Oct. 15, 2007 — World Food Day at the University of the Virgin Islands Sunday was more than an afternoon for hundreds of Crucians to savor local food. The campus became a forum where residents were inspired to think about world hunger, land preservation, food production and hunger on the local level.
"We need to defend and save farmland for future generations," said Percival Edwards, president of St. Croix Farmers in Action.
Dale Brown, president of V.I. Farmers Cooperative, echoed the sentiments of Edwards, saying land preservation is a must to feed residents with fresh produce on a daily basis. "With increased production we have economic enhancement and improved income," he said.
Addressing the issue of hunger on St. Croix is My Brothers Table in Frederiksted. It gives out 40 to 60 meals a day, according to Rev. Rodney Koopmans, pastor at St. Croix Reform Church and a lead organizer for My Brother's Table.
Groups of students from local schools were introduced to the plight of the hungry at a role-playing Hunger Banquet as a 4-H Youth activity. The students were randomly given three different colored stickers when they registered at the banquet hall. One color was for a three-course meal, one was for two food items and one was for rice and water. Mathilde Wilson spoke to the students about hungry children in Haiti.
The students also participated in "Kids CAN Make a Difference" food drive with a competition to see which school could make the biggest House of CANS donations.
"We need to make sure kids are aware of food and not wait until World Food Day," said Louis Petersen, commissioner of the Department of Agriculture.
Free tomato, pepper, cucumber, eggplant, basil and bok choy seedlings were given out so residents could grow their own food.
Workshops were held on the uses of sweet potatoes, poultry production, Virgin Islands tropical fruits and their nutritional values and coconut production. There were two tours of the U.V.I. Agricultural Experiment Station.
A farmers market was set up under red, yellow, green and blue-striped tents. Eleven different vendors sold fruits, vegetables, herbs and canned condiments. One could purchase sugar apples, soursop, pumpkin, maubi bark and peanuts.
"I just had to buy this lovely two-pound bag of okra," Alscess Lewis-Brown said, "I don't know what I'll do with so much, but I had to have it."
Fourteen different food vendors sold local food. Rita Chiverton could be seen hand rolling dough and using a press to make fresh pattes. To satisfy a sweet tooth, tarts, fruitcakes, carrot cakes and peppermint lozenges were available to eat there or to go. Monique Wilson was cooking up old time cuisine such as stewed pot fish, fried pot fish and bean balls. It could all be washed down with fresh fruit drinks like mango, sorrel, soursop, Maubi and Tamarind.
Mary Lewis, a native of Ghana and wife of the former commissioner of agriculture Lawrence Lewis, has been selling West African food at the fair for the past 12 years. She brings popular foods from Ghanian recipes such as banku and okra stew, which consists of cornmeal, garlic, fish, okra, okra leaves and spinach.
A favorite spot for youngsters to hang out was the petting zoo. "I had a lot of kids come through the fence, I forgot my counter but couldn’t use it anyway since I was so busy," said Sue Lakos, who was in charge of the petting zoo.
D.J. Porter and Rising Stars Steel Orchestra provided music.
UVI's Cooperative Extension Service in partnership with UVI's Agricultural Experiment Station and the V.I. Department of Agriculture sponsored the annual event.
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