Nov. 21, 2005 –– The event is over –– bellies are full, puppies found new homes, orchids, poinsettias and other flowering and non-flowering plants found new homes as the 23rd annual St. Thomas-St. John Agriculture fair wound down late Sunday afternoon.
Carlos Robles, University of the Virgin Islands Cooperative Extension Service specialist, proclaimed the events a success. "We had a good crowd Saturday, and we expect more today," he said Sunday morning as he roamed the grounds, helping out with information, directions, and, in one case, a bottle of much-needed cold water.
The highlight of Sunday's event was the awarding of prizes, which covered everything from candy and preserves to best exotic poultry and best boar.
Paul Questel, de Plant Man from Hull Bay, winner of the first prize for plants, was a happy man. "I've never won first prize before, and it's good," he said. Questel had pots of white poinsettias, red poinsettias, and many potted fruit plants. "They liked the orchids best," he said. "Saturday we sold all the stick orchids."
Kay McKean garnered first prize for her fanciful metal animals. McKean was happy with the prize. "I don't have a shop," she said. "I exhibit only at the local fairs."
Charlie Leonard, winner of first prize for produce, took it more in stride. "I used to win all the time, once for five years in a row," he said. "But, it's nice."
Though they didn't get any prizes, four puppies got something better: four loving homes. The Humane Society of St. Thomas had four puppies each day at the fair. "We always find homes for some of them," said Joe Elmore, as he cuddled a five-week-old Rottweiler mix, "but we want to find homes for all of them."
And St. Croix got into the act, too. Ireece Joseph of Frederiksted took home first prize in Candy and Preserves. She sold tamarind, pineapple and other candies, a variety of jams, and a mango hot sauce.
The winners:
Produce
1st Place Charles Leonard ($100 gift certificate for Pueblo Supermarket)
2nd Place Alphonso Wade (Two fruit trees)
3rd Place We Grow Food, Inc.
Nursery Plants
1st Place Paul Questel (Two nights stay at Marriott Frenchman_s Reef Resort)
2nd Place Evelyn Bryan (50, five-gallon flower pots)
3rd Place Leroy Williams
Baked Goods
1st Place Sonia Castro (Two nights stay at the Ritz Carlton Resort)2nd Place Audrey Henry (Two fruit trees)
3rd Place J. Bachelor
Candy Preserves 1st Place Ireece Joseph ($75)
2nd Place Cornell Hanley
3rd Place Caribbean Specialty
Prepared Foods
1st Place Upward Bound ($100)
2nd Place Joselyn Monsanto (Two fruit trees)
3rd Place J. Bachelor
Arts and Crafts
1st Place Kay McKean (Two nights stay at Marriott's Fairfield Resort)
2nd Place Alton Evans (Two fruit trees)
3rd Place Beverly Clark
Best Ram
1st Place Nathan Tuitt ($90)
2nd Place Etien Frett
Best Ewe
1st Place Nathan Tuitt ($90)
2nd Place Etien Frett
Best Cow
1st Place Patrick Olive ($100)
2nd Place Larry Boschulte
Young Goat
1st Place Etien Frett ($90)
2nd Place Lawrence Romney
Buck Goat
1st Place Lawrence Romney ($90)
2nd Place Etien Frett
Doe Goat
1st Place Lawrence Romney ($90)
2nd Place Etien Frett
Domestic Poultry
1st Place Garry Pemberton ($75)
2nd Place Etien Frett
Exotic Poultry
1st Place Lionel Boschulte ($75)
2nd Place Larry Boschulte
Boar
1st Place Garry Pemberton ($90)
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