The St. John Bosco Farm
The students at St. John Bosco have been farming since SJB’s establishment in 1960. Throughout the ensuing decades, we have planted thousands of fruit trees along with a wide variety of healthy and nutritious crops on multiple acres of SJB farmland and in on-site greenhouses. We cultivate fresh crops such as tomatoes, sweet peppers, carrots, corn, lettuce, cabbage, scallion, and more. We also have herbs and spices such as oregano, parsley, and thyme available to add extra flavour to any dish!
Supporting both education and the local food supply, our expert farming staff works with students from agricultural trades to cultivate crops that supply food for SJB students in need who can’t afford lunches; support SJB’s catering operations; and serve as goods to sell to local vendors (thus helping to financially sustain the training programmes).
Committed to caring for the environment, our crops are sustainably grown with minimal use of pesticides and the implementation of modern, climate-smart farming techniques like irrigation, crop rotation, and mulching. Excitingly, an on-campus orchard is currently being developed in collaboration with the Manchester division of the Jamaica 4-H Clubs.
The St John Bosco Piggery
At the St. John Bosco Piggery, we pride ourselves on producing high-quality pork using eco-friendly farming practices. Supporting local agriculture, we rely on the use of high-quality feed and sustainable waste management to cultivate ethically-reared pigs.
With over 40 years of experience, the St. John Bosco Piggery has grown from only having 2 pigs to now being a state of the art facility which rears approximately 300 pigs. Having gained a reputation for excellence dating back 1980, our Piggery supplies the St. John Bosco Meat Shop with high quality pork and also sells much needed, prime replacement stock to local farmers.
Sustainability is our mission
We champion social and environmental sustainability in our operations! By working in this modern facility alongside experienced staff members, SJB’s Animal Husbandry trade students are able to learn all they need to know in order to become experienced farm hands when they graduate. Thus, we develop rural youth and strengthen the local economy.
In keeping with the Sisters of Mercy’s critical concern for the Earth, the SJB Piggery makes use of a 100 cu. metre biogas digester which produces its own renewable energy (methane gas) to power St. John Bosco’s culinary activities (via the catering department and the Falls Restaurant & Bar) and to produce heating for livestock shelters. This innovative, eco-friendly system has drawn the attention of local academia with representatives from The University of the West Indies, Mona and Northern Caribbean University having visited SJB to observe it in action. It’s clear. Doing business with us is good for quality assurance and good for the planet too!
St. John Bosco Chicken Farm
SJB has had a long history of chicken rearing. We started with laying hens in 1978 and eventually turned to broiler chickens due to the shortage of meat in the country at that time. In 2006, we built and equipped a large-scale bird coop, complete with automatic feeding and watering. Today, we have approximately 3,000 chickens on our farm.
At SJB, you can access locally reared, farm-fresh chickens which are ideal for restaurants and caterers, home-cooked meals, and small-scale farms! We are committed to sustainable and eco-friendly farming practices and give back to Jamaica by equipping the next generation of poultry farmers through our youth training programme!
Work Experience
Over the years, we have seen tremendous success through our “Learning by Doing” approach which has been adopted by all of our trade departments since the institution’s establishment. Students have attested that this proven approach has made classes more engaging than those they have experienced at previous schools. Beyond this, our work-integrated approach allows students to sharpen and gain confidence in the skills they are developing while making concepts more understandable, memorable and applicable within a real-world context. To ensure that students gain as much practical work experience as possible, we involve them in practicums, internships, and apprenticeships. Upon completion of their trade programmes, students are also matched with job opportunities at reputable companies that partner with SJB.
Proud Member of Mercy Education System of the Americas
Mercy Education unites and serves 55 schools in six countries and one territory. MSJCHS became an affiliate member in July 2021, dedicated to nurturing highly competent and deeply compassionate leaders ready to serve a vulnerable world.
