VIRGINIA AGRICULTURE
• A GUIDE TO THE COMMONWEALTH’S FARMS, FOOD AND FORESTRY •
Learning From Its Legacy Virginia’s ag history cultivates the future of farming
Sponsored by the Virginia Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services // www.VAagriculture.com // 2013
TABLE OF CONTENTS
7 A Look Inside 8 Virginia Agriculture Overview
2013
VIRGINIA AGRICULTURE
• A GUIDE TO THE COMMONWEALTH’S FARMS, FOOD AND FORESTRY •
Farming Roots 10 Our Founding Farmers
Early Virginia settlers paved the way for today’s sustainable, technological agriculture
14 Ensuring Their Future
Programs are in place to ensure Virginia’s farmlands remain vital
Top Commodities 18 Poultry Progress
Virginia highly regarded as the home of modern poultry production
23 Herd Mentality
Virginia’s cattle industry shows signs of strength
24 Still Growing Strong
Virginia’s row-crop farmers flex expertise
28 Trees for Tomorrow
Forest industry focuses on sustainability, reforestation efforts
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
virginia Agriculture 2013
Emerging Industries 32 High Growth for Grapes
Virginia ranks fifth among wine grape-growing states
35 The Country Air
From farm vacations to educational tours, agritourism connects visitors with rural Virginia
36 More than Pretty
Virginia horticulture industry protects environment, improves water quality
38 Finding Their Niche
Specialty crops take root in Virginia
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Local Food 40 Going Local
Virginia consumers enjoy the state’s diverse agriculture products
43 From the Farm to the Lunchroom
Farm to School program promotes healthy food, promotes state farmers
Economic Development 44 Expanding Exports
International trade for Virginia’s agricultural products continues to flourish
47 Granting Opportunities
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Governor focuses on agriculture and forestry as economic development tools
On the Cover Three generations of the Myers family run Walk Up Holsteins, a Rockingham County dairy. PHOTO BY LOGAN WALLACE
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A LOOK INSIDE
Visit us online at
VAagriculture.com FARMING ROOTS
Our
Welcome to
FOUNDING Farmers Early Virginia settlers paved the way for modern agriculture industry
Virginia’s rich history in agricultural
production dates back to the first settlement in America. Early colonists’ cultivation and livestock production led to the growing of peanuts and vegetables in the East Coast’s rich soil, the poultry and cattle in the north and central parts of the state, and the international trade of tobacco. “Tobacco was one of, if not, the first exports from the colonies,” says Elaine Lidholm, director of communications for the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services in Richmond, Va. “They sent it from Jamestown to England.” The golden leaf today is still heavily traded by tobacco companies, widely used by consumers and taxed heavily by the states and federal government. “Virginia’s current tobacco industry can trace its roots back to the Commonwealth’s role as an agricultural powerhouse from the 17th century onwards,” says Caroline Legros, school program coordinator with the Virginia Historical Society in Richmond. “John Rolfe’s experimentation with different varieties of the crop helped shape the future of Virginia’s tobacco industry. Rolfe and his Powhatan advisors could be credited with helping the colony become one of England’s most powerful agricultural holdings.” Early agriculture helped the Jamestown settlers persevere because they could grow food to feed themselves. “The climate was kind; the rivers, oceans and land were teeming with food,” Lidholm says. “And the Native Americans taught the settlers a great deal about cultivating plants.” The Frontier Culture Museum in Staunton, VA, gives visitors into the history of farm life from all over the world; from Africa to Ireland to Germany to the United States.
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Edition
The special tablet edition is designed especially for use on iPads and other tablet devices.
VIRGINIA AGRICULTURE Dear R eader:
It is my great privilege to welcome you to the inaugural edition of Virginia Agriculture, a magazine devoted to Virginia’s No. 1 industry – agriculture. We hope that this is the first of many annual issues to come. It probably will not surprise you to learn that agriculture is our state’s No. 1 industry. It delivers $55 billion to the state’s economy each year, and along with our sister industry of forestry, that total goes up to $79 billion. Agriculture not only is a big industry, it is a varied one. We certainly are not a one-product state. In fact, we had trouble deciding what photograph to put on the cover. We decided to show one of our multi-generational families to represent the strong legacy of Virginia farming. We know how to work, we know how to save, we believe in a strong family unit, we give back to the community, we maintain traditional values, and we relish the fresh air and open spaces that our farms give us. At the same time, we keep our eyes on the future and embrace technological innovation. From the seashore to the mountains, from the urban corridors to the most remote regions, we have tried to give at least a glimpse of all aspects of Virginia agriculture in this first issue. But if you don’t find your favorite commodity or product listed, don’t despair. We will feature additional products, people and areas in another issue. I hope you enjoy this publication, and I look forward to speaking to you again in future issues. Sincerely,
2013
VIRGINIA AGRICULTURE
Matthew J. Lohr Commissioner Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Visit us online at
VAagriculture.com
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overview
Virginia Agriculture A deeper look into the state’s largest industry Agriculture means big
business for Virginia. As the largest industry in the state, agriculture has an annual economic impact of $55 billion and provides more than 357,000 jobs in the Commonwealth. Combined with the forestry industry, the two sectors provide a $79 billion value to the state economy. About 32 percent of the total Virginia land area is covered in rich, fertile farmland, representing 7.95 million acres and 46,400 farms. These mostly family-owned farms produce the state’s top agricultural commodities including broilers (chickens for meat), cattle and calves, dairy products, turkeys, and greenhouse and nursery. The average farm size for each, in 2011, was 171 acres. Virginia’s top agricultural commodity, broilers, ranks the state at No. 9 in the country for production. With more than 800 chicken farms and six major poultry processing companies like Perdue Farms and Tyson Foods in Virginia, the industry employs more than 10,000 people. In 2011, the state produced 243.8 million broilers, which equates to 1.29 billion pounds of meat. Turkeys are also part of the poultry industry, with Virginia ranking fifth in the nation in turkey
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Virginia Agriculture
production. Rockingham County, located in the northern part of the state, holds the title as the country’s third largest turkey-producing county. The Shenandoah Valley is the top poultry region in the state with approximately 550 chicken farms and 280 turkey farms. Other top livestock in Virginia include beef and dairy cattle. At the beginning of 2012, Virginia was home to 1.49 million head of cattle, representing a $1.415 billion industry. The state also ranks 16th among all states for hogs, with a market value in 2011 of $191 million. Along with poultry and livestock, horses also play a significant role in agriculture. Annually, the equine industry generates $65.3 million in state and local taxes, and Virginia is home to 215,000 horses and 41,000 horse operations. Forestry represents a booming business as well. The state’s forest products industry has an annual economic impact of $27.5 billion each year, and the state’s forested land represents more than 60 percent of the total land mass. Virginia-harvested timber is commonly used for traditional uses – construction, furniture production, pulp and paper, boxes, pallets and wood pellets for heating – both home and abroad.
virginia is home to 22 forests that range in size from 121 acres to more than 19,000 acres.
Virginia’s poultry industry represents an
$8 billion
economic impact for the state.
Nearly 1,200 horse shows and events were held in Virginia in 2010, generating $25 million in revenue for the state.
What’s Online Access more agriculture facts at VAagriculture.com.
the state’s top five agricultural commodities, based on 2011 cash receipts, are:
1. Broilers
Broilers (chickens raised for meat consumption) are the top ag commodity in the state, representing $602.1 million in cash receipts in 2011.
2. Cattle and Calves
As of Jan. 1, 2012, Virginia is home to 1.49 million head of cattle, with a $1.415 billion value of inventory. More than 25,000 Virginia farms have cattle.
3. Milk
The sale of wholesale milk totaled $395.2 million in 2011. The top dairy-producing counties in Virginia are Rockingham, Franklin and Augusta.
4. TurkeYs
In 2011, Virginia poultry growers raised 17.5 billion turkeys, with a $313.9 million value of production. Virginia is home to more than 285 farms that raise turkeys.
