Work and economy · St. Elizabeth · written in Patois with an English translation
Dem call St. Elizabeth di breadbasket a Jamaica, an a no joke ting. A dis ya parish grow nuff a di food weh di whole islan nyam. Now hear di funny part: rain no really faal nuff-nuff a St. Bess — a one a di drier part dem a di islan. So how di grung dem so green? Di faama dem smart, man. Fram long time dem cut guinea grass an spread i out pon di grung fi keep di likkle wata inna di soil (a mulching method locals call dry farming). Wid dat, dem mek dry lan bear like riva bottom. Fram Southfield an Junction go dung a Pedro Plains, evri hillside plant up — scallion, thyme, onion, tomato, melon, pumpkin, yam, cassava. Whole family wuk togeda pon di grung: pickney help water plant afta school, an maanin time evrybody out a door before sun hot. Higgla an truck man come fram Kingston an all bout fi buy fram di faama dem, an kyai di food go a maakit all ova Jamaica. Di Black River valley lan rich too, an cattle an alligator (crocodiles, really!) share di wetland dem. So when yuh siddung a yuh Sunday dinna anyweh inna Jamaica, chance high seh someting pon di plate — di scallion inna di chicken, di thyme, di melon — come fram St. Bess grung. Big up di faama dem: a dem han feed di nation.
They call St. Elizabeth the breadbasket of Jamaica, and it's no joke. It is this parish that grows much of the food the whole island eats. Now hear the funny part: rain doesn't really fall much in St. Bess — it's one of the drier parts of the island. So how are the fields so green? The farmers are clever. For generations they have cut guinea grass and spread it over the ground to keep the little water in the soil (a mulching method locals call dry farming). With that, they make dry land bear like river-bottom soil. From Southfield and Junction down to Pedro Plains, every hillside is planted — scallion, thyme, onion, tomato, melon, pumpkin, yam, cassava. Whole families work the plot together: children help water plants after school, and in the morning everyone is outdoors before the sun gets hot. Market vendors and truckers come from Kingston and everywhere to buy from the farmers and carry the food to markets all over Jamaica. The Black River valley land is rich too, and cattle and crocodiles share the wetlands. So when you sit down to your Sunday dinner anywhere in Jamaica, chances are high that something on the plate — the scallion in the chicken, the thyme, the melon — came from a St. Bess field. Salute the farmers: it is their hands that feed the nation.
Dem kaal St. Elizabeth di bredbaaskit a Jamieka, an a no juok ting. A dis ya parish gruo nof a di fuud we di uol ailan nyam. Nou ier di foni paat: rien no rili faal nof-nof a St. Bess — a wan a di jraiya paat dem a di ailan. So hou di grong dem so griin? Di faama dem smaat, man. Fram lang taim dem kot gini graas an spred i out pan di grong fi kiip di likl waata iina di sail (a mulching method locals call dry farming). Wid dat, dem mek jrai lan bier laik riva batam. Fram Southfield an Junction go dong a Pedro Plains, evri hilsaid plaant op — skalyan, taim, onyan, tumieto, melan, pongkin, yam, kasava. Uol fambili wok togeda pan di grong: pikni help waata plaant afta skuul, an maanin taim evribadi out a duor bifuo son hat. Higla an chrok man kom fram Kingston an aal bout fi bai fram di faama dem, an kyai di fuud go a maakit aal uova Jamieka. Di Black River vali lan rich tuu, an katl an aligeta (crocodiles, really!) shier di wetlan dem. So wen yu sidong a yu Sonde dina eniwe iina Jamieka, chaans hai se somting pan di pliet — di skalyan iina di chikin, di taim, di melan — kom fram St. Bess grong. Big op di faama dem: a dem han fiid di nieshan.
Higman independently ties scallion, thyme, melon and the bitter cassava used for bammy to St Elizabeth, which is the strongest scholarly footing available for the parish's food-growing reputation.
The history and the figures come from the sources above. The Patois is mine.
Hear this read aloud in St. Elizabeth →