HobbyIncome! Hearon & Sonia Spence

By Donnette Hines | Photos by Cedric Henry

The sun had barely started peeping over the mountains. In the distance, a rooster broke the silence of the morning air. The air had a crisp feel as the fog still rolled by in puffs and the grass glistened with huge drops of dew.

While the community still slept, Sonia and Hearon Spence, Budding Farmers who are well beyond their golden years, were already bustling, getting ready to start operations on their small egg farm, while the smell of coffee was already wafting through their cosy home.

Outside, the hens were already squawking loudly and each squawk announced the arrival of a freshly laid egg. Our Golden Agers knew that before long the routine tasks of feeding, harvesting and cleaning the eggs would begin all over again. The same way it has for the past 10 years that they have been operating their farm, post retirement.

Describe your farm?

Sonia: We have a few hens that lay eggs for sale. We have a root of yam, a few fruit trees and a few roots of vegetables and herbs that we eat and share with friends and family. We have a long standing philosophy, no one should visit our home and leave hungry. Even when our children were young we would always have a plant or two of vegetables, canes, bananas or dasheens.

How did you start the farm?

Hearon: We started very small. With a leap of faith, and injection of funds from our retirement package and a supporting family. We knew very little about egg farming, but we tapped into the resources of our farm store and a family friend who so graciously gave us timely insights.

How did you expand the farm?

Sonia: Thankfully we had a little space on our property. We grew the farm from 1 small coop to 4 coops. Thankfully, I already had a great relationship with my credit union, so I was able to lean on them for financial support.

As retirees, how has the farm been beneficial to you both?

Hearon: Wow! We are busier now than before retirement! The activities on the farm also keeps us physically active in our ‘golden years’.

But the biggest benefit is the peace of mind of being able to be financially independent at this stage of life.

The best part is that we have been able to minister and bless the less fortunate around us from the little we have. If it were not for the farm we would not have been able to do so.

What challenges have you faced?

Sonia: The seasonality of egg consumption poses a real challenge in finding the balance of inventory for the slow summer season vs the peak during the Christmas.

The pandemic also disrupted the market for eggs. When the hotels closed and the large farmers started to dump their products, it really put significant pressure on small farmers. We lost quite a bit of eggs due to slow sales.

Hearon: Finding workers. With so much unemployment we would have thought it would be easier to find workers. But that has not been our experience.

Hearon: Start farming sooner. Planning for retirement also means investing and securing your source of income before you retire.

Is farming something you would recommend to fellow retirees and why or why not?

Sonia: Absolutely! My husband was a mason and I was an educator. We have three children. So our retirement nest egg was very small. This farm has given us psychological freedom knowing that while it is not a lot, we don’t have to depend on our children in our old age. This is something that is so very important for retirees. I would encourage anyone to start farming today. Start small and invest what you have.

Are there any tips and tricks you have learnt along the way?

Sonia: Document everything on your farm - it is the only way to truly know what is happening especially when you are still learning how to farm your produce of choice. We document things like cracked eggs, hens that die, eggs produced daily so that we can know when to replenish our stock for instance.

Use a receipt book for everything - This is critical when you need to get financial help from the bank. We learnt the hard way when we needed to open a separate farm account but did not have the kind of documentation to prove that our farm was an actual business.

Now that you are established Budding Farmers, are you ready for your second retirement?

Sonia: Absolutely! Primarily because now we have a recurring income. We are truly in a position to enjoy the rest of our days and enjoy each other.

Plus, we believe that our children and grandchildren are now in a position to continue running the operations seamlessly.

With 10 years of farming under your belt, what advice would you give to fellow Budding Farmers?

Hearon: Farming is messy, but enjoy the lessons in the mess and embrace change. When we had to take our eggs to the market for the first time, to sell to customers directly, it was a huge step to take especially from a mental standpoint. Society sometimes makes you feel like some tasks are less than others, but when you are determined to make a change for yourself and your family - embrace the discomfort now, so that you can reap the benefits later.

As if on cue, a flock of pigeons swooped in as Mr. Spence rose from our conversation to start feeding the hens, while Mrs. Spence fielded her first call from a customer ordering their weekly supply of eggs.

It was also our cue to join in on the farm duties as we became Budding Egg Farmers for the day.

Want a quick way to get more veggies in your meals? A loaded breakfast omelette is a surefire way to get this done for the whole family. The best part, it is quick and easy to do!