Pre-Emancipation Grand Market planned for Discovery Bay July 25
Published:Wednesday | July 23, 2025 | 12:08 AM
The Farm Town Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS) group in St Ann has filled a gap in the agricultural space by creating a market in Discovery Bay.
Farm Town is well known for its productive farming, an almost forgotten occupation in a region where fishing, bauxite, tourism, and commerce dominate the community lifestyle.
In fact, farming was in danger of succumbing to other modern preferred practices of the younger generation, a situation hastened by the COVID epidemic which took a serious toll on agriculture.
Additionally, the lack of a food market in Discovery Bay for many years had become a thorn in the flesh since the original market on the main street was abandoned by the authorities in the 1970s.
A need and an opportunity
“Farming took a nosedive with the closure of the market,” said Sarah Lawrence, president of the JAS group. “And for years we have been crying out to the parish leaders to rebuild the market that once served the area so well.
“The original site is still vacant, but when we saw it being gradually taken over by commercial interests, we decided to form our own market and test the waters to see if we could capture some of the larger Brown’s Town market appeal.
“Our farmers have won medals and citations from the JAS as a prize-winning group and have been regular and popular exhibitors in the St Ann Parish Shows whenever those cropped up.”
Lawrence said it was the support that they got from show-goers that motivated Farm Town JAS to start a Discovery Bay monthly market with attractive stalls on a section of land made available by the Discovery Bauxite operations.
The mini-markets on month-end Fridays were encouraging, with Discovery Bauxite employees providing major support and spending.
“But we got a stunning blow last December when the parish authorities decided to revert to the original plan for a bus park on the land we were using. This left us wondering where next to go.”
Enter Puerto Seco to the rescue
Enter Puerto Seco Beach in late December with an offer of space close to the main road to take up the slack.
“It was a welcome opportunity, and a tentative restart,” said Lawrence, “as many of our customers were unaware of the new location.”
“We are seeing a gradual pick-up in attendance as Discovery Bay gets accustomed once more to an established farmers’ market in the town, with hopes for a twice-per -month day to bring back the convenience of shopping locally for vegetables, ground provisions, fruits, plus the meals on sale, starting with roast yam, ackee, jerk, and other delights.”
It is also a life saver for some farmers who say they have their best days at the Friday markets.
Emancipendence Market this month-end
“We are planning a special Emancipation and Independence market this July month-end,” said George Galloway, one of the main farmers.
He added that the market would be “jazzed up with our Jamaica colours, music, and even stage performances”.
“The market adds so much colour to the beach, and we are hoping that tourists as well as more community folk will fall in line and support,” said Bernard Newton, representing the Discovery Bay Community Development Committee (CDC).
Farm Town is not a large community, but it is part of the Bauxite Community Council of 15 districts adjoining the bauxite plant in Discovery Bay.
There is a close association between the farmers and the company. In fact, the Discovery Bauxite Community Council has joined with the farmers to open a stall at the market showcasing craft items and homemade traditional pastry baked by community residents.
The SDC stall is also a popular attraction and turns up the music and drumming for entertainment for shoppers.
With the Discovery Bay landscape being rapidly overtaken by modern plazas and supermarkets, the JAS farmers’ market strikes a resonant chord with shoppers who enjoy the intimacy and bargaining and freshness of agriculture straight from the garden to the table.
Some say it is a welcome reminder of the Evening Time and the Linstead and Solas Market songs that hark back to the culture and tradition of market time in Jamaica.