5. Nursery and Greenhouse The nursery industry yielded $266.9 million in cash receipts for 2011 and represents more than 11,000 acres across Virginia.
Agriculture and forestry have a combined total economic impact of
$79 billion In 2011, Virginia was home to 46,400 farms, which represents 7.95 million acres in farmland.
Every one job in agriculture and forestry supports 1.5 additional jobs for Virginians.
In 2011, Virginia produced 7,728 tons of wine grapes and had 2,774 grapebearing acres.
The average virginia farm size is
171 acres.
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Farming roots
Our
Founding Farmers Early Virginia settlers paved the way for modern agriculture industry Virginia’s rich history in agricultural
production dates back to the first settlement in America. Early colonists’ cultivation and livestock production led to the growing of peanuts and vegetables in the East Coast’s rich soil, the poultry and cattle in the north and central parts of the state, and the international trade of tobacco. “Tobacco was one of, if not, the first exports from the colonies,” says Elaine Lidholm, director of communications for the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services in Richmond, Va. “They sent it from Jamestown to England.” The golden leaf today is still heavily traded by tobacco companies, widely used by consumers and taxed heavily by the state and federal government. “Virginia’s current tobacco industry can trace its roots back to the Commonwealth’s role as an agricultural powerhouse from the 17th century onwards,” says Caroline Legros, school program coordinator with the Virginia Historical Society in Richmond. “John Rolfe’s experimentation with different varieties of the crop helped shape the future of Virginia’s tobacco industry. Rolfe and his Powhatan advisors could be credited with helping the colony become one of England’s most powerful agricultural holdings.” Early agriculture helped the Jamestown settlers persevere because they could grow food to feed themselves. “The climate was kind; the rivers, oceans and land were teeming with food,” Lidholm says. “And the Native Americans taught the settlers a great deal about cultivating plants.” Visitors to the Frontier Culture Museum in Staunton, Va., experience the history of farm life.
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Photo courtesy of Virginia Historical Society 2000.186.93
Virginia’s tobacco industry can trace its roots back all the way to the original colonies. To learn more, visit the Virginia Historical Society website at vahistorical.org.
Those survival skills and education also led to hog and beef production used domestically and internationally today. “Virginia ham is still famous around the world, as is Smithfield ham,” Lidholm says. “To be called Smithfield ham, a ham must be cured within the city limits of Smithfield, Va., for six months.” The large kernelled, Virginia-type peanuts grown by Eastern farmers are widely sought by today’s American consumers. Strawberries, too, gained popularity thanks to the Commonwealth. “The common cultivar of today’s modern strawberry came from the virginius strawberry that grew in the wild here during the time of the settlement of Jamestown,” Lidholm says.
Washington’s Legacy
The first president of the United States spearheaded innovative farming practices and exploratory research. “George Washington knew that, as a man of means, he had the luxury to experiment with crops,” says Melissa Wood, director of media relations for Washington’s Mount Vernon home. “Some Virginia farmers in the 18th century were not as fortunate. Washington’s advances in agriculture helped to establish a strong foundation for today’s farmers.” Back in the 1760s, Washington began keeping records of crop plantings, something farmers are required to do today. According to information from Mount Vernon, his strict documentation became so precise that he often asked himself what he could do to improve production and increase profits, two important aspects that modern farmers apply today. His record-keeping also led to innovations in agriculture, and he researched more than 60 different crops on his 8,000-acre estate.
Washington’s inquisitive nature influenced today’s agriculture. Extensive research is conducted on campuses and farms by Cooperative Extension personnel at land-grant universities.
Early Ag Visionaries
Washington wasn’t the only Founding Father to analyze agriculture. Thomas Jefferson, principal author of the Declaration of Independence and third president of the United States, also conducted his own farming research in Charlottesville, Va. He converted a 3,000-acre tobacco plantation to grains, garden vegetables and fruit, according to the Thomas Jefferson Encyclopedia. At one time, he grew about 330 different varieties of more than 70 plants. Thanks to this early research, Virginia’s agriculture, as well as that of the United States, was ready to advance by the 1800s. Inventor Cyrus McCormick, born in the state’s Shenandoah Valley, built a mechanical reaper that shortened grain harvest time and cut down on labor. He patented his invention in 1834 and introduced his machine to the grain growers of the Midwest. These great men’s forward-thinking paved the way for today’s foreign trade, crop rotation and application of future mechanical planters and harvesters for use in tobacco, grain, grapes, peanuts and other crops. “Jefferson and Washington personified the ideal of a genteel Virginia planter of the 18th century, and their experimentation with different agricultural techniques and non-native species helped diversify Virginia’s flora,” Legros says. “McCormick’s work with the mechanical reaper set the pace for the industrialization in the 19th century and changed the way many farmers plied their trade.” – Rocky Womack VAagriculture.com
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Farming roots
I think it’s extremely important to protect and preserve our farmland, not only for the people but also the animals, and wildlife and waterways.
– Nancy Richardson
photography by Jeff s. Otto
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Ensuring Their Future Programs are in place to ensure Virginia’s farmlands remain vital
Nancy R ichardson doesn’t have to peer
deep into the future to understand the importance of protecting her Northampton County farmland from development. She only needs to look out her kitchen window. “It’s beautiful here, and I love it,” says Richardson, who owns the nearly 300-acre Mill Creek Farm near Cape Charles. “We look out on Mill Creek and Magothy Bay, and I have a view from my kitchen of Mockhorn Island, which is one of the barrier islands that protects the peninsula. I lovingly call it mine.” Richardson’s family has owned Mill Creek Farm since her late husband’s parents bought the property in 1945. After she and her husband married, they moved into the farm’s Civil War-era home in 1958. Richardson’s husband passed away in 1992, but she still lives in the home, and her son, Bruce Richardson, manages the farm. To preserve it, Richardson worked with the Virginia Outdoors Foundation and Land Trust of Virginia to enter her property in a conservation easement, thus preventing it from ever being sold to developers. “This was a wonderful opportunity to preserve our farmland,” Richardson says. “It was a win-win situation for our family.”
State’s Top Industry
Preserving farms like Richardson’s is of utmost importance to Kevin Schmidt, coordinator for the Office
of Farmland Preservation in the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. “The loss of farms is definitely a growing concern,” says Schmidt, whose office uses several programs and tools to help farm owners understand the importance of farmland preservation. “It’s hard to get a handle on the numbers and the acres (of farms being lost), but more and more, we’re having concerns with land not staying as agricultural use.” Schmidt points to a report that shows the state’s agriculture industry accounts for more than 500,000 jobs and more than 10 percent of employment. Every job created in agriculture or forestry results in another oneand-a-half jobs. “The economic contribution of agriculture in Virginia is pretty extensive,” Schmidt says. “It’s still the No. 1 industry here.”
aging farm population
Among reasons cited for the loss of working farm and forested land is the fact that farmers are getting older. A 2007 Census of Agriculture shows the average age of Virginia farmers is just over 58 years, and many of those are retiring without a family member to take over the farm. To help offset that trend, the Office of Farmland Preservation uses a program known as the Virginia Farm Link. It’s designed to help established farmers, as well as
Mill Creek Farm near Cape Charles, Va., has been owned by the generations of the Richardson family since 1945. The current owners are Bruce Richardson, who farms the land, his mother Nancy, who lives on the property, and his siblings Eve and Chris.
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The entire Mill Creek farm sits in a Natural Heritage Resource Conservation Site, and the property includes farmland, forested migratory bird habitat and wetlands.
beginners, find opportunities for better production. The OFP also introduced a new initiative in the summer of 2012 known as the Certified Farm Seeker program, which provides individuals seeking farming opportunities with tools to possibly find and purchase farmland. “This program gets to the scenario where someone would like to get into agriculture, but doesn’t have the family farm, or they’d like to expand their agriculture operation, and are trying to figure out where that land base is going to come from,” Schmidt says. “It’s a really interesting concept, and I’m excited to see what happens. But it’s a young program and could take a while.”
