Faith and Ryeep Shapes Youth Agripreneur Business Journey

Youth agricultural entrepreneur and founder of Yahweh's Authorized Health (YAH's), Dora Barrett (left), showcases her products to Executive Director of the Jamaica 4-H Clubs, Peter Thompson (right), as Parish Manager of St. James 4-H Clubs, Keisha McNeil (centre), looks on. They were at the National Agriculture Youth Symposium 2026, held under the theme, ‘Youth in Agriculture: Building Resilience and Food Security’, at the Church of God of Prophecy on Old Harbour Road in Spanish Town, St. Catherine, on June 4. (Photo by Dave Reid)

Youth agricultural entrepreneur (agripreneur) and founder of Yahweh`s Authorised Health (YAH`s), Dora Barrett, credits the Creator and the Rural Youth Economic Empowerment Programme (RYEEP) for shaping her business journey.

Ms. Barrett, who grew up in a rural community in St. James, developed an appreciation for the connection between holistic health and herbs through her faith.

She shared that her interest in agriculture piqued during her time at university, while she was studying logistics.

“In my final semester of university I was asked by my lecturer what do you want to do when you leave university and I told her large-scale farming and from then I have been looking into agriculture,” Ms. Barrett stated.

She graduated from the Caribbean Maritime University (CMU) in 2023, after pursuing a Bachelor of Science Degree in Logistics and Supply Chain Management.

Ms. Barrett shared that while she knew she wanted to go into farming, she did “not have the know-how, and I wanted to start from something that was easier for me to do and allowed me to use more creativity”.

She came across an advertisement on Instagram regarding the Rural Youth Economic Empowerment Programme (RYEEP) and decided to apply for the opportunity.

The RYEEP is an incubator programme for youth agripreneurs, aged 18 to 35.

Participants are trained in business development and management and in agriculture best practices.

Ms. Barrett chose to enter the agro-processing field, as she enjoys using her creativity to improve and enhance products.

YAH`s, the brand she founded, is a wellness-focused initiative that uses locally grown produce to create seasoning products, including ginger powder, bay leaf powder, pimento powder, and other spice blends.

“Even though I was inspired to do farming, I was more so inspired by transforming things, and that is when I looked at herbs and spices. I realised that I could transform them into a value-added product that would be healthy and flavourful,” Ms. Barrett explained.

She told JIS News that her experience in the RYEEP Builder National Agribusiness Pitch competition, significantly contributed to her personal and business development.

The competition consisted of regional qualifiers and then national finals.

“I am from the western region, and I went up against persons from Westmoreland, Hanover and I am in St. James. In this programme, we were supposed to pitch our business within three minutes to a panel of judges,” Ms. Barrett explained.

She placed third in the regional qualifiers and was given the opportunity to compete in the finals.

Despite not winning, she told JIS News that she enjoyed the experience and appreciated the exposure.

“I was nervous but it was a great experience because it helped me pitch my business in a short space of time to grab the attention of any listener,” she recalled.

She noted that learning about marketing is another aspect of the competition that she valued.

“I have learned a lot about marketing your product. Marketing starts from the creation of the product itself. It is not just from when you start to put it out or put it on social media,” she added.

The RYEEP Builder Programme is spearheaded by the Jamaica 4-H Clubs in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining and the HEART/NSTA Trust.

Ms. Barrett was among the youth agripreneurs who showcased their products at the third staging of the National Youth in Agriculture Symposium held recently at Old Harbour Road in Spanish Town.

The symposium served as a platform to shift the perception of agriculture and empower young people to pursue careers and opportunities in the sector.

Ms. Barrett noted that platforms such as the symposium are important for networking with other entrepreneurs and agencies.

She also expressed interest in collaborating with the Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC) to support the scaling of her business.

“My next step would be partnering with the JBDC to ensure that my products are shelf ready, to enhance my product development and to also get that capacity, so that I can produce more to supply the demand that is currently out there,” she stated.

Ms. Barrett is encouraging other young entrepreneurs to identify what makes their product unique, network, and learn how to make their product.

By Astha Prendergast