Women in agriculture: Kashar Daniel makes her mark in farming

There are many inspiring women working in agriculture. While farming and agriculture may be considered traditionally to be male-dominated, women researchers, farmers, and innovators make significant contributions to the advancement of our food systems.

Kashar Daniel, 32, is a farmer and the founder of Fresh Harvest, whose mission is to establish better farming practices by researching what has been done in the past and developing strategies to address these issues, as well as using technology to make farming easier.

If you visit Daniel’s farm in Grand Riviere, Dennery, and see the scenic layout and the various practices and techniques she employs, you would think she has years of experience in the industry. But you’d be surprised to learn that she’s only been farming for three years. Despite having no prior farming knowledge or interest in the sector, she has beaten the odds to become a very dynamic female farmer through her extensive research and countless trials.

“I am currently pursuing a BSc in Marketing and I got into agriculture three years ago with no prior farming experience.  My parents were banana farmers for over 30 years and being the last of six I was never really allowed to assist them. With the decline in the production and sales of their bananas, my interest in the sector was purely out of wanting to help them diversify. I began researching other options that would be more profitable for them. Through research, my interest grew and I found myself wanting to know more about the agricultural industry and how it functioned both in the past and presently. Particular interest was placed on the challenges that continue to persist. While I was formulating the way forward for my parents, they decided that it was time to retire. With no continuation plan in place, I became a farm owner overnight and my inheritance came in the form of a pitch pork and garden boots.”

Daniel’s farming journey has not been one without struggles. Her farming career began shortly before COVID arrived when she was still new to the industry and the expansion of her production coincided with the growing interest in local produce and the maintenance of healthy immune systems. With the significant decline of key markets during that time, she had to formulate a new market strategy.

“The traditional markets that others were accustomed to was not available to me, therefore I had to take a step back and evaluate the market condition. My initial target customers became individual households and because of that I had to produce what they wanted and a wider variety of vegetables as opposed to large quantities of one particular thing. That in itself was a challenge at times. Having to do multiple deliveries really takes away from the time I had to tend to my farm.” 

To date, one of the most difficult challenges for her is not being able to produce at full capacity as a result of a lack of dependable and quality farm labor, which is further exacerbated by the fact that she has a full-time job.

“Open field agriculture comes with a lot of hard work and coupled with being employed full time, this poses serious constraints on what I can accomplish in a given week. I have to source persons to do the tasks that I am not able to and finding workers to provide an honest day’s work for honest pay is something I continue to struggle with.”

Despite her difficulties, the resilient farmer has successfully maintained her business, Fresh Harvest, where she primarily sells cabbages and other produce. She also sells seedlings wholesale to other farmers.

Daniel believes that improving farming on the island will require a multifaceted approach and advises female farmers to take advantage of support from organizations such as Helen’s Daughters.

“Improving the industry will take a multifaceted approach, policy along with individual farmer behavior. Our aging farming population provides us with an opportunity to equip young farmers with the necessary agribusiness knowledge. To ensure that they are also fully aware of the risks and challenges of climate change and the responsibility that they hold to preserve the natural environment and not just adaptation.”

“You have to be aware of the weight of the responsibility that comes with food production as you are the first line of defense to the health of the nation. Don’t let society dictate what your role should look like, take pride in your title. There is strength in numbers and you should get together with like-minded people. Organizations such as Helen’s Daughters provide excellent support to women in the industry.”

Daniel’s journey can be followed on Instagram and Facebook at @freshharvestslu. To purchase fresh produce, you can also email [email protected] or call 758-730-6124