100-year-old farms
In addition, Schmidt’s office maintains the Century Farm program, which recognizes farms in Virginia that have been owned by the same family for at least 100 consecutive years. The farm must also be lived on, or farmed by, a descendent of the original owner. The program lists
more than 1,200 farms, representing 95 counties and cities. “The further we go on in time, the less you’re going to see the multigenerational farms of 100-plus years,” Schmidt says. “But when they come in to get on the list, it’s always neat to see the kind of background information they provide and to hear about their farms.” Even though Richardson’s Mill Creek Farm doesn’t yet qualify for the Century Farm list, it’s still a classic representation of the Virginia farming legacy. Crops grown on the 136 acres of cleared farmland include soybeans, corn, wheat and white potatoes, among others. There are 100 acres of forest and 50 acres of marsh. “I think it’s extremely important to protect and preserve our farmland, not only for the people but also the animals, and wildlife and waterways,” Richardson says. “I have three grandsons and a granddaughter, and they all love to fish and hunt, and it pleases me that they’ll always be able to do that and their children will as well.” – John McBryde VAagriculture.com
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top commodities
Poultry
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Virginia Agriculture
Virginia highly regarded as the home of modern poultry production Virginia is home to a
photography by todd bennett
thriving poultry industry that has an economic impact of more than $8 billion, according to a study by the U.S. Poultry and Egg Association. With its rich history in poultry, it’s no surprise that six processing companies and 1,100 farm families have flocked to the state. Broilers, turkeys and eggs all rank among the top 10 agricultural commodities for Virginia, and the state ranks ninth nationally for broilers and fifth in turkey production. What’s more, all this success in the poultry industry means more jobs for Virginians, directly providing more than 13,480 jobs and indirectly contributing to employment for 41,710 people. “The biggest reason Virginia is such a strong poultry-producing state s our positive business climate, as we have elected leaders who understand the economic importance of agriculture,” says Hobey Bauhan, president of the Virginia Poultry Federation.
Home to Modern Poultry
Poultry processing and production have a storied history in the region,
with many contending that the modern U.S. poultry industry was born in the Shenandoah Valley during the early 1900s. Bauhan explains that a man from Harrisonburg, Charles W. Wampler, Sr., is considered the father of the modern poultry industry for his experiments using large-scale hatcheries and confinement systems. “That led to the modern poultry industry where poultry are raised in climate-controlled barns designed to maximize health and welfare by providing a nutritious diet, fresh water, good bedding material and a good ventilation system,” Bauhan says. Because of these technological advances, today’s farmers are able to use less than two pounds of feed to grow one pound of chicken, compared to five pounds of feed per pound of chicken in the past. It once took 14 weeks to grow three pounds of chicken. Now, farmers can grow a four-and-a-half pound chicken in less than six weeks. “These increases are all a result of scientific research, improved genetics, improvements in diet and advances in husbandry,” says Bauhan.
Craig Miller, a poultry producer in Harrisonburg, Va., checks on turkeys that are just days old.
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Poultry industry has an economic impact of more than
$8B
.
virginia’s poultry industry includes six major processing companies and 1,100 farm families.
Innovation and advances to improve yields are necessary to produce enough poultry products to feed the world. According to the United Nations, the world will need to double food production by the year 2050 to feed its growing population. Virginia’s poultry producers can help meet that challenge and grow into the future by developing access to the growing export market, Bauhan says.
Vertical Integration
Bauhan also credits Virginia’s expanding poultry industry to the development of vertical integration. Vertical integration is where a poultry processing company owns the poultry, the hatchery, the feed mill, the fleet of trucks and the processing plant. The processor employs service staff, veterinarians, nutritionists and others to work with the contract growers, who are independent family farmers. One farmer who enjoys the benefits
of such an arrangement is Craig Miller, owner and operator of a turkey and beef operation outside Harrisonburg. “Since we are integrated, it takes quite a bit of the risk out of it for me,” Miller says. “It’s an industry where we pretty much know from year to year close to what we’re going to make. There is no other agricultural commodity in the state that offers that protection.” Miller raises hens, which he receives and begins to care for on the day they hatch. He keeps the birds for 88 to 90 days until they are about 16 pounds. Miller, a former teacher, has been farming full time since 1988, and has witnessed many innovations in poultry production. “The biggest change in the past 10 years has been computers,” Miller says. “The computer totally controls the environment that they’re in, including the temperature and the ventilation.” Having the computer to carefully
The poultry industry directly provides more than 13,480 jobs and indirectly contributes to employment for 41,710 people. Virginia has more than
800 285
chicken farms and more than
turkey farms.
Home to more than 285 turkey farms, Virginia ranks fifth nationally for turkey production.
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monitor the environment for optimum conditions takes much of the guesswork out of raising the birds and allows Miller to focus on the turkeys themselves. “I really do enjoy raising turkeys, and it’s nice to be able to go in when you make your checks and be able to just observe what the turkeys are actually doing and seeing how they feel,” he says.
Environmental Concern
In addition to caring for his birds, Miller is also focused on the environment, implementing sound practices on his farm, including a system to capture 30 percent of the rainwater coming off of the poultry houses to halt erosion. “I’ve always tried to be really progressive as far as environmental issues,” Miller says. “I want to make sure our farm looks good and I’m doing the right things for the environment.” – Hannah Thompson
Virginia’s poultry industry is:
• Nearly 1,100 family farms • Directly and indirectly supporting nearly 42,000 jobs in Virginia • Producing an affordable, wholesome source of protein to help meet growing nutritional requirements in the U.S. and around the world • Contributing more than $8 billion to Virginia’s economy Virginia Poultry Federation members are proud to produce the finest poultry products anywhere and doing so in harmony with Virginia’s natural resources. www.vapoultry.com Like us on Facebook
at www.facebook.com/VirginiaPoultryFederation
grow, cook, eat, learn
Serving up recipes, tips and food for thought
farmflavor.com
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top commodities
Herd Mentality
Virginia’s cattle industry shows signs of strength
and if we do, we identify it quickly and respond to it efficiently.” Perhaps the industry’s top concern is the fact that farmers and owners are getting older and, as a result, an increasing amount of farmland is being sold to developers. “The pressures of land value and land use do make farmland more and more valuable and susceptible to development,” says Jason Carter, executive director of the Virginia Cattlemen’s Association. “Beef production is a land-extensive operation.” The VCA helps promote the state’s beef business and animal agriculture, and in recent years, it has also played an important role as an advocate for the industry in legislative circles and on policy issues. “We have a strong membership,” Carter says, “and we’re looking to continue to evolve our services.” The dairy industry in Virginia is also in good shape, accounting for an estimated $960 million in economic activity in 2011, according to USDA statistics. Milk is the state’s third-largest agricultural commodity. VDACS also contributes to growth in both beef and dairy, through its livestock marketing services and dairy services. In the efforts to promote the state’s strong future in the beef and dairy industries, Virginia Tech has an extensive dairy science program, for both undergraduate and graduate students. The school’s Dairy Cattle Center is located on 600 acres of land, with some 400 head of dairy animals. – John McBryde
The top five cattle counties, as of Jan. 1, 2012, are • Rockingham • Augusta • Washington • Wythe • Bedford As of Jan. 1, 2012, Virginia was home to 1.49 million cattle and calves. More than 25,000 Virginia farms have cattle.
Photo by logan wallace
D
espite the challenges from unpredictable weather, high operation costs and potential for diseases, among other factors, Virginia’s beef and dairy cattle industries appear to be on solid footing. That’s the assessment from officials at the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. “We’ve got a solid group of producers with a history of operating multigenerational family farms,” says Dr. Richard Wilkes, state veterinarian with VDACS, “and from that perspective, we’re very strong within all the pressures that everyone has at this time.” The cattle and calves industry is the second largest in the state, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics. “There are the high input costs from feed and fertilizer that make the profit margins more narrow,” Wilkes says, “and, of course, we face all the weather stresses that everyone else has. But with our diverse climate, we’re kind of blessed, compared to states like Kansas or Texas. When they’re dry, they tend to be dry all over. But it’s unusual for us not to have at least a wet spot or two even in a year with a drought.” Virginia’s cattle industry has also not had diseases such as bovine brucellosis and cattle tuberculosis. Wilkes attributes that to VDACS programs in place and industry leaders’ support. “That doesn’t mean we don’t need to continue to be vigilant,” he says, “to be certain that we don’t develop a disease problem,
Walk Up Holsteins is a seventh-generation dairy in Rockingham County.
