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Charlotte Amalie
Thursday, March 28, 2024
HomeNewsArchivesFun and Learning Go Together at Ag Fair

Fun and Learning Go Together at Ag Fair

Errol Chichester, deputy commissioner of agriculture and director of crop exhibits, shows a patron a Pomerae Malay Apple tree.The fun doesn’t stop at the St. Croix Agriculture and Food Fair until 6 p.m. on Monday, when the fair officially closes. The speeches and awards all wrapped up on Saturday’s busy opening day, but there was plenty more for fairgoers to see and do the rest of the three-day run.

Mocko jumbies came out to party Sunday and a steel pans orchestra was treating people to Caribbean sounds. But there was also a lot of learning and teaching happening.

In the Grizelle "Isoke" Davila Farmer’s Market, the year-round farmers selling locally grown produce shared space with people trying to show those interested how to get themselves started in agriculture.

“My intention is to offer residents a chance to get small plants and establish a garden,” said Errol Chichester, deputy commissioner of agriculture and director of crop exhibits.

He had lots to offer at his display, which he only brings out for Ag Fair.

Hot peppers, sweet peppers, eggplant, tomatoes, mango trees and sour-sop trees were just a few, along with herbs galore. Chichester said home gardening was exciting, therapeutic and had tons of benefits people didn’t realize.

Mocko jumbies entertain the Ag Fair crowd Sunday afternoon near the food vendors.“You’re one with nature and you know exactly what you’re getting. You know what type, if any, chemical you put on your food and you know how long that chemical has been on your food,” Chichester said. “And it’s fresh. There is nothing more exciting than going out into the yard, harvesting your tomatoes, eggplant and bell pepper, whatever; and walking into your kitchen and preparing whatever dish you choose to.”

He thought people might be reluctant to start home gardens because of the time it takes and because many think they don’t have a “green thumb,” but Chichester stressed all one needs is the plants, some pots, some sun and some water.

“You’d be surprised what tomatoes, eggplant and cucumbers you can grow in a one-gallon pot,” he said.

Over in the Thomas Family Livestock Pavilion, Jane Coles, a science instructor at the Good Hope School and one of the “Coles Funky Chicken Farm” gang, was doing what she does best – teaching anyone who wanted to know about the art of raising chickens.

“Obviously the meat is healthier than the meat you buy in a store. No antibiotics, no hormones, it’s fresh and you’re not harming the environment by importing the meat in those freezers,” Coles said. “We’re paying a cheap price in the grocery store, but the hidden cost is to the environment, and to the workers in those big farms and to the well being of those chickens being raised.”

She spoke highly of her farm’s 24 egg-laying hens, too.

“Higher omega-3 fatty acid, less omega 6, and usually if you have backyard chickens, you’re feeding them more kitchen scraps, weeds, so then their eggs are fresher, oranger and there is more vitamins in them, because what you put into the chicken comes out in the end.”

Many nonprofits, schools and government agencies had information booths set up to showcase their institutions and tell anyone interested what they did as well.

While patrons decide on which ice cream to purchase, a mocko jumbie crowd takes a water break.One such booth was for the territory’s street-addressing initiative, which is taking suggestions for street names from the community and next month will start the field work in St. Croix’s pilot community for getting addresses – Mon Bijou.

Shawna Richards, communications director for the Lieutenant Governor’s office, said eventually getting all residence’s addresses was vital from a public safety standpoint.

“One of our challenges now is that we do not have an addressing system in place that makes it easy for first responders to find our home easily in the event of an emergency,” Richards said. “It’s critical and lifesaving when that addressing information is there.”

She added it would help the government coordinate services better, and make it more efficient for the private sector when homes need services delivered.

Perhaps the most popular educator on display, though, was William Coles, the chief environmental educator for the Department of Planning and Natural Resources, Fish and Wildlife.

Why was Coles so in demand of both children and adults alike?

William Coles displays a red-tailed boa constrictor snake caught near Creque Dam last year.He was holding a six-and-a-half foot, male, red-tailed boa constrictor captured on St. Croix near Creque Dam last year. Someone saw the snake sunning in the road, called it in to DPNR, and the search took five hours. Coles said DPNR also captured another one last year at Hamm’s Bluff. It was female.

“There are males and females loose on the island and that potentially could be a problem,” Coles said, noting there were other species of pythons in the wild on St Croix as well.

Asked how many snakes were out there, he said, “A lot. We’re not sure exactly how many because they’re very camouflaged.”

But Coles added that the notion of no snakes existing on St. Croix is completely untrue.

“We only have one native snake and we have a whole lot of introduced stuff,” Coles said. “We’ve got reports of snakes in different parts of the island, and so we are trying to follow up on those, but the problem is, if the snake report was a week ago you’ll never find it. So if you see a snake, call DPNR or 911. They have my number.”

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