Bellevue:--- The Solidarity Organization and the "We Agree with Culture Association" held their two day Agricultural Fair this past weekend at the We Agree Exploitation in Bellevue.
The Agricultural Fair kicked off on Saturday February 4th with a great Reggae Show featuring the Youth Waves and Freedom Fighters featuring Sister Seagone Marlene.
The main event the Agricultural Fair was held on Sunday February 5th. The event kicked off at 7am with local breakfast. At 10am there was an exhibition of freshly grown local fruits, vegetables, arts and craft, and ital food all of which were on sale. Several stands were on site selling cakes, tarts, patties, sugar-cakes, local fruit juices, and locally made coconut and sour-sop ice cream. The two day event did not attract as much people as it did in the past. This event this past weekend was the 5th Annual Agricultural Fair since the Solidarity Association began developing the Bellevue plantation.
Several persons on the plantation said the residents and visitors that support the local plantation were not in any mood to listen to the politicians who might have used the event to campaign for the upcoming elections.
However, a number of persons from both the French and Dutch side flocked the area where the fresh vegetables and ground food were sold. There were groups of people that sat under the trees and waited for the ital kitchen to begin selling its specialties. At noon, the crowd rushed over to the kitchen area to make sure they got a bowl of the soups, or the specially made pea's balls.
On the hill the actual plantation graced the eyes of many persons who toured the farm which was once dry lands. SMN News was told that the land is cultivated by some 15 young men that live on the island. There are a number of the Jamaican Ackee trees that are filled with the red looking fruit. One of the of the men from the Solidarity Group said that while the Ackee trees are attractive they are also very deadly. "This is a Jamaican delicacy but there is a flower inside that has to be taken out before it is prepared. You just cannot pick this fruit and cook it; it must be matured and open before you can remove the toxic flower," the Solidarity member said.
The We Agree Exploitation has bananas, Tanya's, pumpkins, christophine, fresh lettuce and tomatoes, peppers, egg plants, green onions, packchoy and other vegetables and herbs that are sold daily.
Several speakers such as Nicole Piper, Jos Richardson, Julien Richardson, President Frantz Gumbs and Senator Louis Constant Fleming delivered speeches. Most of them encouraged the Solidarity members and the We Agree to continue the island's culture by planting fresh fruits and vegetables. Senator Louis Constant Fleming said that five years ago he provided the land for the Solidarity members to explore their ideas but now the time has come for them to go to the next step which is to expand.
Jah Bash, the founder of Solidarity Association honored 174 elderly persons from the community for their contribution and development of St. Martin.
Click here to view more photos of the 5th Annual Agricultural Fair on Sunday.
