Agri-Fest 2015: Vibrant As Ever

Today is what Virgin Islanders would call ‘last lap Monday’ in reference to the Agriculture Fair activities on St. Croix. One of the island’s most beloved annual events, vendors from near and far set up shop with a wide variety of foods, arts, crafts, jewelry, clothing — you name it — while thousands of people, visitors and residents alike, descended on Estate Lower Love to enjoy the festivities.

This year’s event, the 44th annual, was themed, “Agriculture: The Heart of it All.” For the opening ceremony on Saturday, dignitaries gathered to talk up the importance of agriculture. Among them was Governor Kenneth Mapp, who spoke of his days growing up in farming, and why it has shaped his passion to see agriculture become an indelible part of Virgin Islands living.

A local vendor displays paintings at a booth at the 2015 Agri Fair

“Farming is our essence,” Mapp began. “It is how we should eat, where we derive our food; it is the first neighbors of the land. And I, on behalf of the administration, want to commend all farmers and the work that the farmers do. And I want to pledge the support of the Mapp-Potter administration, not in words, but in deed.”

Mapp said his administration worked hard to bring on board Agriculture Commissioner-designee Carlos Robles, who wanted to know, according to the governor, in detail, what was the administration’s vision for agriculture. Mapp said that revealed that vision was, in part, to first bring the territory’s farmers together, and find out what produce could be targeted to provide meals for the Virgin Islands school lunch program.

“If we take the school lunch program and create meals that move away from sugar and processed food, [to provide] fresh fruits and vegetables, and healthier meals on menus, we have a unique opportunity on a federal level, to increase the monies for our school lunch program, which, today, is measured at $8.5 million,” Mapp said.

The governor went on to share other ideas on how his administration intends to grow the agriculture sector in the territory, and said he would exclude the Department of Agriculture from a list of agencies that will see budget cuts in the future. He then commended the Agriculture and Food Fair board for working “so hard to make this the best agriculture food fair in the Caribbean.”

Also present were Lieutenant Governor Osbert Potter, some members of the 31st Legislature, Dept. of Tourism Commissioner-designee Beverly Nicholson-Doty, former Delegate to Congress Donna M. Christensen, and present Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett.

An awards ceremony was also held to honor various persons and organizations in the farming industry, including Dale and Yvette Brown of Sejah Farm, Vincent Doward of Triple D Farm, Catherine Joseph-Cornelius and more.

Gov. Kenneth Mapp and Lt. Gov. Osbert Potter present awards to residents at 2015 Agri Fair

While most of the speakers at Saturday’s opening ceremony spoke of the territory’s agriculture product, Yvette Brown, while accepting her award, candidly offered her assessment of the industry, and admonished those in authority to refocus their efforts in bringing agriculture to the forefront of the government’s efforts to better the lives of Virgin Islands residents.

“The heart of agriculture has been removed, and unless we restore it, it could be like a catastrophe, and I could go on and on,” Brown said. “We need to view the importance of the agriculture system here in the Virgin Islands, and unless all units come together in one accord to restore agriculture as its key economic development moving forward, we will remain stagnant as we are in the present moment.”

She continued, “I will do my best to continue to work on the behalf of myself, my family and everyone in this community, to ensure that what we eat is valuable to our system, to our children, and to our generations to come. I would like to see the day that at least 50 percent of what we eat,do not come from some place so far, that by the time purchased, it’s garbage.”

Bustling With Life

The fair grounds was bustling with life where attendees, thousands of them, moved about spending money, sampling food, taking rides, mingling with friends, and having a good time. Bands played all three days — Feb. 14-16 — on the east and west stages, keeping the party going with all kinds of local music.

Food vendors showcasing their goods at 2015 Agri Fair

Familiar vendors lined the main walkway serving the thousands of visitors traversing the grounds. However, there were new vendors, too, including the Local Fruit Smoothies booth, serving up a blend of local fruits to create refreshing drink choices. “It’s really good,” said one person who had just purchased the $7 drink.

On Sunday, which usually starts slow because many residents attend church during the morning hours, local Christian bands setup on the west tent stage, playing gospel music in genres such as zouk, reggae, dancehall and calypso. This year, The Lansiquot Sisters and others were the featured artists. By mid-afternoon, however, the crowds began to build and the regular dash took hold.

On Monday, the energy on the final day of the fair was no different. Children could be seen visiting the petting zoo, which featured goats, sheep, cows and pigs. Workers at the University of the Virgin Islands tent gave away beautiful plant arrangements to visitors correctly answering a variety of questions about information provided in the booth. Not to mention, the abundant display of fresh fruits and vegetables farmers sold in the large warehouse at the back of the fairgrounds was a sight to behold.

With the support shown to the 2015 Agri Fair, it was impossible to tell that St. Croix’s economy is struggling. People seem to attend the festivities with the mindset to spend. Vendor booths were no less full than last year. The crowds were just as big, and in some instances, bigger than the year before. And the food was, in many instances, was even better than before.

St. Croix’s Agri-Fest is as vibrant as ever.