Shelly-Ann Thompson, Staff Reporter

Maria Azan of Riversdale, St. Catherine, accepts the trophy for Champion Farmer 2007 at the Denbigh Agri-Industrial Show in Clarendon in August. Mrs. Azan, who operates a 365-acre farm with her husband, is only the second woman to cop the title in the 45-year history of the competition. - nathaniel stewart/freelance Photographer

When Maria Azan was named Champion Farmer of the Year at the Denbigh Agri-Industrial Show in Clarendon in August, she wore a rather wide smile as she strutted onstage to collect the coveted trophy.

The infectious smile, Azan said, was the result of her reflection on her family's hard work and dedication to the field of agriculture.

"The champion farmer is representing the farm and I was happy again that the farm was recognised," she beamed.

Azan is only the second female to cop the agricultural show's 45-year-old award. She and her husband Adeeb Azan operate Azan's Farm Ltd., in Mount Olive in Riversdale, St. Catherine.

The husband and wife team has been running the farm for almost 30 years.

Taking The Gleaner news team down memory lane to speak about the early years, Azan was a picture of confidence as she beamed with pride yesterday.

She told of how she met her husband when he was 16 and she was 15 years old.

"It was my husband who wanted to be a farmer. From ever since we met, he spoke about having a farm," she reminisced.

Not knowing at the time that he was serious, Azan ventured into business instead.

Went to England

She also went to England for two years and after returning, she worked at Carreras Jamaica Limited as a credit controller.

In 1968 the Azans got married. Through the early years of marriage, Mr. Azan operated a restauran his eyes were still set on farming, she recalled.

The restaurant was short-lived and Mr. Azan opened a supermarket. At that point, Azan joined her husband in the business.

While Azan operated the supermarket, her husband completed his vision and bought a family home with lots of yard space in Riversdale. Soon, there were crops growing on the land.

Mrs. Azan recalled that while she operated the supermarket, her husband was tending to his crops on the farm.

"I basically ran the supermarket until we gave it up in 1980," she said.

Moved to dream house

With three sons and a baby, Azan moved to the dream house that her husband had bought for the family in Mount Olive.

While living on the farm, Azan recalled how each member of the family would play their part in the creation of the farm.

Many nights and days were spent plowing, planting and grooming animals to finance the farm and the family.

She recalled, "That was a time when everybody was involved in the farming.

"At that time all my children were helping, even while they went to school. They would go to school and when they came home, they would work on the farm. We would rotate chores.

"Nobody had anything outside to do," she said.

Now her children are all grown. Her sons are overseas wanting to come back and contribute to the farm.

Until they return, Azan is the business side of the agricultural enterprise. She is the bookkeeper, manages the office and handles the public relations aspect of the farm.

Her husband is the managing director of the farm.

"This has been my occupation and I don't intend to leave," she said.

The result of the family's hard work is the successful 365 acre farm in Riversdale.

Noting that the farm is a company, Azan said they are contract growers for one of the country's largest producers of chickens, Jamaica Broilers.

It does not stop there, Azan's Farm also supplies milk and oranges to Jamaica Citrus Growers; and sells coconuts and seasonal fruits, such as plums, to vendors and factories in the parish.

In addition, the farm employs approximately 20 persons on a consistent basis, going up to 30, whenever there is excess work.

Azan commended the farm's staff members whose dedicated service has also contributed to the company's success.

Keep books in order

"Some have been here for as long as 20 years. They are very supportive, through thick and thin," she said.

With a farm to manage, staff to pay and finances to sustain the Azan family, the champion farmer ensures that the books are in order.

"The farm is run as a company and it is a business," she stressed.

Azan said she wants people to understand that the business of farming has been revolutionised.

"I have come to respect farming. As far as I am concerned, it is the first occupation God gave to a man when he put Adam and Eve on the land to tend to the animals and plants," she said.

She added: "People may have in their minds that you don't do farming as a business. But, it is changing, as it is with technology, and the emphasis currently being placed on it. Farming is an honourable occupation and it creates an awareness in how it gets close to nature. Every tree is different, every animal is different. Life is a gift. You see a calf being born and we have to respect life and treat it accordingly."

Proud

An added reason why she is proud to hold the champion-farmer title is that 'They judged the farm and its efficiency. They came and did visible checks and saw how it was run and how proper records were kept."

Janet Pullen, St. Catherine parish manager for the Jamaica Agricul-tural Society, said that Azan is a wonderful individual. "If you go to the farm it is not a regular farm. It is established and that took years of hard work," Pullen said.

Azan praises her husband for a vision that has brought the family closer together. "It was a life of sacrifices. Initially when we came up here, we gave up our livelihood, the supermarket. There was nothing here but young trees," she said.

"But now I have no regrets about the decision I made about joining my husband in farming."

shellyann.thompson@gleanerjm.com