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top commodities
Still
Growing Strong State’s farmers flex expertise in row-crop production
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Virginia Agriculture
Charles City County
farmer David Black knows the importance of protecting the environment. He and his father, George, farm 1,300 acres of wheat, soybeans and corn on land that was once an American Indian village and one of the sub-tribes of the Powhatan Federation – the tribe of Pocahontas. Black takes seriously the responsibility of nurturing this historical cropland that has been worked continuously for 400 years. Four centuries worth of turning the ground took a toll – evidenced by erosion and diminished top soil. In recent years, the Blacks were able to stabilize these conditions through some agronomic TLC and a generous helping of the latest expertise available. Mindful of
preserving historically rich farmlands, Black and other state farmers are integrating technology with sustainable practices. At first, these two priorities might seem dualistic. On the contrary, what’s good for the environment tends to enhance soil fertility. These Virginia farmers engage in a myriad of actions that benefit both their businesses and Mother Nature. In fact, Virginia row crops have maintained high yields and quality, all while also turning attention to environmental sustainability. In 2011, Virginia’s four principal row crops – corn, soybeans, peanuts and cotton – were valued at $610.8 million, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Peanut harvest in 2012 was expected to grow to 66 million pounds, and cotton had a top quality year, based on staple length, according to Gail Moody Milteer, marketing specialist for the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Science. The proximity of the cottongrowing region to the Norfolk port allows for easy exportation to countries like Turkey, Mexico and Vietnam, Milteer says. As for the two remaining crops, in 2012, corn producers picked 103 bushels per acre, totaling 36.1 million bushels statewide, as reported by USDA. About 24.4 million bushels of soybeans were harvested on more than 580,000 acres. This attention to both yield and the environment is made easier
Charles City County farmer David Black sprays a crop field.
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outheastern Cotton Ginners Association, Inc.
Representing cotton growers and ginners in the Southeast states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. For more information, visit www.southern-southeastern.org.
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Virginia Agriculture
through programs like the Agricultural Stewardship Act. ASA addresses water quality issues, with solutions that work for both the farmer and the environment, says Darrell Marshall, director of the ASA program. Additionally, the ASA seeks “to educate all parties involved regarding best management practices.” Black has found the ASA services helpful, including guidance on cover cropping, education on newer technology, grid soil sampling, assistance with precision fertilization and installing vegetative buffers. The primary sustainable technique Black uses is no-till cropping. This simple technique has dramatically halted the loss of top soil. As the name suggests, no-till disturbs the soil minimally. “We started using it as a financial alternative,” Black explains, citing the labor savings generated from this zero-prep planting method. As time went on, the advantages bloomed prolifically, as did crop yields. “No-till helps with water retention, it increases organic matter and the number of earthworms,” he explains. “It cuts in half the amount of traffic on the field.” These techniques require just three pieces of equipment throughout the season: a planter, a sprayer and a combine. Before, Black used to plow once, disk twice and then plant. Reduced traffic means labor and fuel savings, reduced emissions and fewer soil compaction issues. “Approximately 600,000 Virginia grain acres are currently in ‘continuous no-till’ practice,” says Ben Rowe, communications director
VIRGINIA AGRICULTURE
for the Virginia Grain Producers Association. “This practice has reduced soil erosion by 44 percent since the 1990s.” “It’s a win-win for everybody. We are very close to a zero sediment loss,” Black adds. “The East cannot afford to lose any more top soil.” Another conservation practice, cover cropping, has grown in popularity among Virginia farmers. “Cover crops provide soil cover that helps prevent soil erosion and reduces leaching into groundwater,” Rowe says. Some Virginia growers take advantage of biotechnological advances like seed coatings. Compared to conventional seeds, Rowe cites biotech crop yields can be significantly higher and mature faster. Biotech seeds offer resistance to diseases, pests and drought. All this means fewer sprays and less fuel. Rowe praises Virginia’s agricultural improvements over the last several decades. Using corn as one example, Rowe explains, “Thanks to innovative technology and improved seed, Virginia’s grain producers have improved their yields by over 100 bushels per acre since 1930 on over 20 percent less land. Since the 1980s, [they have] decreased fertilizer needed to grow a bushel of corn by 36 percent.” Looking forward, Black believes that “the next 10 years will be extremely interesting in our ability to improve the land. There are some cool, neat things with precision ag technology that are moving fast.” – Patti Orton
Cotton is a top row crop for Virginia, and the state’s proximity to ports creates export opportunities.
David Black and his father, George, farm corn, soybeans and wheat in Charles City County, Va.
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• A GUIDE TO THE COMMONWEALTH’S FARMS, FOOD AND FORESTRY •
Learning From Its Legacy
11253 General Mahone Hwy. P.O. Box 538 Wakefield, VA 23888
Virginia’s ag history cultiVates the future of farming
Sponsored by the Virginia Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services // www.VAagriculture.com // 2013
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top commodities
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Virginia Agriculture
Trees for
Tomorrow Forest industry focuses on sustainability, reforestation efforts
photo by Jeff S. Otto
The nearly 16 million acres
of forestland in Virginia create a beautiful landscape. But those acres also provide significant economic benefits through timberland production and the industries that depend on it. That economic impact in the state is estimated at $27.5 billion each year. According to Charles Becker, utilization and marketing manager for the Virginia Department of Forestry (DOF), the forest products industry in the state has a long and proud tradition dating back to Jamestown, when the wood was used for shipbuilding and construction. Today, the timber has a myriad of additional uses, including furniture production, pulp and paper, boxes, pallets, shipping crates and wood pellets for heating. Becker explains that nearly threequarters of the state’s forestland is made up of hardwoods, such as oaks and poplar, most of that in western Virginia and the mountainous areas. The southern and eastern parts of the state produce more softwoods, like pines and other conifers. In addition, a unique area in southwest
Virginia has long been known for the quality of its white pine. “The traditional products are still the backbone of the forestry industry,” says Becker, who works to develop markets for Virginia foresters. “But we are also exporting more timber to countries like China, for instance. And we are always exploring new opportunities and new products. Ten years ago, we didn’t have any plants producing wood pellets, and now we have eight or nine in the state. Cross-laminated timber, which is using lumber to make large panels that can substitute for concrete walls, has become popular in Canada and Europe and is a new opportunity for us.”
Growing Partnerships
Managing the forestland is critical to ensuring that many of these environmental and economic benefits continue, says Harvey Darden, director of state lands for the Virginia DOF. “We want to make sure we have forests and timber for future generations, which means they need to be managed sustainably,” he says.
Norman Pate procures high-quality hardwood timber for Augusta Lumber, to be used in furniture or flooring.
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The DOF has several initiatives in place to do that. First, is the state lands program, which includes managing 68,000 acres of state forests and growing nearly 28 million seedlings at state nurseries. The programs, explains Darden, are self-supporting and receive no tax dollars. The 22 state forests, which each have a 10-year management plan, harvest timber and sell it like the state’s private landowners do. State nurseries grow more than 2 million hardwood seedlings and 25 million loblolly pine trees, 99 percent of which are sold to the public for reforestation purposes.
the same number of seedlings as the number of trees that were used to make their products,” Darden explains. Belfort Furniture and Plow & Hearth, a home and outdoor living retailer, make similar efforts, donating two times the number of trees used to produce their catalogs. Paper companies like New Page and Glatfelter donate funds for seedlings. “We need to be growing more wood than we harvest,” Becker says. “And good forest management practices and efforts like these by the industry ensure we have sustainable working forests for the future.”
corporate outreach
Managing for the Future
Furniture makers and paper companies that use the forest for their products also play a role in protecting this valuable natural resource. For instance, VaughanBassett Furniture Company has initiated a one-for-one program. “The company contributes funds to purchase seedlings that are then given away. This is a way that they commit to replenish the forest, by contributing
Norman Pate is a procurement forester with Augusta Lumber, a division of American Hardwood Industries. He travels across the state buying quality poplar and oak tracts. The quality hardwood timber is used by his company to make flooring and furniture. He describes the importance of efforts like SHARP certification, which is a part of the forest
Nearly three-quarters of the state’s forestland is made up of hardwoods, such as oaks and poplar.
