IN giving a historical background of the village, Fitzroy Valentine, a farmer and resident of Cuffy Dam, Friendship, East Bank Demerara, recalled that after the farmer’s co-op was established, all produce had to be taken to the co-op, which provided all the inputs for cultivation.

The farmer, he said, would be given half the value of the crops in cash and after the co-op extracted for other costs, the rest of the money would go towards the shares. The farmer then decides if he wants the rest of the cash or to sell the remainder of his produce.

Valentine told the Pepperpot Magazine that over time, some farmers made a new track out of the village without showing up with their produce at the coop and after Pastor Herman Craig passed away, the co-op somewhat fell apart and was functioning halfway.

The elder stated that before Pastor Herman’s passing he had applied for a loan of $500,000 from the then-Guyana Agricultural Bank. The money was available for infrastructural development within Cuffy Dam via the co-op.

The money was, however, used to dig trenches, drains, canals and build dams to boost the drainage and irrigation integrity of the community to promote farming, he said.

Valentine reported that for the dying co-op to remain in operation, Co-op Officer Morris Edghill visited the village and recommended that the marketing/producers co-op society be changed to a land co-op.

This move, the farmer stressed, was necessary, because the village and farmers will benefit from both input and output and will just have to pay dues, so the Cuffy Dam Land Co-op Society was formed in 1992.

Valentine reported that after that the then Head of State Hugh Desmond Hoyte visited and started to sell portions of the land into a divestment term to a company and only two parcels were sold.

He explained that many farmers occupied the land during that time and they started to get a lot of flooding due to the public road being very low and the water accumulated quickly, since that area was once a reservoir for the catchment from Craig to Relief.

Valentine added that flooding has been a problem in that area for a long time, due to a lack of drainage and irrigation.

But when the team visited they observed a hymac and other heavy-duty equipment upgrading the canals that run adjacent to the village.

“Despite the flooding, this land is very fertile because of its soil composition, which includes pagasse and clay, but right now the land is sour from the recent flooding. But when we have good weather that promotes growth, even a dead man will grow here,” he said.

The soil is best suited for citrus, roots and tubers.

Valentine’s has a cultivation of cherry tomatoes, sweet peppers, mustard and kale, which he packages in plastic containers for sale.

The 73-year-old told the Pepperpot Magazine that he would walk and sell his produce on Water Street, the Vendor’s Arcade and Regent Street and on weekends, he would go to La Penitence Market.

Valentine’s brand is “Kitchen Support” and his produce are organic and wholesome, but his cherry tomatoes are his pride and joy.

The farmer is very passionate about what he does, knowledgeable about cultivation of crops, and looks at things from a scientific point of view.

He has been a part of many farming programmes and also worked with many volunteers, from whom he gained much insight into producing crops faster than normal, due to several implementations.

Valentine gained the technical know-how and he would harvest pak choi every three weeks instead of waiting for several weeks.

The farmer explained that his first wooden Green House collapsed one day without warning. After considering certain factors, he invested in galvanized pipes to make frames for his crops and incorporated that into his new Green House, which has not failed him since.

Valentine stated that because of the training he received, he is equipped with the relevant knowledge to harvest faster and is getting better crops, which is also organic.

For instance, he explained that pruning trees is also essential and when doing so, you can leave five to seven branches if it is a cherry tree; and if you get one five gallons of cherries from it, the other trees, when pruned, would also give the same amount.

Valentine has about 64 cherry trees and when it is time to harvest, he would have to employ people to assist him with picking the cherries.