Our stay at The Source Farm in St. Thomas, Jamaica was a perfect combination of rejuvenation, inspiration, learning and community. We arrived at Kingston’s Norman Manley Airport in the afternoon after a long day of travel. Our taxi driver, arranged for by Nomi, met us at the door as we stepped out into a perfectly sunlit and breezy tropical day. From the airport we drove east along the coast to the parish of St. Thomas, stopping along the way for a super refreshing jelly coconut by the roadside, which we enjoyed while looking out at the rough-breaking Carribean sea. The landscape is verdant and jungly, dotted by villages, small stores, cookshops, and farm stands. As we came into the city of Morant Bay we veered off the main road and began to climb up into the hills that hug the coastline and give way to the more mountainous interior. Not far above the city, nestled into the village of Johnstown, is The Source Farm Foundation. It’s been a week since my partner, my two-year-old son and I returned from our weeklong stay there. When we travel abroad we are looking for four things: affordability, comfortable accommodations, a low-stress day-to-day routine, and a non-exploitative experience in the culture and environment. After this trip to Jamaica, which delivered on all four fronts, we are all missing this beautiful place, and planning for the next opportunity to visit.
Affordability. Our lives in the states are driven by the rhythm of our full time jobs, the steady progression of raising children, and the constant demands of living within the whole American schema. My partner and I both work in education and together we make about $80,000 a year. I share this because for so long I wondered who could ever afford to go on a family vacation abroad? For the most part, we are “comfortable”, but an international family vacation is not something that we easily afford-- it’s a stretch we make every few years, and even then, as a family of 5, we rarely all go. When we do travel it is really important to find places where we can stay with folks we know, or find an alternative offering to the usual hotel or rental options. The Source Farm came through for us as a high quality stay for a very reasonable price. We were able to keep all our costs on the island under $1,200 for the week and this included our accommodations, travel to and from the airport, meals, a day trip to the beautiful Frenchman’s Cove, a couple of meals out, and generous tripping to our local driver, cook, house cleaner and waiters.
Comfort. The farm has many options for accommodations, but we stayed in one of the Source Farm’s signature dome dwellings. These spacious rounded structures feature cool temperatures all day, a kitchen, living/dining area, bath, multiple bedrooms (we all stayed in one with two beds), and a long veranda with views out to the sea, mountains, and valleys. The spaces are furnished simply, but with everything you need. We were captivated by these eco-structures and their design which include integrated water catchment, and an innovative construction process that make them highly suited for the environment. Our dome and most of the other dwellings on the farm are all off-grid and powered by solar energy and water collected on-site. We never had any issues with our power, plumbing, or Wifi. We were really impressed at the way the infrastructure supported a very comfortable stay. My partner also is now a little obsessed with domes.
Day-to-Day Routine. Ahead of our arrival we were not entirely sure what to expect for our stay. We knew that projects at The Source ranged from organic farming, to construction, to community development and education, to holistic healthcare and bodywork. Nomi had described it as an “early-stages eco-village”. What we experienced was nurturing, refreshing, and totally relaxing. Everyday we were at the farm consisted of walking the many trails and roads, stretching or sitting at the profoundly gorgeous deck of the healing center while the breeze and sun and ocean and jungle views envelope you, and helping out here and there with farming projects like weeding or seeding (because that is fun for us). Travelling with children can be challenging, but Nomi and Dwight and their three awesome kids made us all feel at home and free to enjoy the various spaces at our leisure. The gorgeous days were punctuated by three family-style meals prepared by a local chef, the talented Miss Nadine, in the community kitchen. Fresh juices, fruits, salads, and delicious island cooking made these a highlight of our trip. It was such a treat to have a break from cooking and cleaning for a week, and we were all feeling AMAZING after 7 days of this clean, largely plant-based eating. We also really enjoyed the casual community feel of mealtimes when the various folks on the property would gather and inevitably chat about their lives and projects and plans. With nothing to worry about or plan and the healing power of the sun, earth and food, we left replenished and full of joy.
Non-exploitative Culture and Environment. Being an American in Jamaica comes with political baggage. The island’s history of Brittish colonialism and trans-Atlantic slave trade are all important antcedents to the current situation of wealth inequality, widespread poverty, the exploitation of natural resources, and a tourism industry that is often equally exploitative of labor, land, and culture. I am white and my partner is Black. Our lives in America are marked by a certain awareness and navigation of issues of racism and its many intersections. We wanted to visit Jamaica to experience it’s amazing people and culture without contributing to the negative impacts of tourism-- to the greatest extent possible. The Source Farm is a community-based foundation started by native Jamaicans with a mission that extends beyond their own land. They are also cultivating a network of organic farmers and food producers with a mission based on sustainable development. As a growing organization, The Source, and it’s members and visitors, are also all engaged in a process of learning and continual improvement through site development and construction projects, food forest design, local farmer networks, mushroom cultivation, composting toilets, health and healing work, and community education programs-- they are all branches of the tree. We felt so much better about spending our precious vacation budget here, where we could support these inspiring efforts.
Since returning home, I have had a chance to reflect on what this special trip has given me and my family. We yearn for an alternative life and try to build community wherever we are. We often wonder what kind of change would be possible if the entire American machinery wasn’t geared toward individualism and the accumulation of capital. These are the things you ponder especially in the dark, cold months of mid-winter-- when most New Englanders begin to fantasize about the possible lives we could be living somewhere that fresh fruit can be picked year round. While we are not ready to jump ship from our current lives just yet, we were given the chance to live, even temporarily, among people who have dedicated themselves to this endeavor and are open to sharing what they have built. Now that we have become a little more familiar with everything that is happening at the Source Farm I can imagine future trips with my teanager to help with a project or just me and my partner coming to explore more of the island, like the Blue Mountains. So, not only did we get our “fun in the sun”, but we also got an accessible, naturally beautiful, and inspiring experience that is fuelling me with good energy until the next time we can make it down.