CCRAF On the Road Day Five – Closing the Journey with Curiosity and Quiet Wonder by Brent Simon

The final day of the Antigua leg of the CCRAF on the Road 10th anniversary project unfolded at Royal Gardens, where the students stepped into the peaceful world of Shade Hydroponics and its seedling production setup. It was a quiet space but sometimes that is exactly what opens young minds.

Approximately thirty students took part in this last cohort: Cedar Grove Primary, the Victory Centre for differently able students, and St. Anthony’s Secondary School. These three very different groups of students but yet all were tuned into the same spark of curiosity. And that was the whole purpose — to give them a hands-on, practical sense of what small-scale, sustainable food production looks like inside their own community. Not a lecture, not a long talk but the experience.

Sherry-Ann Brazier, owner of Shade Hydroponics guided the morning with her steady, welcoming presence, showing how seedlings are raised and how the hydroponic system keeps everything moving. The students absorbed it all naturally, without pressure, without realizing they were learning something far more valuable than a textbook paragraph.

Then things lit up with Dr. Cheney St.Martin’s drone demonstration. A small drone, with few simple manoeuvres, and suddenly the entire group was hooked. Dr. St.Martin is an International Specialist in Water and Soil Management for IICA. He has that effortless ability to make technology feel alive, approachable and the students followed every motion like it was a live performance.

After the student session, the visiting CCRAF team continued their day with a stop at the School of Agricultural in Glanvilles. There, they met with Principal Karen James, toured the facilities, and had a conversation pertaining to the futuristic plans for the school.

The week closed on a meaningful note with a visit to Novella “Grandma Ackee” Payne, whose lifelong contribution to agriculture has already earned her two major recognition this year — including the Grand Cross for Heritage Entrepreneurship and Community Service, presented during the 2025 Independence Ceremonial Parade. During the visit, the CCRAF team also presented her with an additional award and a commemorative plaque, honouring her decades of service and her role in preserving agricultural heritage.

Day Five wrapped the entire week in the way only genuine community engagement can — softly, meaningfully. Students opening new mental doors, institutions exploring future links, and a pillar of agricultural heritage receiving her flowers. A quiet finish, but a powerful one.