Ricky Westerlund's father told his son not to become a farmer. The Westerlund family had been farming for generations in the Alaisa district of their Pacific island country Samoa. But Ricky was highly educated and already working as a civil engineer. That's rare in Samoa, where about 90 percent of the people till the land.

Ricky, however, is definitely a man with a mind of his own. He saw opportunity where others only saw hardship. Most farmers in Samoa are subsistence farmers. They cultivate enough to survive, but not much more than that.

Ricky saw a better way. With his engineering background he believed that if farmers mechanized their operations they could become commercial farmers ...– prospering by selling a bounty of goods to markets.

He knew becoming a farmer would be risky, but, he says, "When I decide to do something, nothing can stop me. I wanted to be a farmer, but in a big way."

Starting with five acres of leased land, he used his meagre savings to buy an old used tractor from Polynesian Airlines. Mechanizing his farm made him more efficient and earned him more profits. And so he leased more land, and bought more tractors and other equipment.

He was also smart in what he chose to grow: vegetables. Subsistence farming and a high-fat diet have left many Samoans either malnourished, obese or even both. Ricky grew tomatoes, cabbages, all sorts of beans, lettuce, capsicum, bak choi, corn and ginger.

Today, his 45-acre farm is the leading supplier of vegetables in Samoa. He supplies hospitals, hotels and markets. At the same time, the government is promoting vegetable consumption to improve the health of the people.

Other farmers in Samoa now come to learn from Ricky. "I teach them modern farming methods. I teach them to become commercial farmers," he says. While few have made the transition, he's confident that in time more will. "If you want to reap, first you must sow," he says.

That's important to Ricky. Because this farmer, who is also a preacher, regards it as part of his mission to help his countrymen become free from malnutrition, disease and poverty.

And so while here in Bangkok, he's been out shopping for seeds to grow heartier strains of vegetables, and researching organic farming methods and even fish farming. There are few limits to what a man can achieve when his spirit is strong.

"God wants us live in abundance," Ricky says when talking about his vision for the future of Samoa. "When we have abundance we are not at the mercy of others. When we have abundance we are free." FAO, 18/10/07.