District Nine Representative Hon Vincent O. Wheatley is teaming up with local farmers to supply his district office’s food pantry with fresh locally grown produce. Photo: Facebook/Hon Vincent O. Wheatley

Farmers from as far as West End have supplied the food pantry in Virgin Gorda at the District Office. Photo: Facebook/Hon Vincent O. Wheatley

A freezer was also purchased for the storage of meats at the food pantry. Photo: Facebook/Hon Vincent O. Wheatley

Hon Vincent O. Wheatley (R9) has had a food pantry at his district office in Virgin Gorda for a few years. Photo: Facebook/Hon Vincent O. Wheatley

Speaking with our news centre this morning, Saturday, May 3, 2025, Hon Wheatley said he has had a pantry at his office for a few years, but it was stocked mainly with dried and canned goods. 

“As Minister for Health, I want to encourage healthier eating, so I decided to expand the pantry and offer more than just canned goods and dried goods.”

The produce section of the pantry came out of discussions with farmers, he said, as motivation to get farmers to grow more food and to encourage eating locally grown foods. 

“So I’ve partnered with the farmers. We’re working exceptionally well. I tell the farmers, whatever you have grown, bring it to me…we want people who can’t afford to buy healthy food to get it, sell it to me at a reasonable rate, not a loss to them, but at a reasonable rate.”

Partnership with farmers working well- Hon Wheatley

This partnership, he added, has been working out well with farmers as far as West End bringing him produce for the pantry. 

“I’ve bought all of it, whatever the farmers can grow, I will buy it and distribute it to my constituents.”

The pantry was expanded even further with the purchase of a freezer for the storage of frozen meats for distribution. 

The food pantry is open and available to members of the community Monday to Friday from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM and 7:00 AM to 12 PM on Saturdays. Pantry distributions are done on a first-come, first-served basis. 

Hon Whealtey said his constituents “love” this expansion of the food pantry. 

“They can come and get fresh fruit, fresh locally grown foods, whether it be bananas, plantains, pumpkins, you name it, whatever they grow, I take it from them.”

Seedlings for backyard gardening

Hon Wheatley revealed the next step for him is to make seedlings available for those who wish to begin backyard gardens but do not have the seedlings. 

He said he wants to “work with agriculture to get some seedlings that I will then give out to residents so that they can start their own backyard gardens, and when the gardens start producing, I will still buy back from them again.”

The Health Minister said he is encouraging people to grow local and eat local. 

“When things are tough and challenging, we tend to go to the cheapest things we can buy, which are the canned foods, which are not healthy. As Minister for Health, I can’t promote the canned foods over freshly local, grown foods.”