THE pandemic has brought horror stories for many, but for Mark Smith, it brought love and money from a place that he never explored.
Since the start of the pandemic, job losses have been constant as businesses adjusted their operations, some shutting their doors.
For Smith, his job loss was a wake-up call he needed to pursue an innate passion.
Sunday Newsday spoke with the 35-year-old father of two who turned a negative situation into a positive picture for him and his family.
“I worked at Hyatt; I was a server there for 13 years. In my department, our salary was based on service charge and tips so with the pandemic, the basic salary was next to nothing and then they retrenched us. When I got my settlement I took that money and invested in hydroponics and agriculture and grew kale.”
Kale, a member of the mustard family, is good for treating blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and is rich in antioxidants, calcium, vitamins C and K and rich in iron. Smith said his investment was a way to earn a living.
The Chaguanas man said he Googled hydroponics and growing kale while still employed. Last July he invested $4,000 and had one tower which produced about 48 kale plants. Then in February he was retrenched and with his $46,000 settlement he dove head first into agriculture.
Smith said he once had a passion for fashion design but after doing his research and getting into agriculture, that passion shifted. He said the pandemic made him refocus and that was a blessing in disguise.
“The pandemic opened up a passion that I didn’t know I had. I wasn’t into agriculture. My passion was fashion design. I like to design different suits and stuff, but with the pandemic, it is not making any money right now. So it just opened up my eyes so that if this is to happen, how many years again God forbid, I am in an industry where it will always be making money no matter what goes on because you have to eat. Since the pandemic, I haven’t bought a piece of clothes. I haven’t bought a suit but everyday you’re buying food so that’s the industry. I actually developed a love for it after.”
Smith was fortunate enough to own an acre of land and used it to plant sweet potatoes. He wants to expand his business and his wife, who still works at the hotel, is weighing the option of leaving a steady paycheck for the world of entrepreneurship. He joked that his wife is now referring to him as a "farmer." He is not considering rearing livestock at the moment but the thought of raising chickens has crossed his mind.
“I invested in the hydroponic system. One tower holding 48 kale plants so that’s what I invested in. I invested in a tank, a pump and different stuff. I also have a system for lettuce. I had four towers at the beginning, and it was just kale. Right now I have sixteen towers of kale and just three for lettuce, I try to get 120 lettuce heads.”
[caption id="attachment_892540" align="alignnone" width="768"] Mark Smigh is dwarfed by his bountiful kale harvest at this Chaguanas farm. - Jeff K. Mayers[/caption]
“When I sat down
