Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Oct 06, 2025

BVI School Garden Initiative continues to grow

The Department of Agriculture and Fisheries’ School Garden Initiative is the recipient of an irrigation system including an irrigation hose, fittings, emitters and seedlings including, okra, kale, lemon basil, season and bell peppers courtesy of the Fort Garden Centre and Plant Wise VI.

The Fort Garden Centre donated the irrigation system while the seedlings were donated by Mr. Jamal and Mrs. Stressa Bradshaw of Plant Wise VI as part of the Farmers’ and Fishers’ Week 2021 activities.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Education, Culture, Youth Affairs, Fisheries and Agriculture, Dr. the Honourable Natalio D. Wheatley, said the much appreciated donations will benefit the students of Alexandrina Maduro Primary School by allowing them to be exposed to and work in a properly set up garden.

“As a result, these students will have the knowledge and skills to set up their own gardens at their homes or even consider a career in agriculture. They will also develop a greater appreciation of how the food they eat is produced,” Honourable Wheatley said.

Director for the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Mr. Theodore James said the department’s school garden initiative aims to expand the learning experience beyond the traditional classroom setting.

“School gardens are not only about planting, watering and harvesting of fruits and vegetables, but they also provide many opportunities for problem-solving and identifying beneficial and non-beneficial insects,” Mr. James said, adding, “They promote healthy eating by connecting growing food and healthy diets. They also increase environmental awareness.

The Director said, “Obesity and malnutrition affect many children and adults around the world. To curb these behaviours many countries are incorporating health and nutrition curriculum alongside their school garden; they are changing the eating habits of students and kitchens at home. We must jump on board for a healthier Virgin Islands.”
Mr. James stated that the

Department of Agriculture and Fisheries’ aims to revive school gardens and farms in all public primary and secondary schools throughout the Territory.

“We have begun with the Alexandrina Maduro Primary School and we are in the process of looking at two additional schools as pilots. After the evaluation of the pilots, we will bring other schools on board.”

Director James said the department intends to collaborate with the Ministry of Education, principals, staff, parents and teachers associations, other sponsors as well as the farming and fishing community to develop a programme and an agreement among stakeholders during the next twelve months. He also encouraged all private schools to build or improve on their school gardens and farms.

“We encourage all schools to establish a garden club, create badges and club shirts for students. Before you know it, your school can be featured at the Farmers’ and Fishers’ Week Exhibition and Market Day event,” he said.

The Department of Agriculture and Fisheries remains committed to ensuring the sustainable production, harvest and supply of safe, high quality food by regulating the agricultural and fisheries sectors.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Munich Airport Reopens After Second Drone Shutdown
France Names New Government Amid Political Crisis
Trump Stands Firm in Shutdown Showdown and Declares War on Drug Cartels — Turning Crisis into Opportunity
Surge of U.S. Billionaires Transforms London’s Peninsula Apartments into Ultra-Luxury Stronghold
Pro Europe and Anti-War Babiš Poised to Return to Power After Czech Parliamentary Vote
Jeff Bezos Calls AI Surge a ‘Good’ Bubble, Urges Focus on Lasting Innovation
Japan’s Ruling Party Chooses Sanae Takaichi, Clearing Path to First Female Prime Minister
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Sentenced to Fifty Months in Prison Following Prostitution Conviction
Taylor Swift’s ‘Showgirl’ Launch Extends Billion-Dollar Empire
Trump Administration Launches “TrumpRx” Plan to Enable Direct Drug Sales at Deep Discounts
Trump Announces Intention to Impose 100 Percent Tariff on Foreign-Made Films
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Singapore and Hong Kong Vie to Dominate Asia’s Rising Gold Trade
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Manhattan Sees Surge in Office-to-Housing Conversions, Highest Since 2008
Switzerland and U.S. Issue Joint Assurance Against Currency Manipulation
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Thomas Jacob Sanford Named as Suspect in Deadly Michigan Church Shooting and Arson
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
New York Man Arrested After On-Air Confession to 2017 Parents’ Murders
U.S. Defense Chief Orders Sudden Summit of Hundreds of Generals and Admirals
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
Trump Claims FBI Planted 274 Agents at Capitol Riot, Citing Unverified Reports
India: Internet Suspended in Bareilly Amid Communal Clashes Between Muslims and Hindus
Supreme Court Extends Freeze on Nearly $5 Billion in U.S. Foreign Aid at Trump’s Request
Archaeologists Recover Statues and Temples from 2,000-Year-Old Sunken City off Alexandria
China Deploys 2,000 Workers to Spain to Build Major EV Battery Factory, Raising European Dependence
Speed Takes Over: How Drive-Through Coffee Chains Are Rewriting U.S. Coffee Culture
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Ringo Starr Champions Enduring Beatles Legacy While Debuting Las Vegas Art Show
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
FBI Removes Agents Who Kneeled at 2020 Protest, Citing Breach of Professional Conduct
Trump Alleges ‘Triple Sabotage’ at United Nations After Escalator and Teleprompter Failures
Shock in France: 5 Years in Prison for Former President Nicolas Sarkozy
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
BNP Paribas Abandons Ban on 'Controversial Weapons' Financing Amid Europe’s Defence Push
Typhoon Ragasa Leaves Trail of Destruction Across East Asia Before Making Landfall in China
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Big Banks Rebuild in Hong Kong as Deal Volume Surges
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Arnault Denounces Proposed Wealth Tax as Threat to French Economy
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Denmark Investigates Drone Incursion, Does Not Rule Out Russian Involvement
Lilly CEO Warns UK Is ‘Worst Country in Europe’ for Drug Prices, Pulls Back Investment
Nigel Farage Emerges as Central Force in British Politics with Reform UK Surge
Disney Reinstates ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ after Six-Day Suspension over Charlie Kirk Comments
U.S. Prosecutors Move to Break Up Google’s Advertising Monopoly
×