Known for its tropical climate and beautiful beaches, the island of Jamaica is also home to a vibrant lettuce industry. For many decades, lettuce has been grown locally and sold mainly to resorts and hotels. Virtually all lettuce is grown in the ground, in open fields. "This can be a challenge due to hot and humid conditions," says Evan Rees with Plentiful Harvest Farms. "The humidity is the biggest issue, causing plant diseases." Therefore, most farms only grow in the winter months, from October through May.
As a result of strong ties with Jamaica, Rees and two other business partners searched the country for a location to start a specialty lettuce operation. Coupled with an investment from a private equity firm, Plentiful Harvest Farms opened their doors on May 1, 2024 with an operation that is able to eliminate the negative impact of Mother Nature and instead utilize her benefits.
Specialty lettuce varieties
"We found a location at an elevation of 1,800 feet where it gets very hot in summer," said Rees. To successfully operate a lettuce farm in these conditions, the team considered their options. "That's when we started working with Cravo, a longtime manufacturer of retractable roof systems." Their systems protect from adverse weather and create an optimal climate to grow produce. "By opening the roof, cooler winds blow through the greenhouse, reducing heat and humidity significantly," shared Rees. In addition, a cooling curtain keeps shade on top of the plants, preventing them from sunburn.
As a result, the company is able to grow specialty varieties like Romaine lettuce, Green and Red Oak Leaf lettuce, as well as Butterhead lettuce year-round. "Soon, we will also be introducing Arugula and basil." Most produce is sold to resorts, hotels and restaurants on the island. While many local growers have opted to grow the hardier and less fragile iceberg lettuce variety, Plentiful Harvest Farms has chosen not to compete with local farmers. In addition, the retractable roof has created perfect conditions to grow specialty lettuce varieties.
Hurricane Beryl
In addition to reducing heat and humidity, the retractable roof system appeared to be of incredible value when Hurricane Beryl swiped Jamaica on July 3. Beryl was most destructive in the southern part of the island as a category 2 to 3 hurricane. However, it still hit Plentiful Harvest's greenhouse as a tropical storm and winds of 75 mph. came through. Cravo's systems have been known and built to withstand hurricanes and if winds are under 125 mph., it is advised to keep the walls and roof closed. Rees followed the recommendation and when he walked into the greenhouse the morning after the storm, the entire crop was in place and there was no damage.
High demand
However, Plentiful Harvest did feel the effects of the hurricane as the island was out of power for two weeks. "Fortunately, we had a backup generator that allowed us to open and close the roof." This was very important as the hurricane created a lot of moisture, infecting the plants with mold. "As a result, we had to take off the bottom leaves at first, but we are working through the issue," said Rees. Following Beryl, demand for lettuce has been good and prices high. Some other growers had to re-plant, delaying harvest by a cycle of six weeks. "We were able to continue harvesting and became the number one choice for specialty lettuces. Demand is higher than our production capacity, giving our farm a very good start."
For more information:
Evan Rees
Plentiful Harvest Farms
[email protected]
www.plentifulharvestfarms.com
For more information about Cravo's roof systems:
Richard Vollebregt
Cravo Equipment Ltd
Tel: +(1) 519 759 8226 x 215
[email protected]
www.cravo.com