$27.5 Billion
The Virginia forestry industry employs
144,000 people.
sustainability initiative. Pate explains that it is an educational program administered by Virginia Tech and hosted by mills. “By teaching loggers how to cut logs for better grade, you create more efficiencies and less wasted product,” Pate says. In the mountainous areas, where they don’t have the concern about hurricanes damaging trees, select cutting is also done as a way to make the most of the timber resource. “It’s a process where you go out and cut selected mature hardwood trees out of a stand,” Pate says. “This allows the suppressed trees to become the dominant trees, which then can be cut in 15 to 20 years.” Forestry management practices like this and the many other efforts of both private and public sectors create a strong industry in Virginia. “We have a good growing resource in the state,” Pate says, “and a lot of people who are committed to keeping it that way.” – Cathy Lockman
Virginia has nearly 16 million acres of forestland, which represents 62% of the state’s land mass.
Annual economic impact of the forestry industry
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Emerging Industries
High Growth for
Grapes
photography by todd bennett
Virginia ranks fifth among wine grape-growing states
Luca Paschina, winemaker and general manager at Barboursville Vineyards in Charlottesville, says that wine grapes grow well in Virginia.
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More than 400 years after English settlers first tried – and for the most part failed – to cultivate grapes in Virginia, the wine industry now ranks among the state’s fastestgrowing economic sectors, capturing the attention of industry leaders and tourists alike. The last three years have been particularly defining for the state’s vineyards and winemakers, says Virginia Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Todd Haymore. Wine Enthusiast magazine named Virginia one of the 10 best wine travel destinations in the world for 2012 – citing the state’s picturesque landscapes, rich history and affable winemakers. The state also held an inaugural Wine Summit in 2012. About 1.6 million people visited Virginia’s wineries in 2010, up from just more than 1 million in 2009, according to Haymore. Sales of Virginia wine reached an all-time high in fiscal year 2012, selling almost 485,000 cases. Sales outside of Virginia also increased by 39 percent. Virginia now boasts more than 200 wineries and is the fifth-largest wine grape producer in the nation. The wine industry contributes almost $750 million annually to the state’s economy, up about 106 percent from 2005, according to an economic impact study commissioned by the Virginia Wine Board. “We are having one of those significant climbs that has not only put us on the national scene, but the international scene as well,” Haymore says. “It all starts with the outstanding product the grape growers and winemakers are making at the wineries.” Virginia’s landscape and climate is “generally conducive to growing high-quality fruit,” says Tony Wolf,
a professor and viticulture extension specialist at Virginia Tech. In 2010, vinifera varieties made up about 76 percent of Virginia’s grape acreage, with Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon among the most abundant. Hybrids like Chambourcin and Vidal Blanc made up about 16 percent of acreage, followed by American varieties such as Concord and Niagara, which accounted for about 7 percent of the acreage, according to state data. The grape growing season starts in late March or early April and runs through late August to mid-October, Wolf says. Most of Virginia’s soils have adequate water-holding capacity and nutrient content to support grape growth. But soil type is “relatively unimportant” compared with climate, Wolf says. Luca Paschina, winemaker and general manager at Barboursville Vineyards in Charlottesville, agrees. “Grapes are not very demanding when it comes to soil,” Paschina says. “We have a long growing season, and most grapes do well in regions that have enough sunshine and warm temperatures.” But the same Virginia weather that supports grape growth can also turn on a moment’s notice and provide a challenging environment, Wolf says. Extreme heat or cold, extended dry periods, strong winds and higher than normal rainfall can all impact grape quality, he says. Virginia is home to seven American Viticultural Areas (AVA) – North Fork of Roanoke, Monticello, Northern Neck George Washington Birthplace, Rocky Knob, Virginia’s Eastern Shore, Middleburg and Shenandoah Valley. Barboursville Vineyards sits in the Monticello AVA, which has the state’s highest concentration of wineries.
The staff at Barboursville grow 15 different grape varieties, but they focus mostly on Viognier, Cabernet Franc and Merlot.
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Italian-born Paschina came to Barboursville in 1991 after working for years in Italy and California. The longtime winemaker likens the growing season in the central Virginia region to that of his native Piemonte, a renowned winegrowing region in Italy. Fifteen varieties of grapes grow among Barboursville Vineyard’s 170 acres of vines, although the winemaker says they are most focused on Viognier, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. The area’s red clay soil is nutrientrich and provides water storage capacity to help cope with frequently dry summers, Paschina says. With the recent push to not only increase production but improve wine quality, Virginia’s wine industry sits poised for an exciting future, Paschina says. State leaders have taken an active role in driving this focus, Haymore says. During his 2009 campaign, Gov. Bob McDonnell made expansion of the wine industry a top economic development platform. Once in office, McDonnell successfully pushed through a budget amendment that requires all money – rather than just a portion – collected through the state’s wine liter tax to go back to the Virginia Wine Board for marketing, research and education. As part of their efforts to promote the industry, McDonnell and his wife, along with Barboursville Vineyards and the Virginia Wine Board, planted 10 Chambourcin vines at the governor’s mansion in March 2011. The project was a nod to one of the first laws passed by the House of Commons in 1619 requiring all male colonists to plant 10 grapevines. Grapes harvested from the Executive Mansion will be combined with fruit from Barboursville Vineyards and other wineries across the state to create a blended red wine in celebration of the mansion’s 200th anniversary in 2013. Paschina calls it a “very meaningful project” that has brought together a number of people invested in the future of Virginia’s wine industry. – Juliann Vachon
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The popularity of tasting rooms makes the wine industry a top agritourism focus for Virginia.
In 2011, the wine industry contributed almost
$750M 106% to the state’s economy, up about
2,600 acres in Virginia were used for grape production in 2011, with a yield of 2.65 tons per acre.
from 2005.
Virginia now boasts more than 200 wineries. The state is the fifth-largest wine grape producer in the nation. About 1.6 million people visited Virginia’s wineries in 2010, a significant increase from 2009.
Emerging Industries
The Country Air
From farm vacations to educational tours, agritourism connects visitors with rural Virginia
A
fter years of entertaining relatives on her 25-acre farm in Fauquier County, Karla Seidita felt confident that the country air, home cooking and laid-back atmosphere that had long rejuvenated her loved ones would appeal to the general public as well. Seidita opened the Bed, Barn & Breakfast at Cheesecake Farms about a year ago, and now offers the farm-stay experience for a living. She serves up homemade country cuisine made with local ingredients – many of them grown on site. Visitors can work in the farm’s gardens, visit three horses, take a cooking class taught by Seidita – a retired commercial baker – pan for gold in a lazy stream running through the property, visit nearby Civil War battlefields and wineries, or simply enjoy the peace and quiet. Guests will not, however, find TVs, Internet connections or even phones in their rooms. “Guests come here and they’re all wound up and they don’t even realize it,” she says. “It’s just incredible what a couple days of relaxation with good food and fresh air can do for someone.” Seidita is one of many farm owners who use agricultural tourism – or agritourism – to connect their love of agriculture with a business educating and catering to consumers. A variety of agritourism ventures exist in Virginia, including farm tours, farm and forestry museums and historical sites, pick-your-own farms and orchards, farmers’ markets, food festivals, sites
Cheesecake Farms offers visitors a relaxed, rural experience.
for farm weddings, Christmas tree farms, pumpkin patches and microbreweries. Patty Leonard and her family found their niche offering group and school tours of their working dairy farm in Midland. The Leonards began CowsN-Corn, an educational farm experience, in 2001 on their Al-Mara Farm, which has been in the family since the 1930s. Visitors can take a narrated hayride through the dairy farm, get up-close views of the cows, do hands-on activities such as making butter or planting seeds, and try to navigate their way through a corn maze in the fall.
