EVE BURNS
There are 66 farmers currently making a living out of farming in Laura. Laura doesn’t have many job opportunities. People come into town for work, or work at Taiwan Technical Mission, have their own small business, are fishermen or have their own farm for generating income.
Having a farm seems to be the new cool thing to do. Farmers that the Journal visited said that they are able to kill two or more birds with one stone.
With their farm they are able to provide vegetables for their families. “I don’t eat anything without adding vegetables from my farm,” said Carson Laninjir who has been farming for many years.
Junior Zepety, also a long time farmer, said that other than making money from farming, he also enjoys the fresh air he wakes up to and works in every day.
Foster Lanwe told the Journal farming is important because it makes him self-reliant, it gives him food security, it’s sustainable, it’s good disaster management and most importantly he gets his daily exercise from doing it.
When the farmers say they kill one or more birds with one stone, they mean that farming has given them access to an income source that comes twice a week after harvesting and marketing, as well as food for family, a more healthy lifestyle, and given them the opportunity to learn about their island’s soil and climate change.
Farms in Laura have cucumbers, tomatoes, corn, cabbage, pineapple, eggplant, chilly peppers, bell peppers, and papayas waiting to be harvested for marketing. If you want to join the cool kids, then it’s time for you to get your hands in the dirt and start planting your own vegetables.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Commerce’s nursery gives out seedlings every Thursday and Friday.