farming.

"We also bring students on the farm occasionally to spend the day, and at times, the basic school kids are here for a half day and the teacher will bring her [chalk] board and teach them here," he said.

Jones noted the country's food import-export imbalance and sees himself as part of the solution.

"I would advise youth to jump into farming. It is profitable and there is a great demand for it. You just want to market your business the right way," he said. "I would also encourage everybody to plant something, grow something. It's always good to know that you can eat without buying."

Jones also has his eyes set on goat farming as there is a massive demand for the meat in Jamaica.