During October, the Leonards open up another of their family farms in Warrenton for haunted hayrides and spooky walks through old, abandoned sites. Many visitors come from the northern Virginia and Washington D.C., areas and want to know more about where their food comes from and how it is grown as the “buy local” movement continues to gain traction nationwide, Leonard says. “No longer does everyone go home in the summertime to visit grandma and grandpa on the farm,” she says. “They want to come out and actually see for themselves how it works.” – Juliann Vachon
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emerging industries
More than Pretty Virginia horticulture industry protects environment, improves water quality Growing and selling trees, shrubs,
Willow Springs Tree Farms in Radford, Va., specializes in evergreen and shade trees. They produce 750-800 trees per acre.
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annuals, perennials, herbs and grasses represent a major industry in Virginia. In fact, there are more than 290 growers and 11,000 acres of nursery production in the state. That’s a lot of green, from the plants themselves to cash generated by the horticulture industry. According to recent statistics, the economic impact of the industry to the state of Virginia is $1.2 billion. As an agricultural commodity, horticulture ranks first in farm-gate value above soybeans. Not bad for an industry that was hardly on the map in terms of farm-gate value a decade ago. Jeff Miller, executive director of the Virginia Nursery and Landscape Association, says there are several reasons for the industry’s growth. “Nearly 55 percent of our membership is landscapeoriented,” he says. “So the housing boom a decade ago created a strong market for nursery products.” Although recent economic conditions have impacted new construction starts and money spent on residential and commercial landscape projects, the interest in plants and their benefits is still growing. That’s because horticulture represents an opportunity to not just beautify the environment, but also to protect it. “We work with the Department of Conservation and Recreation to promote the benefits of using plants to
photography by todd bennett
reduce storm water runoff,” Miller says. “Runoff of nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment pollution to streams, lakes, rivers and the Chesapeake Bay can be greatly reduced with wise use of plants in the landscape.” Landscape design can play an important role in managing the negative effects of runoff and limiting erosion, improving water quality for all Virginians. Miller says landowners can learn more about how plants can make a difference in the environment by visiting plantmoreplants.com or by talking to one of the many experienced Virginia Certified Horticulturists and Virginia Certified Designers. One of those growers is Jim Snyder of Riverbend Nursery in Riner, one of the oldest and largest perennial growers in Virginia. Snyder started his business on 18 acres in 1983. Nearly 30 years later, his operation has grown to 140 acres of more than 1,100 varieties of perennials, groundcovers, herbs and ornamental grasses. That translates into more than 2.5 million containers grown each year and sold mostly to landscape contractors and independent garden centers in the Mid-Atlantic states. Despite challenges to the industry in the past five years, Riverbend has been successful, employing just under 100 people in the peak season, growing quality products and being innovative. “In this industry, you can’t be afraid to try new things,” says Snyder, who launched a line of green roof products five years ago that are custom grown and delivered to the job site ready to be installed as an environmentally friendly and energy efficient building alternative. Willow Springs Tree Farms is a wholesale nursery like Riverbend, but its plants are bigger and take much longer to grow. An evergreen and shade tree grower, Willow Springs is an 800-acre operation owned by Greg Miller, who started the business with his brother in 1973. Today, about 20 percent of Willow Springs’ products are shade trees. The other 80 percent are evergreens, which are balled and burlapped and sold for planting. Greg Miller says on average, they produce 750 to 800 trees per acre and employ 30 or more at the peak of the growing season. The reason for their emphasis on pines, firs and other evergreens, Greg Miller says, is a function of location. “We’re situated at 2,100-feet elevation, which lends itself well to conifer production,” he says. “Most of our land is rolling, which works well for conifers. We grow shade trees on the flatter land.” While a small shade tree is mature enough to sell after three to four years, conifers need a minimum of five years to grow, with many taking 10 to 12 years. The requisite growing time creates different challenges for tree nurseries than for businesses with smaller plants. “Certainly, we are experiencing some of the same economic challenges as the rest of the horticulture industry with the slowdown in housing,” Greg Miller says. “But it takes longer to adjust when you’re growing in the ground with a five- to 12-year cycle. Fortunately, the industry has a strong partner in the Department of Agriculture, which helps promote horticulture in the state and creates high standards for growers.” – Cathy Lockman
From Top: Jim Snyder owns Riverbend Nursery in Riner, Va. The state’s horticulture industry includes trees, annuals, perennials, herbs and more.
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emerging industries
Finding
Niche
Their
Specialty crops take root in Virginia
For hundreds of years,
Despite production practices similar to soybeans intended for animal feed, food-grade soybeans require careful harvest and handling, in order to avoid broken, diseased or stained beans.
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Virginia agriculture has flourished due to the commitment and hard work of people who produce crops in the fields, animals on the farm or foster scientific discovery in the lab. It’s the combination of persistence and perspiration that keeps Virginia producers competitive in the tough global market. By combining these outlets, the state’s crop scene has become increasingly diverse. More Virginia producers are taking advantage of emerging markets by growing new and specialized products. Many have already delved into specialty crop areas and have seen the benefits of being part of a specialized market. With more than 30 years in a specialty crop market, Bryan Taliaferro has seen both the pluses and minuses of being a part of a niche agricultural field.
You have to provide quality products. After all, these are agricultural commodities that are going to end up on someone’s dinner table.
photography by Jeff s. Otto
– bryan Taliaferro
Tom Taliaferro, business manager for Montague Farms in Center Cross, Va., displays some food-grade soybeans. The farm raises nearly 2,000 acres of the crop.
