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DESPITE several ups and downs due to the novel coronavirus pandemic and other factors, operators of Jamrock Farms, which started in 2019 in Arnett Gardens, St Andrew, are pressing ahead to grow their brainchild into a major entity which feeds and employs members of the community on a large scale.Friends since they were attending Wolmer's Boys' School in Kingston, Claude Allen, a resident of Arnett Gardens, collaborated with Shawn Sybblis and Stephen Forbes to raise and sell chickens below market price to Arnett Gardens residents. According to Allen, though wanting to generate profit was a main reason behind the venture, which they operate on the corner of 7th Street and West Road, they also wanted to supply an affordable product as well as give the volatile community some form of hope."The original thought and catalyst for the whole thing was to see how we could give some youth some chance fi help themselves without having to beg somebody. We wanted to see how we could give the youths a different way out."I got a lot of opportunities, even to go overseas to study and so I realised we could do something to impact the community. The people find inspiration from what we are doing here. From the onset, people come and tell us that they love what we do because we show them they can do something positive through business."Some felt inspired by us, so they built a similar set up close by and are now awaiting some chickens to raise. They see that they can, at least, try business for themselves and that they don't have to depend on anybody for handouts," he said.Allen said that Sybblis, Forbes, and himself chose to raise chickens because it was the most basic form of business. He told the Jamaica Observer that now that the country is experiencing an ease from the restrictions associated with COVID-19, they plan to go all out to expand the venture."It is not rocket science. We get the day-old chicks, carry them in, and we carry them through a six-week process. We then slaughter them and supply the community. Most of the local shops we visit they give us support. Even people at home know that they can come to us and buy. Everything we do, we wholeheartedly and try to help the community. It might not be big at this moment, but we want to know that if we are hiring, we hire somebody from the area."When we a sell, we waa mek sure seh the community gets the preference to buy. In the initial stages, we started out at $180 per pound, but now we are at like $280 per pound. That is still better than the prices in the market, which is around $320 to $340 per pound for chicken. We make sure we keep our heads above the water while can supply affordable goods to the community and still make a profit. Sometimes the people appreciate it."Allen said, however, that he and the other partners have encountered many obstacles which they managed to overcome. These, he said, included a suitable individual to oversee and manage the farm. The person carrying out that function is 28-year-old Richard Stanley, who has a disability.After a motor vehicle crash when he was just a few days old, Stanley only had full use of one of his arms. Having damaged his legs during the incident almost three decades ago, he walks with a limp. Despite the disability, he has proven to be far more willing and competent to care for the chickens than previous workers who were able-bodied."Some wanted more money, some naah take care of the chickens properly and some people stole. The man weh show the most commitment is this man with the disability. We have people who have two hands and two feet a complain seh dem cya do certain things by themselves. Right now, him alone is an inspiration to us while we try to be an inspiration to the rest of the community."Stanley told the Observer that he loves his job and enjoys caring for and spending time with the chickens. He said he got his experience from helping his mother, who raised chickens and pigs at Riverton in St Andrew."Mi nuh 100 per cent know everything, but mi a learn little by little. Mi tek care a dem early morning and evening and because of that mi have a relationship with the fowl dem. We communicate with each other. The only thing is that they can't talk back to me. Being there with them in the day time it's like you build a friendship with them. It has been fun," Stanley said.