The public is invited to the 44th Annual Agriculture and Food Fair of the U. S. Virgin Islands from Feb. 14 to16, at the Rudolph Shulterbrandt Agricultural Complex at Estate Lower Love on St. Croix. The theme is “Agriculture: The Heart of it All.” The entrance fee is $6 for adults, $3 for children and $4 for senior citizens.
Agrifest 2015 will be open daily from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m., with the opening ceremonies scheduled for 10 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 14. There will be a Farmer of the Year Award presentation and grand quadrille dancing with music by Stanley and the 10 Sleepless Knights.
The family fun includes interesting and attractive exhibits, demonstrations, entertainment, challenging competitions, rides and games, prize winning animals, delicious varieties of local food and beverages, and, of course, the fun and fellowship of sharing with friends and relatives from neighboring islands. In addition to participants from all three Virgin Islands, guests are expected from Guyana, the British Virgin Islands, St. Lucia, Antigua and Barbuda, Puerto Rico, Grenada and St. Kitts and Nevis.
Sixteen University of the Virgin Islands components will be participating in the exhibits by displaying their products and the services offered to the community. In addition to their major roles, the Cooperative Extension Service and the Agricultural Experiment Station, both Land Grant programs, will portray the theme “Agriculture: The Heart of it All” by presenting a garden area with high-yielding fruit and vegetables from their research projects. Displays will also feature heart-healthy nutrition and diet tips, best practices and handouts featuring MYPlate, as well as other offerings.
“It is quite appropriate that the Clinton George Fairgrounds have been named in honor of Mr. Clinton George who retired after working at the Cooperative Extension Service for 30 years as the assistant director of the Agriculture and Natural Resources Program,” said Clarice Clarke, UVI Cooperative Extension Services public information specialist. “The members of the Board of the 2015 Agriculture and Food Fair invite all to come to the fair and experience agriculture at its best, while socializing and being reinvigorated.”
The Agriculture and Food Fair is sponsored by the V.I. Department of Agriculture, the UVI Cooperative Extension Service and the V.I. Department of Tourism. For more information, contact Clarice Clarke at (340) 692-4060 or email at cclarke@live.uvi.edu