In the late 1980s, Taliaferro began showing interest in food-grade soybeans. Today, Montague Farms grows nearly 2,000 acres of foodgrade soybeans every year, representing about half of the farm’s total crop production acreage. “We have had to adapt and grow ourselves and our knowledge throughout the years.” Taliaferro says. “For instance, we have to pay much closer attention to the quality of our product since it is being used for human consumption. If even a few beans out of the millions of beans we ship in a truckload are slightly offcolor, we have to remove them because our customers expect the best from us and we work to give it to them.” While every specialty crop is unique, a high-quality product is essential – regardless of the type being grown. “Specialty crops are special,” Taliaferro says. “You have to provide
quality products. After all, these are agricultural commodities that are going to end up on someone’s dinner table. This is a whole new level of specifications and restrictions that you have to work with if you want to get involved in a specialty crop field. In order to navigate unfamiliar waters, Taliaferro recommends using every available resource. This includes web resources, contacting the local county extension agent, working with area institutions of higher education or directly with the Virginia Department of Agriculture (VDACS). “We actually entered the soybean field because of a lead from the Virginia Department of Agriculture,” Taliaferro says. “We followed up on the lead and decided it was the field we wanted to be involved in. After that, we worked with the soybean breeding facility at Virginia Tech to find a soybean variety that was just
what the Japanese market was looking for. Those two stars aligned, so to speak, and gave us a chance to get this business started.” Connecting state agriculture producers like Taliaferro with potential buyers is one goal of the new Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development Fund, administered by VDACS. “This Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development Fund attracts business investment and job creation to the state of Virginia,” says Charles Green, VDACS director of marketing and development. “The jobs that are created from smaller agribusinesses are extremely important to the state of Virginia. There are worthy projects that are taking place or could take place, but there wasn’t a state economic program to help those projects along. This fund will help combat this issue.” – Beverley Kreul VAagriculture.com
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Local Food
Going
Virginia consumers enjoy the state’s diverse agriculture products 40
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photo by Jeff S. Otto
Local
Agriculture is already Virginia’s largest
that produce the milk, and people say they can taste the difference in his product. “I’ve had dozens of people say to me, ‘Why does your milk taste so good?’ Smith says. “I tell them, ‘Because it’s fresh, because it’s grass-fed and because it’ll leave the cow on Tuesday and be in the store on Thursday.’” Local products are available all over the state, Lidholm says. The Virginia Grown program, initiated by VDACS, exists to help consumers find local producers. The interactive Virginia Grown website (VirginiaGrown.com) and mobile application allow consumers to find farms, restaurants, farmers markets and CSAs that offer local agriculture products in their region. The Virginia’s Finest Trademark Program highlights top quality Virginia-produced and processed products, including snacks, nuts, cider, meats and produce. Investing in local agriculture products keeps money in the state, Lidholm says. “The Virginia Cooperative Extension Service did a survey that determined that if every household spent $10 a week on locally grown agricultural products, that would invest $1.65 billion back into the local economy each year.” – Jill Clair Gentry
Photo courtesy of Moo Thru LLC/Focus Photography
industry, bringing in more than $55 billion a year. But an exploding new segment could add an additional $1.65 billion to the local economy annually. Local agriculture – products grown and sold in Virginia – is a rising star in the Commonwealth, says Elaine Lidholm, director of communications for the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Many medium-sized farms have opted to decrease acreage and sell directly to the public through agritourism, farmers’ markets and Community Supported Agriculture, and many restaurant owners are going out of their way to buy local produce. Grocery stores – even large chains – have also started marketing local products. “We have been telling people for several years, ask for local food, and if enough people ask, the grocery stores will come up with it,” Lidholm says. In addition to row crops, poultry, dairy and beef cattle, Virginia boasts a wide variety of seafood, aquaculture, produce and specialty products available year round. “The hallmark of agriculture here is diversity,” Lidholm says. “We are not a one-product state. We just have a tremendous variety.” Virginia is tenth in the nation for the number of winter farmers’ markets, and more and more farmers are beginning to raise and sell beef, lamb and specialty meats, such as bison, directly to local consumers. Many farmers, like Steve Berryman of College Run Farms in Surry, are finding the local movement to be a viable business. Berryman and his wife Jordan began growing produce in 1999 after Steve graduated from college. He was raised on a hog and row crop farm, but grain and hog prices were steadily declining, and he decided to explore a new segment of agriculture. Much of the farm’s business today comes from its pick-yourown crops – pumpkins, strawberries and blueberries. “One of the ways people buy locally here is through agritourism. That’s just an exploding sub-segment of the agriculture industry here,” Lidholm says. “It not only gives them a way to buy locally; it also gives them something else, which is a day on the farm, so that’s very popular.” Ken Smith of Remington has been a conventional dairy farmer all his life, but two years ago, he decided to expand into the retail business and sell dairy products directly to the public. “I always said for years that people drive by my farm, and they recognize me as being a dairy farmer, but they didn’t recognize me as being a provider of food and that my products are on their kitchen table each day,” he says. Smith and his family had 350 dairy cows and farmed 2,500 acres of corn and soybeans, but they needed to expand so their children could make a living in the business as well. Just getting more cows wasn’t an option, so Smith thought of a way to diversify the farm while also fulfilling his dream of educating consumers about the importance of dairy farmers in their lives – the Moo Thru. The Moo Thru, located on James Madison Highway in Remington, sells ice cream, milk in glass bottles and milkshakes. Smith raises a herd of 160 grass-fed cows
The Moo Thru in Remington sells ice cream, milk and milkshakes, using milk from the owner’s dairy cattle operation.
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Virginia Agriculture
local food
From the Farm to the Lunchroom
Farm to School program promotes healthy, local food
I
t’s a question as old as time. “How do we get children to eat their vegetables?” Whether it is stuffing broccoli under a napkin or pushing Brussels sprouts across the plate, students have come up with some pretty clever ways to avoid healthy fruits and vegetables at their school lunch. With the alarming rise of childhood obesity and health-care costs, avoiding these foods isn’t the solution. However, local schools throughout Virginia have found one way to get their students eating healthy, while also supporting local producers. In the Farm to School program, local schools connect with area producers to provide fresh, healthy and nutritious produce for school lunches. “Our first priority is our students,” says Andrea Early, executive director for school nutrition with the Harrisonburg school system, which has a fully implemented Farm to School program. “We want kids to eat healthier; that’s our big challenge. We want them to learn to enjoy fruits and vegetables. So, if we can offer them the freshest fruits and vegetables, the ones that are picked at their peak and really delicious, then that is an opportunity to really promote healthy, fresh food to kids.” It is estimated that two-thirds of a child’s nutrition intake is at school. By implementing Farm to School, nutrition and education are elevated. An added bonus is that students learn about the people and farms behind the food,
making for a more gripping story as well as promoting lifelong eating habits and support for the local agricultural economy. “This program is such a huge opportunity to provide support for the local farmer as well,” Early says. “We work to find common ground between the foods accepted by students, needed by the schools and grown by the farmers. So it’s a win-win for everyone. The real take-home message is that the program has to work for everyone involved.” More than 122 million lunches are served in Virginia public schools during the school year. If $0.25 a day per student lunch is devoted to purchasing locally grown Virginia farm products, more than $170,000 will be reinvested into the community daily, according to the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
On an annual basis, more than $30.7 million will be invested into Virginia communities and the economy. This system allows schools to stay within food budgets and provides an additional market for local producers, many of whom have a personal interest in seeing children eat healthy meals. “It’s encouraging to see so many stakeholders working together to effect positive change in the future of our children,” says Leanne DuBois, Virginia Grown Program Manager and state Farm to School Coordinator. “From students, farmers and extension educators to health and wellness organizations, local governments, parents, volunteers, chefs and faith-based groups, it’s a broad spectrum of interest levels who are stepping up to make it happen.” – Beverley Kreul
2/3
of a child’s nutrition intake is at school.
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economic development
Expanding
Exports
International trade for Virginia’s agricultural products continues to flourish
In today’s economy, agribusinesses and
farm operations are encouraged to go global. International export opportunities abound for Virginia agriculture, which in turn generates dollars for the state’s economy. “In 2011, we had a record $2.35 billion in exports, an all-time high,” says Charles Green, director of marketing for the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Compared with some other states, he says Virginia has a diverse portfolio of agricultural products – soybeans, corn, small grains, pork, poultry, grapes, apples, peaches, forestry and aquaculture, to name a few. The state is poised to attract these export opportunities because of its infrastructure, Green says, including trucking and deepwater ports. In addition, CSX and Norfolk Southern railway companies offer rail service, while airports such as Dulles International in the Northern Virginia area have access to high-value products that can be airlifted all over the world.
virginia Goods Around the Globe
Virginia agribusinesses and farmers send their products to a wide selection of countries. In 2011, the top state’s export markets were Morocco,
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Virginia Agriculture
China, Canada, Switzerland and Egypt, according to the Global Trade Information Services. Green believes this strength gives Virginia an edge in the competitive and rapidly expanding business of exporting. For instance, Carter Mountain Orchard in Charlottesville sells a lot of apples, peaches and grapes domestically to local groceries, grocery chain stores and the military, but the family-operated farm has been exporting its products for more than two decades, primarily to Central America, Europe and the Middle East. “We were looking back at some old pictures with the 100-year celebration we just had, and we found a picture of my mom and dad with the first tractor-trailer of export apples from back in the ’80s sometime,” says Cynthia Chiles, retail manager of the orchard, which was founded in 1912. “I’d say in the last 15 to 20 years that market has become much more developed, and there are a lot more opportunities now.” To help establish these markets, the Chiles family has attended trade missions and international buying and selling shows to stay in touch with customers, met with buyers in the targeted countries, sought out Farm Service Agency federal funding and participated in marketing
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activities offered by the Produce Marketing Association and the U.S. Apple Export Council.
about $900,000. By 2011, that sales figure skyrocketed to $65 million.
