This amazing couple leads the Jeffrey Town Famers Association (JTFA), a key partner of Trees That Feed Foundation’s. They have been dedicated to Jeffrey Town since moving back to Wordsworth’s hometown almost two decades ago. Wordsworth, who is known as Joe, left Jamaica as a teenager after WWII. Along with thousands of other Jamaicans, he sought factory work in England. While there, he met Ivy. Ivy grew up in England and was teaching home economics when she met Joe.
Today, Joe is JTFA President. He serves as JTFA’s leader and inspiration, focusing on organic farming and sustainability. Ivy Gordon recently retired from teaching food and nutrition, heading the home economics department at Guy’s Hill High School. She began community development work in 1995 when she joined JTFA. Currently she edits the Jeffrey Town Bulletin and writes blogs, grants, and books. Ivy also leads workshops with farmers on a wide variety of environmental issues.
Located in rural northeastern Jamaica, the JTFA operates a community radio station 16 hours a day through volunteer efforts. JTFA’s mission is to harness all available assistance for community development using agriculture as the platform to sustainably develop human and physical resources. Jeffrey Town boasts solar powered systems, gabion basket retaining walls to combat soil erosion, an internet hot spot with free access and group chicken raising. (AND they host the St. Mary Breadfruit Festival!)
Together, this dynamic team has made Jeffrey Town a model for community development. They won the Michael Manley Award for Community Self-Reliance in 2006 and 2011, the award for best radio story at the CARDI/CTA Caribbean Media Awards 2012, and the United Nations Development Programme Equator Prize in 2014. Our heroes, Joe and Ivy Gordon, go above and beyond! Thank youfor planting trees and promoting breadfruit flour with TTFF!
