Agriculture is an ages old industry on St. Croix. This is due to the island's relatively flat terrain and natural water sources as compared to St. Croix's Virgin Islands' siblings of St. Thomas and St. John. It all started back in pre-history when the Taino Indians, who migrated north through the Caribbean island chain from South America, grew cassava, a staple root they made into a meal for cereal and breads. Witness the many sugar mill ruins that dot the island's countrysides. These speak to the 1700s and 1800s when sugar was king. Today, there are a number of local farms and farmers, regular farmers markets in Christiansted and Frederiksted, and budding organic farms that not only offer produce but eco-tourism opportunities for visitors. All these facets of the agricultural community, and wider cultural community as well, come together at Agrifest.

Errol Chichester, deputy commissioner of the V.I. Department of Agriculture and long-time fair organizer says, "This year's theme is Agriculture: The Future - Yours and Mine. This theme speaks to the importance of agriculture in our community."

Last year, some 30,000 to 35,000 people attended the fair, making this event one of the largest of its kind in the Caribbean. Because of the size, its good to have a game plan in mind when visiting so that you can see and do all you'd like.

Chichester offers some tips:

"If you don't want to get into the rush of crowds, come as soon as the gates open at 9 a.m. The fair grounds are free of congestion then and you can easily see every booth. The farmers especially are there from six in the morning and they're there to do business."

Those who do enjoy the socializing element should, Chichester recommends, "come on Sunday right after church. It's about as crowded as Carnival then, but if you want to greet and meet folks, this is the time to come."

Monday is also a big attendance day due to it being the President's Day holiday. "Between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. is when you'll get the best deals," Chichester says. "It's the end of the fair and many vendors will put their remaining items on sale. No one wants to carry items back home."

Once you've picked the perfect time, then you can prioritize what sections of the fair you'd like to see.

The main exhibit building houses the Farmer's Market and agriculture-oriented displays. You'll find more than 50 spaces filled by farmers who offer their freshly cultivated fruits, vegetables and herbs for sale. Expect to find yams, potatoes, cucumbers, greens, okra, sugar cane and all types of herbs such as fennel, dill, anise, thyme and parsley.

There are a number of farmers in this main exhibit building that have ornamental and flowering plants for sale as well.

Next, you can walk or take the tractor driver trolley over to the prepared foods section. "There's every kind of local food you can imagine. Johnnycake, fried fish, kallaloo, pea soup, cassava bread, ginger beer, maubi and much more.

In the Arts & Crafts section, find handmade items from throughout the Caribbean.

Donkey and pony rides for the children, a cake competition, horsemanship competitions, fish feeding and more make Agrifest an event not to miss.

"There's also an opportunity for residents and visitors alike to purchase fair T-shirts, post cards, souvenirs and our fair booklet," Chichester says.

The fairgrounds are open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The admission fee is $5 for adults, $2 for children under age 12, and $3 for Senior Citizens with ID. The fair booklet sells for $5.