A gentleman farmer

J.M. Guerrero has always wanted to be a farmer. He grew up in his grandmother’s farm near As Perdido. Now a big businessman, he recalls how he and his brother were sometimes forced to walk from Susupe to Finasisu, carrying heavy food stock for the pigs whenever the family’s vehicle would break down.

He has ventured into other businesses, but Guerrero has kept his long cherished dream of having his own farm. He is the only farmer in the family. And a good one at that. In May of this year, he won the Farmer of the Year Award during the Agriculture Fair.

Despite all the odds of farm life, he has succeeded in establishing three farms on Saipan. One is located in Koberlerville, which produces mostly vegetables. Another one is in As Teo, where he grows ornamental plants and raises goats. The third one in Finasisu breeds pigs and ducks.

“I get satisfaction especially when a person says you cannot grow crops on this island,” says Guerrero.

He proved that theory wrong. His farm in Koblerville was the first to produce lettuce on Saipan. With the help of nine farm workers, his produce, which include string beans, eggplants, pumpkins, radish, lemons, mints, ginger, bell pepper, bananas and grapefruit, make their way to different hotels, restaurants and supermarkets.

His two-hectare farm in Koblerville produces 200-250 pounds of string beans and eggplant every other day. “We can produce more but we have to limit production because of the reduced population of foreign workers,” Guerrero says.

As the island is frequently hit by tropical storm, Guerrero has learned to choose crops that can somehow withstand strong typhoons.

In 1997, his crops were wiped out by strong typhoons that hit the island. Since it was not the first time that it happened, Guerrero has learned to live with nature’s fury.

With the absence of an irrigation system on the island, farming can be very expensive. Guerrero has installed his own water pump and bought his own generator.

“Nature can be cruel sometimes. That’s the challenge that a farmer faces. But I am willing to take the risk because I enjoy seeing things grow,” says Guerrero.

Although he considers farming more of a hobby, Guerrero spends most of his time in his farm. His employees in his other businesses can prove that.

“It’s funny but I am more worried about my farmers because I’m with them more often,” he admits. They have become more a part of his family that they have stayed with him for several years.

One of his Filipino farm workers, Ging Cada, a native of Quezon province, has been working for him for seven years. Trained by the Japanese in the Philippines, Cada considers the Koblerville farm his second home.

Guerrero regularly goes to Hawaii to get his supply of seeds for his fruit farm. His being a member of the Hawaii Nursery and Landscaping Association has helped him in his quest for more improvements in his farm.

Guerrero grows a wide variety of Halyconias, which he hopes to market in Japan. The Japanese get their supply from Hawaii. “We are much nearer to Japan so I don’t see any reason why we cannot export to them,” he says.

With the island on recession, the demand for ornamental plants declined as many businesses cut down on their orders. Demand for plumerias occasionally shoots up when there are wedding occasions.