May 18, 2009 — Forty-two Virgin Islanders will get free seedlings, potting soil, assistance setting up irrigation, technical advice and more, helping them set up home gardens to showcase on V.I. Public Television station WTJX.
The station is teaming up with the Department of Agriculture and the University of the Virgin Islands Agricultural Extension Service to put together the gardening program, with Agriculture providing seedlings and materials and the Extension Service offering technical help.
"The premise of the show is we are going to assist homeowners to be self-sufficient, and to achieve the economic and health benefits of eating fresh local produce," said WTJX Executive Director Osbert Potter at a press conference Monday in the station's Estate Richmond offices. "By growing and eating their own food with sustainable practices, people can avoid the cost, chemicals and other issues with importing food and save money for their pocket."
The show will showcase these individuals' gardens and offer ideas, advice and instructions to help homeowners set up their own gardens. Individuals will be chosen from St. Thomas, St. Croix, St. John and Water Island and split into categories: traditional vegetable garden, box garden, potted plants and tire gardens. The selected applicants will get everything they need to get going.
"It will be like winning the lottery," Potter said. "Trust me, it is going to be that good."
Winners must be willing to commit to allowing the camera crew of WTJX, staff from UVI and Agriculture, and others to visit their properties to film the "Home Grown" activities. Winners will also serve as public models and must allow people to visit their yards and maintain a source of water to keep their plants watered, Potter said.
Agriculture Commissioner Louis Petersen said the program's goal is to help homeowners in the territory eat the very freshest fruits and vegetables, promoting good health and saving money.
"Our mission is supporting and promoting food production in the territory in a way that is viable and sustainable," he said.
Home gardening can have a big impact on quality of life, said Extension Service Director Kwame Garcia.
"For instance, locally and nationally we have an obesity problem," Garcia said. "It is a serious problem. The solution is more fresh vegetables and exercise, which home gardens give you."
Even in small, constrained urban settings, small box or tire gardens can save money.
"One way we know we can reduce household expenses is by cutting back on one of the things we purchase the most: food," Garcia said. "Urban gardening is real, nationwide, and we need to have great urban gardens. In America's inner cities some people are replacing the flower beds in their front yards with vegetable gardens."
As they develop this garden program, Garcia hopes to use the "Home Grown" program as a springboard to bring back master gardener classes and certifications.
"We had it many years ago and we'd like to bring it back," he said. "The 'Home Grown' initiative is a perfect beginning."
After the press conference everyone adjourned to the lobby for a fantastic buffet of almost completely locally produced food, with deviled local eggs; slices of deep red, ripe, heirloom tomatoes; baba ghanoush from the ubiquitous small local eggplants; alfalfa sprouts; bananas; tortilla chips and fresh local salsa; vegetarian sweet "black pudding" of tamarind, coconut and rice slathered with a fresh mango relish; and more fresh local offerings.
Applications for "Home Grown" will be accepted until June 5. To download an application, click here. Finalists will be selected by mid June and, around the beginning of July, WTJX will visit the sites, Potter said.
For information on how to apply, contact Clarice Clarke at 692-4060 or Tanya-Marie Singh at 690-6696, or contact Singh via email. There is a video about the program at the WTJX Youtube channel, along with an ever-growing collection from the station's local programming.
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