groundbreaker
farm to table
THE ROCKHOUSE
HOTEL
Ital Food in Jamaica
BY ZACHARY ZEIFMAN
Growing
Photo courtesy of The Rockhouse
OVERCOMING CHALLENGES SUCH AS ROCKY GROUND, LITTLE
PRECIPITATION, AND LIMITED ACCESS TO SEED VARIETIES AND THE
LATEST GROWING PRODUCTS, JAMAICA’S FAMOUS ROCKHOUSE
HOTEL HAS ESTABLISHED AN ON-SITE MICROFARM TO PROVIDE ITS
RESTAURANTS WITH THE FRESHEST PRODUCE POSSIBLE.
S
Bolly, the Rockhouse farm manager.
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groundbreakers
ince the 1980s, the city of Negril, Jamaica, and its surrounding areas have
been a favorite spot for tourists. The relaxed attitude, warm sunny weather,
sweetly infectious reggae music, beautiful scenery, and abundance of fresh
local food likely play a part in that. Built in 1972, the Rockhouse Hotel is one of
the original hotels established in the west end of the city.
I have been travelling to the island, solo and with family, since I was an
infant. The Rockhouse, which is Green Globe Certified, has that histori-
cal “wow” factor that legends are made of; past guests include The Rolling
Stones, Bob Marley, and Bob Dylan.
In the last two years, the Australian owners of the Rockhouse set out to build
a microfarm on-site to better serve the guests of the hotel and the restau-
rants. I met Bolly, the farm manager, on a rainy Friday afternoon as hotel
guests were taking part in a dance reception. He agreed to give me a tour and
provide some insight into the farm’s origins, its purpose, and future potential
for the Rockhouse and its surrounding community.