From culinary delights to innovative pharmaceutical products, the versatility of the breadfruit was on display at this year’s Parish Achievement Expo of the Portland 4-H Clubs.
The event, held recently at the College of Agriculture, Science and Education (CASE) focused on the theme ‘Youth in Agriculture: Shaping the New FACE of Food’.
It was an exciting culmination of the year-long efforts of club members and the collaboration of various agencies, stakeholders and sponsors.
Parish Manager, Alian Cox, said that through the Expo, “we are showcasing the work of the Portland 4-H Clubs as it relates to what we have been doing with the schools, the community groups, the church groups and all the other stakeholders”
“Every year, the Jamaica 4-H Clubs’ focus is on underutilised foods, and when we looked at what is unique to Portland, the leaders decided that they want to use breadfruit [so] breadfruit is being explored in all its glory,” he said.
At the various school booths were items such as breadfruit toto, breadfruit pudding, breadfruit hash brown, breadfruit waffle, breadfruit cake, breadfruit candle, breadfruit wine and many others.
Cox said that igniting the creativity of club members in this way is one aim of the Jamaica 4-H Clubs. The organisation is also aiming to foster the development of members’ skill sets and to expose them to sustainable agricultural practices.
The club members also participated in several competitions that saw them winning prizes and earning the opportunity to represent the parish at the National level, in April.
The guest speaker for the day’s activity was Global Affairs Canada’s Karyll Aitcheson.
In her presentation, Aitcheson provided her take on the acronym FACE, encouraging the youngsters to be Future-focused, Adaptable, Collaborative and Entrepreneurial.
She applauded the Jamaica 4-H Clubs and its partners for promoting and developing farming among the nation’s youth.
