Local Dignitaries Pledge Continued Support For Agriculture At Agrifest 2016 Opening Ceremony

ST. CROIX — The dignitaries who sat atop a stage erected underneath a tent stationed on the west side of the Agricultural Fair grounds in Estate Lower Love on Saturday morning, were almost identical to last year’s gathering. They included Mapp administration officials, Delegate to Congress Stacey Plaskett and 31st Legislature senators, among others. Even former Governor Charles Turnbull was present.

But unlike last year, Agrifest 2016 — celebrating 45 years of what Agrifest officials say is the biggest such event in all of the Caribbean — the dignitaries, especially those who have been tasked to better the territory’s agriculture industry, highlighted the progress they’ve made, mindful that 2016 is also an election year.

“It would be a shame if I came back [to the fair] one year later and we didn’t have a report card to speak to our support for agriculture in the Legislature, [and] to speak to what we’ve attempted to do to try and make agriculture on St. Croix and the Virgin Islands what it used to be,” Senate President Neville James said, as he sought to highlight work the Senate had done to bolster agriculture. “We were the breadbasket of the Caribbean and we need to get back there, because our soil is as fertile as any.”

Mr. James mentioned Act 7747, which he says was created to conduct a feasibility study for food processing plants here and on St. Thomas. He also mentioned an appropriation of $500,000 to support farmers during the 2015 drought. And Mr. James said that the territory could be affected by more dry season in 2016, and said he would work to set aside an initial sum of $200,000 as a precautionary move.

Delegate to Congress Stacey Plaskett, who sits on the Committee on Agriculture in Congress, underlined her own efforts, making known that she supported the Farm-to-School Act of 2015, a bill that amends the National School Lunch Act to reauthorize the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s farm-to-school program for the next five years.

And Governor Kenneth Mapp, who promised at last year’s opening ceremony his ardent support for agriculture, had tangible results to talk about, including an annual $1 million in an agriculture revolving fund that would see 90 percent of said monies being used to support the territory’s farmers.

“We live in a society of about 100,000 people on three islands, and while we recognize that we have to import tremendous amounts of commodities that we consume, one of the things that we should not have to import on a continuous basis is our food,” Mr. Mapp said. “The Virgin Islands, and St. Croix in particular, was known for feeding the Caribbean.”

Mr. Mapp was also praised by Mr. James in regards to the governor’s efforts on the agriculture front, stating that the territory’s leader had done “more for agriculture in one year than the previous governor did in eight years.”

“I try my best to call a spade a spade,” Mr. James added.

During the ceremony, many awards were given, including a farmers of the year award, which went to Phillip Titre (center right in feature image) and Leroy Peets of New Breed Farm, an estate that grew from 3 to 20 acres in three years with the help of the Department of Agriculture (D.O.A.). New Breed Farm grows a multiple of fruits and vegetables to include watermelon, pumpkin, eggplant, tomatoes and peppers, among others.

Mr. Titre thanked his partner, Mr. Peets, and also his family, more pointedly his wife, for being patient with him, as he noted the difficulty of trying to grow a nascent business and the time that must be dedicated to that effort — all while raising a family.

Livestock farmer of the year went to Stuart Drew of SGD Enterprises, an operation located in Estate Lower Love and raises pigs, chickens, goats and rabbits. Mr. Drew’s wife did most of the talking, as she emotionally spoke of her husband’s humble beginnings. “We have a weed eater, a machete and a sickle — that’s it. So everything we did, we earned.”

Mrs. Drew also thanked the University of the Virgin Islands for the critical role the institution played in their success, stating that the university’s small livestock course proved indelible to learning about farming.

“We were just starting; we didn’t know anything about anything. He had basic knowledge from his childhood but it makes such a difference,” she said, referring to her husband. Mrs. Drew was also encouraged to hear the dignitaries talk positively about agriculture. “It makes me feel good,” she said.

This year, the fair was named after 25th Legislature Senator Luther Renee, who chaired the Committee on Economic Development and Agriculture during his tenure. He later served as assistant commissioner of Agriculture and has remained a fierce advocate for the industry.

Mr. Renee said the honor was the best Valentine’s Day gift he had ever received.