An official of the Department of Agriculture on Nevis is hoping that its annual Fruit Festival which features local mangos, slated for July 29, 2022, will help to spur the public’s interest in fruits produced locally.
NIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (February 15, 2022) — As tributes continue for the late Chesley “Faro” Davis who transitioned on February 08, 2022, Hon. Eric Evelyn, Senior Minister in the Nevis Island Administration (NIA), spoke of the immeasurable contribution Davis made to Nevis through community development and culture.
Paying homage to Davis and his work, Mr. Evelyn on February 15, 2022, said he will be missed.
“As we continue to come to grips with the untimely passing of Mr. Chesley “Faro” Davis, I would just like to pay my tribute as the Minister with responsibility of Youth and Sports, Community Development, Culture which he would have made so much contribution to over the years here on the island of Nevis.
“Of course Faro, as most of us knew him, he was a part of my ministry at his untimely death. He was a part of the Department of Community Development but before he served in the Department of Community Development, he would have served tremendously in the area of culture.
“He would have been a part of the Department of Culture. He would have been a part of the Nevis Cultural Development Foundation (NCDF) and of course all of us know that he was a staple at numerous Culturama events.
“He was an MC par excellence; he did an amazing job and it is something that of course, when we saw him MCing an event you could see that it’s something he enjoyed. He would have given immensely to the art of culture not only in the area of MCing but in the area of documentation as well, and you know, unfortunately, Faro would have served in the era when MCs were hardly being paid, and so he would have done most of this work free of cost and as I said, he would have done it from his heart,” he said.
The minister registered his gratitude to Mr. Davis for his contributions to the Nevis community and the Department of Community Development.
“We want to thank him for the immense contribution he would have made to culture on the island of Nevis, not only in terms of MCing but in terms of the development of the arts over the years.
“Being with the cultural practitioners, encouraging them, documenting what they do, and we are so delighted that he would have made such a contribution, and of course after he would have come to the Department of Community Development, he would have brought his MCing and organisation skills there as well.
“The events that we normally have for community development he would be an integral part of them. We normally have the “Miracle on Main Street” in Charlestown annually; he would have been the MC for that event. Any other event that the department is having he is there MCing.
“I could recall the Breadfruit Festival up in Barnes Ghaut. I could recall very recently, the launch of the Keyboard Programme over in Cotton Ground, at programmes in Jessups, programmes in Pond Hill, programmes in Gingerland he would have been there, and I really want to say thanks for the immense contributions that he would have made,” he said.
In his capacity as Minister responsible for the Department of Community Development, Minister Evelyn used the opportunity to convey his condolences to Mr. Davis’ bereaved family.
“[I] would like to extend heartfelt condolences to the surviving family. Your loss is our loss, and we want to say, we hope that God will keep you in this very difficult time, and rest assured that the contributions of your relative will always live on in our minds,” he said.
Mr. Carlisle Pemberton of Brown Hill, also known by his calypso name as King Binghi, was another of 11 Nevisians honoured during the recent celebration of the 38th Anniversary of the Independence of St. Christopher and Nevis for his contribution in the field of Music.
NIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (July 29, 2021) — The Department of Agriculture is calling for the support of the public for its latest initiative dubbed Freedom Market, a buy local and eat local event scheduled for 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Market Street on Friday, July 30, 2021.
Mr. Steve Reid, Chief Extension Officer in the Department of Agriculture; Ms. Susan Paul, Office Assistant at the Abattoir Division; and Ms. Shermel England, Agro Processing Assistant at the Agro Processing Centre invited the public to participate in the event which will this year replace the department’s annual Fruit Festival, which is usually held during the Culturama festival.
“We will be having a Freedom Market. I am inviting one and all to come on out and support us at the Department of Agriculture and the local farmers whether it is in the livestock industry, fishing or crop. We’ll see you there.
Ms. Paul noted that they would be showcasing products from the abattoir and a give-away.
“On the grill, we will be having some famous beef sausages and pork sausages. Also, there will be a give-away of one smoked ham. We are encouraging everyone to come and support this event. It’s an eat local event where you will have all the local stuff available. If you don’t get it here, we also will be having them at the abattoir,” she said.
Ms. England noted that the centre would have on sale items including jams, jellies, various types of flour, local drinks and ice lollies.
Local entrepreneur and creator of the QueMoni brand of bath and body products Ms. Monique Washington said her line of products will also be on sale at the Freedom Market.
“We will have all of our products which are the natural products made with a lot of local ingredients and also we will be launching the first ever male bar which forms a part of the QueMoni Sex and Shimmer line, and also we will have the Perfect Kitty. So I’m inviting all to come out and enjoy the sale by locals,” she said.
Hon. Mark Brantley, Premier and Minister of Tourism in the Nevis Island Administration (NIA), is encouraging more domestic tourism as a means of breathing life into the sector, in the face of border closures effected by the COVID-19 pandemic.