If it couldn't be found at the Agriculture and Food Fair over the weekend, it very likely just doesn't exist.
Calabash bird feeders, pumpkin wine, baby goats, a Shetland pony or two, flowering hibiscus, giant squash, a steel band, handmade clothes, handmade beads, colorful hot sauces, layered multicolored candles and tofu stew—that was just the first brief glance around the crowded colorful fair grounds, with music sounding from P'Your Passion early in the day, followed by the VIHA Steel Orchestra.
About 1,300 or so people milled around the Reichhold Center for the Arts grounds enjoying the rich bounty on display at the 19th annual fair, which was sponsored by the University of the Virgin Islands Cooperative Extension Service and ran all day Saturday and Sunday.
According to Carlos Robles, fair committee president, both days saw consistently large crowds. "Usually Saturday isn't as busy as Sunday," Robles said, "and this year with the Veterans Day parade and the $12 special Tortola boat rides, we really didn't expect this many on Saturday."
Robles was busy conducting one of the composting workshops featured each day, with a hands on demonstration. Also featured were workshops on food safety and plant propagation and grafting.
"What we do is help people to help themselves," Robles said, "That's what the cooperative service is all about."
He said only about 15 percent of St. Thomas's farmers are able to make a full-time living at farming, and the other 85 percent need another source of income. "We want to help the economy," Robles said. "It's trial and error for a lot of the farmers,a nd next year we want to hold workshops exclusively for farmers."
Robles has been president of the fair committee for the past 19 years except for three years at graduate school. "We encourage all local products at the fair," he said. "All the food is local and the drinks, too, except Brow Soda—but that's a local company."
He said this year's door prizes may have tempted more people to come out. "There's grafted mangoes or avocado trees, and probably a fig tree or two," he said.
Robles had winners of the sweetbread and maubi contests sponsored by Frank's Bakery. In the sweetbreads, Gail Hill won first prize, Barbara Mark second prize, and Hilda Barry, third. For the maubi, it was Cecil Potter, first prize, Laurise Fahie taking second prize, and Tyrene Gift, third.
In the produce section, We Grow Food Inc. took first prize, with traditional winner, Charles Leonard, second.
A look around the many food booths turned up mango wine, soursop wine, pumpkin wine and pumpkin johnnycake by Teresa Davis, who won third prize for her efforts. Jocelyn Monsanto took first place for the second year in a row for her food and cakes, including guava and carrot cakes and tarts.
Robles said he expected a full list of the prizes in all competitions would be available on Monday.
Though the Humane Society wasn't represented this year, there were pony rides, horseback rides and a pony-drawn cart for two. Two very small people, that is. To say nothing of baby and mommy goats and pigs and cows and donkeys and rabbits and peahens and peacocks and brilliantly colored pheasants. This was where the young people were, about two thick around the animals, oohing and aahing and feeding them little green leaves.
Though the children were enthralled, the animals seemed to figure it was just another day, contentedly chewing away on their fodder and an occasional leaf offered by a child.
