Preparations are on track for the 45th Annual Agriculture Show, which will be held on Ash Wednesday, 22 February and from the sounds of it, the president of the Cayman Islands Agriculture Society is expecting a robust show.

The Agriculture Show, held at the Agriculture Pavilion in Lower Valley, is the oldest and the biggest one day event in the Cayman Islands and is a collaborative effort of the Cayman Islands Agriculture Society (CIAS), the Department of Agriculture (DoA) and the Ministry of District Administration, Works, Lands and Agriculture (DAWL&A). The event is sponsored in part by A.L. Thompson’s and LIME.

“Just about everybody in the agriculture business is eager to be here. This is going to be a very exciting show,” declared CIAS president Errol Watler.

All participating farmers will bring out their best livestock and crops to display or sell. Art and craft, and of course, a variety of local foods will be on sale.

The show begins at 7:00 a.m. and the opening ceremony will be held from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. Following the official opening, there will be a host of activities throughout the day, including the farmer’s interactive tent that gives members of the public a chance to ask farmers tips on crops, the best fertilizers for different types of soil and what’s new in the farming community.

Additionally, there will a rodeo, petting zoo and a cooking competition hosted by the Youth Services Unit. The rodeo will be hosted by the Wrangler’s Association and starts at 12:00 noon with a host of events, including barrel races, team penning, pole bending, flag races and calf roping. Children will also be able to participate in sack races and pony rides, said Shanna Pandohie who organises the rodeo portion of the show.

The beautiful baby contest will begin at 11:00 a.m. Already there are 10 registered entrants for the contest, which will feature four age groups: 10-18 months; 19- 24 months; 25-36 months and 37-48 months. In addition to the title prize of Most Beautiful Baby, entrants will compete for the Best Smile and Personality titles.

One of the new features this year is the Youth Service Cooking Competition, which starts at 11:30 a.m. The public will be able to watch eight students who have been coached by some of Cayman Islands top chefs. The cooking competition is the culminating event of a four-year culinary programme. The programme began four years ago, with the goal of preparing high school students for careers in the culinary field. From December 2011 through February 2012, 12 aspiring chefs took part in a series of culinary classes offered at the Ritz-Carlton.

Livestock farmer Mr. Paul Bodden said this was his favorite day of the year. “The public can get to see the best of agriculture in the Cayman Islands. This is the one day of the year that the community can see what we farmers do.”

Hon. Juliana O’Connor-Connolly, Deputy Premier and Minister responsible for Agriculture, who herself has a strong interest in farming, encouraged the public to support the show. “It is all about everyone working in harmony to achieve a product that is sustainable and beneficial to the islands, its economy and people and the farming community. The farmers and the public come to see who will get bragging rights and we must all work together to move agriculture forward,” she stated.

Tickets for the show cost $25, which includes entry into the raffle, with a grand prize of $20,000. General admission tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children aged two to 12 years.