After finding unexpected success with growing grapes locally, farmer Devon Gilead has his sights set on one day opening the country’s first vineyard—a dream that he is slowly making a reality.
Gilead, 41, of Glasgow New Housing Scheme, East Bank Berbice, is known throughout the ancient county as the ‘Grape Boss’ due to his success with growing the fruit locally in the face of much doubt.
Gilead, a bee keeper and slasher operator who was born in the East Bank of Berbice, grew up with a dream of growing grapes in Guyana despite the fact that he was always told that the fruit had to be grown in cold weather.
Sitting among his grapevines, he recalled a foreign woman who would visit every Christmas and give his family an apple and three grapes, which they would divide among themselves. At that time grapes were not imported and sold locally as they are now. “My mother does cut the apple and cut the grape in small slices, so we can get piece. So I tell myself I want to go to America because I want to eat apple and grapes,” he recounted.
At the same time, Gilead said he always wondered why apples and grapes could not be grow in Guyana and he eventually set about doing his own research. “I start study this thing and I type in now how to grow grapes in Kenya and Africa. They get climate like us here and I see apple bearing there and grapes bearing there and I say it get one earth and this thing can bear right in Guyana here,” he explained.
Gilead then began researching soils and decided to invest in a “soil tester” and he discovered that his yard had the same PH needed to grow berries, like strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries.
Initially he ordered some strawberry seeds on Amazon and planted them in his backyard. However, he said his next door neighbour mistakenly “blow out all them plants” while spraying his yard.
A determined Gilead then decided to order some cuttings to try his hand at grapes. He recalled that under the previous administration when his first vine started to shoot up, in excitement he contacted staff at the National Agricultural Research and Extension institute (NAREI) but during the conversation they were apprehensive given the then conventional wisdom that the fruit could not be grown here.
However, Gilead said he did not bother with the NAREI staff and told himself that once the grapes can be grown in countries with similar weather as Guyana then they can be grown here. “And in a period of six months I tell my wife look the tree blossom and she said impossible because it does take two years but I tell her watch it and see and the whole entire tree blossom if you see grapes and I left it to get ripe.”
It was at that point that persons started to believe in Gilead’s vision as they saw firsthand the grapes on his vines.
According to Gilead, before he decided to grow the grapes – they are the Jupiter variety – he had spent about six years learning about it on his own and despite the negative feedback he had encountered his farm is evidence that it can be done.
From his first batch, Gilead made some wine for his personal use and offered samples to those close to him.
Despite someone offering to purchase all of his grapes, his second batch –
currently on the vines – will be made available for sampling as according to Gilead he wants as many Guyanese as possible to taste his locally grown grapes. He also sees this as an investment in his future as he stressed that with hard evidence persons won’t doubt his capabilities of growing whatever he puts his mind to in the future. Presently, he is also growing several other fruits including apple, granadilla, pink dragon fruit and kiwi, which are not widely planted in Guyana.
Support
Gilead joked that while his first and second batches came out excellent, his third batch will come out perfect. Already he has moved to expand his operations as he has found support for his efforts from government.
Gilead repeatedly spoke of the support he has been receiving from the government through the Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo and Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha.
He explained that after the government came into power and news broke that his vines had produced grapes, he was immediately contacted by Jagdeo, who expressed his support. Gilead told him that he was hoping to lease land from the government but that he wanted to grow a second batch at that time.
According to Gilead, Jagdeo provided his cellphone number and told him to make contact with him whenever he was ready “because he said he feel so proud that I can actually get grapes to grow in Guyana here.”
He said Jagdeo even asked which university he attended “and I told him I didn’t went to any university.”
It was with this encouragement that Gilead went ahead with purchasing his cuttings for the grapes that now make up his second batch, which is expected to be fully ripe in two weeks.
He said he explained his vision to Jagdeo, who immediately came onboard and pledged his support. “If this thing can bear here, all the money can remain here in Guyana and we can create more employment and he see the vision wah I get because he always talks about it.”
Presently, Gilead is in the process of leasing land located aback of his house lot, where he currently has his farm. “I asked for one field. I know if I had asked for more they would a give it but I can’t ask for plenty thing and then I can’t full up the field.
The father of two has since purchased over 200 Jupiter grapes cuttings, which he hopes to plant in the leased land which was once used for sugarcane. According to Gilead, he has already tested the soil and is certain it can grow his grapes. “I know it lack certain nutrients and so but I can make it.”
Gilead also spoke highly of Mustapha, whom he said he has known for many years. He said the minister is extremely supportive towards him. “That’s the best Minister of Agriculture we ever had in this country… They are 100% supportive and I does get a lot of help from NAREI now and what I love about them is that once they see the person get potential, they work with you”, he said.
According to the man, he has never heard back from the NAREI staff who doubted his vision.
He also spoke of the support of his family, noting that his wife, older sister and other relatives are extremely proud of him. Stressing that he’s building a future for his two young boys, whom he hopes to inspire, Gilead said he offers payment to his children for the work they do in his farm as this is his way to show them that the business is fruitful and can produce returns.
Business plan
So far, Gilead has invested over $8 million into his dream over a three-year period. He hopes to convert his field of grapes into a massive business with his dream of one day starting a major tourist hub – creating numerous byproducts and opening a vineyard “so people can come and sample the grapes, the wine and everything.”
He is also hoping to grow his own flowers and roses and create a massive flower wall for pictures and hosting events. “Ten years from now I want to employ a lot of staff and supply this entire country with grapes and I gone teach young people.”
He said he is aware that he alone might not be able to plant to supply grapes to Guyana and so he wants to teach youths in agriculture how to grow the grapes so that the amount needed for the country can eventually be produced.
He stressed that he is hoping to employ mostly single parents, especially women.
Gilead is extremely open to other persons who are trying to grow grapes on a small scale as he openly shares his knowledge.
