The ninth annual Bush Cook Chef Cook event, held from Oct. 13–19, proved to be an overwhelming success, highlighting the Virgin Islands’s growing commitment to food security, agricultural resilience, and community collaboration.

Organized by Sejah Farm of the Virgin Islands, the weeklong event featured a new three-day conference and a series of long-standing community activities that addressed critical issues such as food access, disaster resilience, and systemic political and economic challenges affecting the local food system.

The new conference component, held Oct. 13–15, was added this year to make professional agricultural development more accessible to local farmers. Recognizing the cost and difficulty of sending participants off-island, organizers decided it would be more effective to bring speakers and experts to the territory. Themed “Da Culcha Table,” the conference aimed to “bring more people to the table” by engaging farmers and community members in discussions on cooperative development and agricultural policy in the Virgin Islands.

“We have been traveling to conferences for the past 10 years and we learned about the significance of networking, but it has always been a hardship to be able to take all the individuals that we think would learn because of the overall expense in getting them there. We figure that we have built this link through networking, and it is cheaper and easier to bring them to our table so more people would get to the table,” said Yvette Browne, co-owner of Sejah Farm.

Organizers said the presenters and panelists successfully met their goals, offering sessions on seed and soil strategies, resilience and entrepreneurship, and agricultural taxation. Local experts also led demonstrations on tree production and managing heat stress. Attendees responded positively, expressing appreciation for the opportunity to explore new ideas and practical applications relevant to the Virgin Islands’s agricultural landscape.

A major feature of the week was the Thursday farm and island tour. Participants, sponsors, visitors, and community members toured farms across St. Croix, beginning at the Art Farm on the East End, led by Luca Gasperi, and continuing west to farms owned by Roniel “Honey Man” Allembert, Trevor Warner, and Roy Rodgers. At Rodgers’s farm, discussions focused on heirs’ property and the challenges of retaining family land when only one descendant continues farming. The tour also included a stop at Point Udall, the easternmost point of the United States, before concluding with a local lunch at the Chicken Shack.

On Oct. 17, the youth and community day brought together food and nutrition partners, farmers, families, and educators. Students from various schools participated in youth chef competitions, cooking with locally grown ingredients to create nutritious meals. The Virgin Islands Good Food Coalition and RT Park representatives provided educational engagement opportunities, while the Frederiksted Health Center offered health screenings and vendors hosted educational tables. The competition winners included Good Hope Country Day, Lew Muckle Elementary, St. Croix Montessori, and Freewill Baptist School.

A highlight for many attendees was witnessing the excitement of the children during the event. Yvette Brown recalled one memorable moment when a young participant became emotional upon learning his team had won.

“In all the years of doing the event this is the first time I’ve seen a child cry when he won. He was fully engulfed. I don’t know if his tears were overpowering him or whatever, but he just ran to his father,” said Browne.

The festivities continued on Oct. 18 with one of the event’s signature attractions — the Bush Cook Chef Cook competition. More than 25 chefs participated, preparing dishes using traditional cooking methods and more than 90 percent locally sourced ingredients selected that morning from the farmers’ market. DJ General provided music throughout the day as community members, judges, and visitors sampled dishes before the evening’s award ceremony. Live entertainment was provided by the Reggae Bubblers and How About Now bands.

In the plant-based meal category, Common Sense and Living Life Health Food Restaurant tied for first place, followed by Living Life and The Indigenous Bushman, Raymond “Bigstuff” Armstrong. In the animal-based category, Ama at Cane Bay took first place, with Efrén David Robles and Berle Flavor tying for second and Sean Skerrette earning third. Ama also received the Bragging Rights award for animal protein meals, while Common Sense and Living Life shared the plant-based Bragging Rights award.

The week concluded on Oct. 19 with a six-course Farm-to-Table dinner served under a newly constructed pavilion at Sejah Farm. Approximately 125 guests enjoyed dishes prepared by multiple chefs using meats, produce, and herbs harvested locally. Throughout the evening, chefs, servers, sponsors, and supporters were recognized between performances by Richie Buntin and Baz N Dem.

The event’s conclusion left organizers and attendees deeply satisfied. “Obstacles were conquered, and the final result was even greater than expected,” said co-owner Dale Browne. He added that seeing the community’s enthusiasm and eagerness to participate again was especially rewarding.

The Browne family remains committed to strengthening local agriculture and education year-round. They plan to expand preparation efforts for next year’s Bush Cook Chef Cook event to ensure even greater participation and impact.

To stay connected with Sejah Farm’s ongoing efforts to advance agriculture and food sustainability in the Virgin Islands, community members can follow Sejah Farm of the Virgin Islands on Facebook for updates, educational opportunities, and announcements about the 2026 Bush Cook Chef Cook event.