Linval Owens
Linval Owens, otherwise known by his nickname, "Fishtea," has lived his entire life from the land and sea. Since 2009, he has worked closely in developing Star Apple, building upon his lifelong experience with growing and foraging local organic foods.
Born and raised on the south coast of Jamaica in the rural fishing town of Treasure Beach, Linval grew up on a true homestead, raising chickens, fishing, and growing vegetables to take to market. He began his serious agricultural pursuits at age 15, growing callaloo, the legendary Jamaican cooking green, which he sold at the weekly market in the mountain town of Christiana. Linval's experience soon expanded to the ocean, where he developed his 25-year career as a deep sea fisherman, boating up to 90 miles off the coast of Jamaica, catching tuna, grouper and swordfish for the local Jamaican market.
Throughout his time working as a fisherman, Linval's appreciation of the simple, good life, kept him well grounded. As a self-forged Rastafarian, he has always avoided processed foods, foraging for wild honey and medicinal herbs regularly, and perfecting his recipes for vegetarian Ital foods and the famous fish soup that earned him his very Jamaican nickname!
When the opportunity arose to move to Boston in 2006 to work as a landscaper, Linval jumped to it and hasn't looked back. After two years of training with the large landscape maintenance crew at Roger B. Sturgis Associates in Massachusetts, Linval had become an expert in turf management, stone wall building and other valuable landscaping practices. When he returned to Jamaica in 2008, he met Leslie and, after a year spent happily farming organically with her in the hills of St. Elizabeth, decided to get married, move to California and share his experiences with a new audience!
Now, with Star Apple, Linval brings an authentic agricultural background to his clients, helping them to keep things running smoothly on their own urban homesteads. When not busy helping clients with his knowledge of and passion for carpentry, water systems and good, clean food, he can be found playing and singing reggae music around town.