About Us
Our Mission
Fostering community empowerment through accessible agriculture! To deliver a rich variety of high-quality produce, cutting-edge products, and vital services, making sure that affordable nourishment is within everyone's reach. Our commitment extends beyond sustenance – we're planting seeds of opportunity for the youth! Dedicated to nurturing the future leaders of agriculture, we're cultivating more than just crops; we're nurturing dreams and shaping futures. Be part of our journey towards a healthier, more sustainable tomorrow.
Join us in sowing the seeds of positive change.
Our Vision
Empowering a hunger-free future locally and globally! Our vision is to combat food insecurity in Trinidad and Tobago and beyond by cultivating excellence in agricultural produce, innovative products, and services. We envision a world where quality nutrition is a universal right, and through our commitment to superior agricultural practices, we strive to be a beacon of positive change.
Join us on this journey as we plant the seeds of a nourished and secure tomorrow for all.
About Us
Building Agriculture with Quality
At Leading Seedling and Exotic Plants, our focus revolves around catering to your needs. As both a farm and an agricultural products and services company, we offer a comprehensive range of services, covering everything from seed to plate. Our commitment lies in delivering top-notch, local and exotic seedlings, plants, and produce. Additionally, we supply all the essentials for modern farming technologies like hydroponics. We specialize in designing and constructing various hydroponic systems, as well as other traditional and cutting-edge farming technologies. Lastly, we also pride ourselves in providing farming consultancies and training classes to home gardeners and commercial farmers.
Within our farm, we cultivate a diverse selection of seedlings, produce, herbs, and including chives, celery, parsley, fine thyme, basil, tomatoes, cucumber, hot pepper, pimento Bokchoy, Tatsoi, Arugula, Swiss Chard, Pakchoi, Cauliflower, Cabbage, kale and various lettuce varieties such as Trinity, Eden, Buttercrunch, Green and Red Romaine, Green and Red Oakleaf, with some grown hydroponically and others through traditional methods. As a dynamic and expanding farm, we are dedicated to continuous growth and development.
At Leading Seedling and Exotic Plants, our commitment extends beyond providing quality agricultural products – we prioritize widespread engagement in agriculture and the promotion of understanding regarding safe and nutritious food. To achieve this, we offer comprehensive hydroponic training courses aimed at enhancing individuals' understanding of this innovative farming method.
Furthermore, recognizing the significance of involving the youth in agriculture, we actively collaborate with schools. Through these partnerships, we strive to educate children about the fundamental importance of agriculture and the consumption of safe, nutritious foods. Our dedication lies not only in cultivating crops but also in nurturing a community that values sustainable and informed agricultural practices.n Trinidad and Tobago and globally by building quality agricultural produce, products and services.
Our Story
Leading Seedling and Exotic Plants was founded by Desirai Johnson-Phillip. Her introduction into agriculture began as a young girl, where she would spend time on her grandparents farm. Mrs. Leading Seedling is a name slowly becoming the norm for this young woman, who never imagined that anything agriculture related would become her passion. Entrepreneurship came naturally to her, even in her school days, as she sold CDs and DVDs and her entrepreneurial style didn't stop there. It just continued to blossom.
Being raised by a single mother, ensured that she and her brother understood the idea of hard work, setting goals and attaining them. "My mom made sure we had everything we needed, and also made sure we understood the value of money and self-worth. Hence it has always been my desire to achieve utmost financial freedom to ensure that the sacrifices she made for us came back ten fold."
In her youth, her family would often visit her grand parents in Tobago and this is where the introduction into agriculture began. "I've been going to Tobago all my life, I remember going out into the field, planting peppers and harvesting them as well for export" she said. But still she never imagine that she herself would be a farmer today.
She always loved the science subjects, and therefore studied both biology and biochemistry at tertiary level.
It wasn't until 2017 where the spark began. She said "I can't really remember how it happened or why it did, what I do recall going and purchasing trays, seeds and soil one day and the rest of it is history." She called her grandparents everyday, with updates while also seeking advice on what she needed to do. The start of the pandemic in 2020 and the lost of her grandfather further fueled her desires and she began planting on a larger scale. She would give produce to family, friends and neighbors.
During that year, she became pregnant. As her pregnancy progressed she was advised against bending and therefore could not tend to her crops. Mr. Leading Seedling, an electronic/ computer technician assisted in every regard.
They grew everything from seasonings to fruit trees.
For Desirai, farming became her solitude, her peace.
After the birth of her son, followed by his subsequent passing a mere 35 days after, Ms. Johnson-Phillip said "I needed to surround myself with life." This is what cemented the need for agriculture in her life. Her son's passing taught her many things:
1. You only live once.
2. Follow your dreams / passion.
3. Live life full of joy, happiness and regret free.
"After the death of my son Deshaun, I was sad, honestly, I did not know how I was going to continue on in this life. It really took the strength of family and friends to help me be able to stand again and through it all the one thing I had was my garden" Desirai said.
She used the pain of her loss to propel her business, having officially registered it in 2021.
Leading Seedling and Exotic Plants is more than just a farm, we are a developing Agricultural Eco Tourism Hub, currently producing lettuce, chive, celery, parsley, fine thyme, pakchoi, swiss chard arugula, chadon beni, basil, hot pepper and pimento, some hydroponically and some using traditional farming techniques. We also build a variety of hydroponic systems for customers, plant and seedling nursery production, grafted and non-grafted fruit trees and provide a plethora of advice.
