Thirty-two-year-old electronics engineering graduate Brandon Spiteri said that leaving his profession to work in the fields on a full-time basis has improved his mental health.

Like many youths, the now full-time farmer invested his time and energy into building a career in the technology industry. However, he later realised that it was not something he saw himself doing for the rest of his life, as it was draining him.

Before venturing into the agricultural field on a full-time basis, Brandon went back to University to pursue a Diploma in Agriculture. He said that although one does not require any kind of qualification to start working in the fields, he felt that this diploma equipped him with the knowledge he needed on how soil and animals evolve together.

Because of this, he has now integrated some of his newfound knowledge in the way he plants his crops and uses natural do it yourself pesticide. Apart from University, Brandon has also made it his mission to learn as much as he can through research.

He now uses natural fertilizers done with surrounding plant scraps and plants from the sea. Thanks to this system, which he is slowly integrating with the water dispensing system to water the plants, Brandon will soon be able to decrease the need to plough the land.

From his teachings at University, Brandon learnt about the earth worm among other small creatures living in the soil and how beneficial they are to their surrounding habitat.

“I really don’t like seeing earth worms sliced in half when I plough,” he told The Malta Independent on Sunday, while explaining the measures he took in order to decrease the need to do it. Brandon said that the type of natural fertilizer he uses works together with the natural environment and unlike artificial fertilizer, creates a good environment for crops.

Moreover, he said that this method will also decrease his need to rotate his crops. Crop rotation involves cultivating various types of crops in succession within the same area across multiple growing seasons. This method diminishes crops' dependency on specific nutrients, mitigates pest and weed pressure and lowers the likelihood of resistant pests and weeds emerging.

Brandon admitted that it took him some time to acquire all this knowledge. He said that the practices he uses have been around for years, but not many know about them. He also acknowledged that most of the farmers in this country are on a part-time basis and might not have the time on their hands to learn these things.

Brandon said that for a long time “we have grown with the idea that in order to eat healthy we have to eat bland fruits and vegetables”. He added that over the years, there has also been a prioritisation of quantity and yield production of crops rather than the taste and quality.

He said how this case is also present in the growth of animals for food. He explained how a few decades ago, one could buy a chicken and turn it into broth “that would fill the house with a good smell”, while nowadays “the same priced chicken needs tons of spices in order to just taste good”.

Brandon said that he believes that there will soon be a revolution where the nations seek its own produce from local farmers. He added that he is already experiencing this need himself as people get in contact with him to get their hands on a selection of fruits and vegetables baskets he gathers in collaboration with other farmers. On this he noted how not only is the consumer getting better quality fruits and vegetables at a much lower price, but also supporting small local farmers who must earn a living.

Moreover, he said that he sees a future where more young people turn to agriculture for a career. When asked if he knew of other individuals who like him have shifted to agriculture, he said that he knows of peers who are also making a career out of being a farmer.

However, he pointed out that there are some challenges that need to be faced when one is considering the transition, especially when the individual is a first generation farmer in the family.

Although Brandon did not find the transition hard as he was already interested in the sector, there were some challenges he faced that he could not solve.

The biggest one was that the banks that he contacted refused to give him a loan to buy a piece of land. Brandon said that like everyone he wanted to purchase something of his own, however, he was met with a negative answer from several banks.

Brandon said the government had for several years said that it was going to act as a guarantee on behalf of farmers to buy their own land “however, I have heard nothing ever since”.

Among other government initiatives, Brandon said that he would also like to see the new water network be extended to the Siggiewi area “as water resources are already very scarce all over Malta”.