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Monday through Friday, after get off work, Nekeisha Graham (sometimes in high heels) comes to her chicken coop in St. Andrew to check on her chickens and make sure her fledgling business continues to thrive.
“Before COVID, I was a 9-to-5 guy. I worked a 9-to-5 job … (but now) I get up every day knowing I have my birds, knowing they’re here and I have to be here to take care of them, so it motivates me to get up every day and know I have it (animal husbandry) and just do it,” Graham said.
Graham, owner of Niki’s Yolk, admits that when she was a child she scoffed at the idea of making a living from farming. However, as an adult and faced with the responsibilities of life, farming has become the proverbial stone of builder’s refusal for this St Ann’s native.
“This dream started in 2021 (in St Ann’s) when I started studying for a master’s degree in human resources at the University of the West Indies, and then COVID hit, so I decided to take some time off,” Graham told The Sunday Gleaner on Friday.
Invested my tuition
“I invested my tuition money into this business and I have no regrets because my business is growing,” said Graham, who has a bachelor’s degree in tourism and works in the education sector.
The small-scale chicken farmer said she had a job when she started Niki’s Yolk but was eager to supplement her income. She decided to get into chicken farming after seeing her peers earning extra income through livestock farming. She raised 700 laying hens in St. Ann’s and even helped build the chicken coop. She stayed in Garden Parish for the next two years before moving to Kingston with her daughters.
Earlier this year, a friend allowed her to build a chicken farm near his home. Now, she works in the farm from 9 am to 5 pm every day, and feeds the laying hens, cleans the farm, and collects eggs in the evening wearing high heels.
As an entrepreneur, Graham admits that business has its ups and downs. When she had cartons of eggs that she couldn’t sell, she turned to TikTok, which boosted her sales and inspired other women on the island to start a business or find additional sources of income.
Graham’s daughters, Richelle and Nekealah, ages 9 and 6, drive her to the farm. “On weekends, they help me pick up eggs. They motivate me and remind me of my farm responsibilities every day,” she shared.
Women often turn to Graham on TikTok for advice on starting and managing a business. She takes the time to reply, offering guidance and support. Her inspiring posts on TikTok have earned her 127,000 followers, many of whom are inspired by her determination and unique approach to farming. She believes in finding her place in the business world, and for her, it’s her professional attire in the chicken coop that sparks curiosity about her business. Her videos of her wearing high heels while working on the farm have attracted fans and created a unique image in the farming community. While she has received both positive and negative feedback, the support and encouragement from her fans outweighs the negative.
‘How do you do that?’
“I’m just inspired by that. Also, women in society are following me. A lot of women are reaching out to me on TikTok and asking me, ‘How do you do it? How do you keep doing it every day?’ ‘Can you help me?’ People are asking me for help or guidance on how to start a business, and I do make time to answer those direct messages when people ask me. Especially women,” she said.
Graham had planned to travel off the island on July 3, but given the threat posed by Hurricane Beryl, she decided to stay put and protect her investment. She posted a video on social media highlighting the preparations she had made to prevent the farm from collapsing in the storm.
Despite the demands of the job, Graham remains passionate about his career and isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty.
“I’m at the farm every day. I don’t go home after get off work, I go straight to where I work and I’m not afraid to get my hands dirty. When I say every day, I mean seven days a week. I work from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., but once the work is done, I go to the farm and get eggs, feed the birds, clean the water dishes, pretty much everything we do on the farm. I’m involved and I get my hands dirty,” Graham said.
She continued: “I’m not afraid of getting my high heels dirty. I’m also not afraid of getting dust, feathers or anything else on my clothes because I take them off and wash them every day after get off work.”
Looking ahead, she plans to expand her business from the corporate area to other parishes within five years. She encourages aspiring farmers, especially women farmers, to seek guidance from agencies such as the Rural Agricultural Development Agency on how to establish and grow their own businesses. She said the hardest part of the journey is taking the first step.
“You just have to stand up. You just have to start. That’s all you need to do, and you can do it,” she said.
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