other top markets
A Statewide Success
The international market continues to evolve for the better. Green says the planned widening of the Panama Canal will provide larger ships access from and to Asia and the U.S. East Coast. “Virginia is poised to be able to take advantage in increasing exports with that widening,” he says. Increasing exports haven’t just been for developed countries. Green says Virginia agricultural products sell to a cornucopia of customers, trading with rapidly expanding economies such as China and seeking out new markets in Latin America. Green says China ranked second in 2011 among countries purchasing agricultural goods from Virginia. He expects the Asian nation to surpass Morocco for the No. 1 spot in 2012, due to its rapid expansion. “A decade ago, they weren’t in the top 10,” he says. As another example, he points to Virginia’s trade with Cuba. The first year that the state was able to trade with Cuba, about a decade ago, Virginia exported goods totaling
No particular Virginia geographic region is singled out as the top area for trade products, Green says. Virginia offers agricultural goods from all over the state, ranging from the grains, pork and vegetables of the East Coast to poultry and apples north in the Shenandoah Valley to cattle in central and southwestern parts of the state. When the export opportunities exist, Green says, farmers can benefit. Figures from the U.S. Department of Agriculture illustrate that, and farmers have noticed. “USDA estimates 30 percent of cash receipts can be tied to farm sales,” Green says. “He or she knows their product will receive greater recognition.” And the benefits reach farther than just the farmers. Increased exports can bring more jobs to Virginia, in the areas of food processing; transportation by rail, ports and air; financing through domestic and international banking sectors; and fumigation of wood products shipped overseas to meet import requirements. – Rocky Womack VAagriculture.com
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VIRGINIA AGRICULTURE 2013 Edition, Volume 1 journal communications inc. Content Director Jessy Yancey Proofreading Manager Raven Petty Content Coordinator Rachel Bertone Contributing Writers Jill Clair Gentry, Beverley Kreul, Cathy Lockman, John McBryde, Patti Orton, Hannah Thompson, Juliann Vachon, Rocky Womack Senior Graphic Designers stacey allis, Laura Gallagher, Jake shores, Kris Sexton, Vikki Williams Graphic Designers erica lampley, kara leiby, kacey passmore Senior Photographers Jeff Adkins, Brian McCord Staff Photographers Martin B.cherry, Michael Conti Color Imaging Technician Alison Hunter Integrated Media Manager Richard kincheloe Ad Production Manager Katie Middendorf Ad Traffic Assistants Krystin Lemmon, Patricia Moisan
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Virginia Poultry Federation
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Virginia 4-H State Office www.4-h.ext.vt.edu
Virginia Apple Growers Association www.virginiaapples.net
Virginia Farm Bureau www.vafarmbureau.org
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Virginia Agriculture
Chairman Greg Thurman President/Publisher Bob Schwartzman Executive Vice President Ray Langen Senior V.P./Operations Casey Hester Senior V.P./Agribusiness Publishing KIm Newsom Holmberg V.P./External Communications Teree Caruthers V.P./Agribusiness Sales Rhonda Graham V.P./Sales Herb Harper Controller Chris Dudley Accounts Receivable Coordinator Diana Guzman Sales Support Project Manager Sara Quint Sales Support Coordinator christina morgan IT Director Daniel Cantrell Web Creative Director Allison Davis Photography Director Jeffrey S. Otto Creative Services Director Christina Carden Creative Technology Analyst Becca Ary Distribution Director Gary Smith
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Virginia Wine Board Marketing
Virginia Agriculture is published annually by Journal Communications Inc. and is distributed by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. For advertising information or to direct questions or comments about the magazine, contact Journal Communications Inc. at (615) 771-0080 or by email at info@jnlcom.com.
VIRGINIA department of agriculture AND CONSUMER SERVICES: Commissioner Matthew J. Lohr Director of Communications Elaine lidholm Special thanks to all Department staff for their support. For more information about the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, contact: Matthew J. Lohr, Commissioner 102 Governor Street, Richmond, VA 23219 (804) 786-3501 or by email at matt.lohr@vdacs.virginia.gov No public funds were used in the publishing of this magazine. Š Copyright 2013 Journal Communications Inc., 725 Cool Springs Blvd., Suite 400, Franklin, TN 37067, (615) 771-0080. All rights reserved. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced in whole or in part without written consent.
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economic development
Granting Opportunities Governor focuses on agriculture and forestry as economic development tools
A
griculture and forestry, Virginia’s two largest industries, have a combined economic impact of $79 billion, according to the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. To support projects within these two industries, the state recently launched a grant program for economic development in agriculture and forestry. In 2012, Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell released guidelines for the Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development (AFID) grant fund, which was part of his jobs creation and economic development agenda.
grants for agribusinesses
The AFID program is funded at $2 million over a two-year period. Larger grants are used to attract new or expanding processing or value-added facilities that use Virginia-grown products. Smaller grants assist localities in improving their economic development efforts related to agriculture and forestry. Through this grant, Governor McDonnell and Todd Haymore, Virginia’s Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry, want to give domestic
economic development projects an opportunity to succeed. “Working with stakeholders, local governments and our colleagues at the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, we sought to design a program that would locate jobcreating facilities that would also help to increase on-farm revenue for producers,” Haymore says. The grant program provides business incentives that encourage new or expanding processing facilities to purchase a certain percentage of Virginia-grown product, he says. “In this fashion, we create a new market for producers while also providing incentives for business facilities that bring capital investment and jobs creation to the Commonwealth,” Haymore says.
Increasing Exports
McDonnell also made increasing the amount of agricultural and forestry exports a key component of his overall economic development and jobs creation plans. Haymore says these exports from Virginia reached an all-time high in 2011 when more than $2.35 billion were shipped out of Virginia ports.
“The governor recognizes that increasing agricultural and forestry product exports are vital to the economic health of Virginia’s economy, both on the farm and off,” Haymore says. “For example, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture study, for every $1 in exports there is a $1.40 return to the state from which the export originates. That return goes all the way from the port of Virginia to the family farm.”
lifting restrictions
McDonnell also looks for ways to lift restrictions on trade in agricultural and forestry products that harm Virginia producers. “During his term, the governor has worked with USDA and the United States Trade Representative officials, as well as Chinese officials, to help lift the import ban on Virginia hardwood logs into China,” Haymore says, adding that this almost yearlong ban cost Virginia producers approximately $20 million. “We have assisted Virginia-based companies with new export deals valued at more than $200 million thus far and expect to see $500 million in contracts for 2012 crops,” he says. – Rocky Womack
TOP VIRGINIA AGRICULTURAL EXPORT PRODUCTS IN 2011:
soybeans
i
poultry
i
pork
i
lumber
i
TOBACCO VAagriculture.com
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AD INDEX
30 Cavalier International Inc.
C4 Farm Credit
42 Ferrum College
6 First Bank & Trust Company
1 National Fruit Product Company Inc. 26 Southeastern Cotton Ginners Association 26 Universal Leaf Tobacco Company Inc.
46 Virginia 4-H State Office
48 Virginia Apple Growers Association
C2 Virginia Farm Bureau
C3 Virginia Horse Industry Board Virginia Department 42 Virginia Marine Products Board 22 Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University
21 Virginia Poultry Federation
12 Virginia Soybean Association
4 Virginia State University School of Agriculture
16 Virginia Tractor
2 Virginia Wine Board Marketing 27 Wakefield Peanut Company LLC
Virginia Apples Taste the Difference
Sixth largest apple state in the country Produces more than 5 million bushels per year on 20,000 acres of farm land Grows more than 10 major varieties of apples Supports fresh pack, processed apples including apple sauce, cider and hard cider Employs thousands of workers in the orchard, packing house, sales and agritourism
Virginia Apples – A Key Player in the Virginia Economy! For more information, please call (434) 984-0573. www.virginiaapples.net
Photo by Debby Thomas
Virginia’s equine industry is a dynamic $1.2 billion industry with 215,000 horses and more than 40,000 horse operations.
Photo by Jeff Coady
Photo by Debby Thomas
Virginia’s Horse industry: a Vital Part of Virginia agriculture
the horse industry in Virginia generates $65.3 million in state and local taxes and more than 16,000 jobs.
Virginia Horse industry Board • 804-786-5842 • www.vhib.org