Developing a Mushroom Production Curriculum in Jamaica

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In July 2020, after the onset of the COVID-19 virus, the Jamaica Farmer-to-Farmer program finished its second remote assignment, hosted by the Ebony Park Heart Academy. The academy was launched in 1987 and is located in Toll Gate, Clarendon, Jamaica. The objective of the institution is to provide training in agricultural business development and production. It is the top Human Employment and Resource Training Trust/National Training Agency (HEART Trust/NTA) institution in the island for training and certification in agriculture and occupies some 500 acres of land. It has numerous programs and 500 places annually, which are being offered with free boarding and no tuition cost; enrolled students are only required to pay the cost for registration and uniforms.

The chosen volunteer for this assignment was Dr. Khaled Hameed, a specialist in mushroom production. He holds a Ph.D. in Plant Pathology, Physiology, and Mycology and has over 20 years of experience as a Professor. In September 2019, Dr. Hameed had traveled to Jamaica to volunteer with F2F and promote mushroom cultivation in the island. During the two weeks he was in the country, Dr. Hameed supported mushroom farms, mycology labs, and groups of women in five different parishes and taught them how to prepare and inoculate substrates, create spawn labs, fumigate, prepare media and work with fungal cultures, among others.

In this remote assignment, he assisted the staff of the Ebony Park Heart Academy to develop a curriculum on mushroom production. This will be an elective subject at first but will later be added as a core course in level one of Agricultural Production. The assignment involved two phases: On the first week it focused on curriculum development, and on week two Dr. Hameed presented open sessions on “Introduction to Mushroom Production” to interested people. This gave lecturers and demonstrators a chance to see how the course can be delivered.

The assignment was a success, the curriculum developed will not only be used as a course to be taught at the academy but also as a framework for business ventures for some participants. The Ebony Park Heart Academy will also identify local sources that could be used as substrates for the growing of mushrooms, and local varieties of mushroom that may be edible which could be economically viable as a business. The assignment concluded with the creation of a WhatsApp group for all participants, which will aid in further discussions on the subject and in the identification of mushroom samples found by members in their different locales.

Dr. Hameed commented on his experience: “This assignment was one of the most fascinating engagements I have had to date. I really appreciate the support I received both from F2F and Ebony Park Academy and I also thank them for their patience, enthusiasm, and energy. Despite the many different challenges associated with a remote assignment, we were able to have a fruitful discussion and lay the framework for mushroom production to be taught at the institution. It was an absolute pleasure working with this team and I am looking forward to not only providing follow-up support but also working on a physical assignment when the time and conditions allow.”

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