Cultivate Nov 2014

Cultivate november/december 2014

Virginia Farm Bureau

Fall harvests: When the work won’t wait

Contents

Cultivate Volume 7, Number 4 November/December 2014 Cultivate (USPS 025051) (ISSN 1946-8121) is published four times a year, February, April, July, November/December (combined issue). It is published by Virginia Farm Bureau Federation, 12580 West Creek Parkway, Richmond, VA 23238. Periodicals postage rate is paid in Richmond, VA. The annual subscription rate is $1.48 (included in membership dues).

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POSTMASTER: Please send changes of address to, Cultivate, Virginia Farm Bureau Federation, P.O. Box 27552, Richmond, VA 23261; fax 804-290-1096. Editorial and business offices are located at 12580 West Creek Parkway, Richmond, VA 23238.

Telephone 804-290-1000, fax 804-290-1096.

Email address is Cultivate@vafb.com.

Office hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

All advertising is accepted subject to the publisher’s approval. Advertisers must assume liability for the content of their advertising. The publisher maintains the right to cancel advertising for nonpayment or reader complaints about services or products. The publisher assumes no liability for products or services advertised.

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Member: Virginia Press Association

Features

Departments

12 Fall harvests: When the work won’t wait

26 Have a Soup-er Year!

Pam Wiley Managing Editor

28 Heart of the Home

Sara Owens Staff Writer/Photographer

30 Marketplace

Bill Altice Graphic Designer

Sometimes a crop harvest is dictated by the weather.

Sometimes it’s done in spite of the weather. In every case, it’s work that won’t wait.

that protect water quality for years. A new state program is helping to ensure that their contributions are documented and recognized.

Kathy Dixon Sr. Staff Writer/Photographer

Maria La Lima Graphic Designer

VISIT US ONLINE

In a growing world population where people expect to eat, larger-scale farms are a necessity, operators of such farms say.

6 New program encourages conservation practices, ensures farmers get credit Many of Virginia’s farmers have been using practices

Greg Hicks Vice President, Communications

Cathy Vanderhoff Advertising

8 Larger-scale farm operators emphasize family, not ‘factory’

EDITORIAL TEAM

VaFarmBureau.org WE’RE SOCIAL!

Publication schedule Associate members will receive their next issue of Cultivate in February 2015. The magazine is published quarterly.

Members – Address change?

On the Cover

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Acres of cotton stretched out before the cotton picker as the Barlow family of Suffolk harvested this year’s crop (Photo by Pam Wiley).

If your address or phone number has changed, or is about to change, contact your county Farm Bureau. They will update your membership and subscription information.

Food for Thought

Plenty of Virginia-raised turkey for holiday tables Whether you prefer your Thanksgiving turkey roasted, fried, smoked or cold and sliced on sandwiches the next day, Virginia’s poultry farmers have been doing their part to ensure that everyone around your table gets plenty.

• The number of turkeys raised in Virginia this year is expected to total 16 million, up 3 percent from 2013, according to the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

• The most recent Census of Agriculture found turkeys being raised on 663 Virginia farms, mostly in the Shenandoah Valley.

• The number of turkeys raised nationwide this year is forecasted at

235 million. Among turkey-producing states, Virginia is tied for the No. 5 ranking with Missouri. Turkeys are the commonwealth’s fourth-largest agricultural commodity, after broiler chickens, cattle and milk.

• U.S. turkey production has increased more than 100 percent since 1970, and so has turkey consumption according to the National Turkey Federation.

Annual per capita consumption of turkey was 16 pounds in 2012.

Although half of the turkey Americans ate in 1970 was consumed during the holidays, that percentage is now closer to 30 percent.

Turkey tips If you find you’ve got leftovers on Nov. 28, see the Turkey Pot Pie recipe on Page 28.

If you want to get the most out of your holiday turkey, see the homemade stock recipe on Page 26.

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Cultivate NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014

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Cultivate NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014

VaFarmBureau.org

State Fair officials ‘thrilled’ with this year’s event, attendance Official attendance figures show 238,000 people visited this year’s State Fair of Virginia, a 4 percent increase over 2013.

“We couldn’t have asked for a better combination of mostly sunny skies, cooler temperatures and large crowds. We are thrilled with the attendance figures,” said Greg Hicks, the fair’s vice president of communications. “Last year’s fair was a success, and we incorporated lots of guests’ suggestions when planning for this year’s event. We think the extra effort paid off, and visitors got a healthy dose of agriculture, food, rides, music and entertainment.”

The fair opened Sept. 26 and ran through Oct. 5 at The Meadow Event Park in Caroline County. Virginia Farm Bureau Federation became full owner of the fair and The Meadow in 2013.

Participants in 4-H and FFA youth livestock competitions were offered up to $70,000 in scholarship money, and hundreds of adults and youth who competed in arts and crafts, baked goods, crops and vegetables, honey and plant competitions earned recognition, ribbons and cash awards.

Other continuing traditions included the fair’s commercial wine competition, the Black Tie & Boots gala benefit, the Miss State Fair of Virginia pageant and the State Fair Parade. Taylor Reynolds of Chesterfield County was named the 2015 Miss State Fair of Virginia and will compete in the Miss Virginia pageant next June. During the parade, the Lancaster High School Red Devil Band of Lancaster County captured the fair’s Marching Band Championship Cup. New events included a Salute to Secretariat on both weekends, during which descendants of the famous racehorse were present; an NFL-sanctioned Punt, Pass & Kick competition; and the Latin Music Festival.

VirginiaFarmBureau.com

New holiday display to light up The Meadow Event Park The Meadow Event Park has teamed up with Tennesseebased Creative Lightshows Inc. to present Illuminate Light Show & Santa’s Village Nov. 14 through Jan. 3, 2015 at The Meadow. Visitors will be able to drive through a high-energy musical light show and participate in fun family activities. Get details at IlluminateLightShow.com.

Cultivate NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014

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» virginia’s waterways

State’s new Resource Management Plans encourage water-friendly practices, ensure farmers get credit

By Sara Owens & Sherri McKinney

P

lanting buffer strips of vegetation around cropland, planting with no-till techniques, fencing animals out of streams and reducing the use of nutrients on fields are all steps Virginia farmers have been using for decades to keep their land and Virginia’s waterways healthy.

But unless those practices were introduced with the use of cost-share funds, there was no reliable record of the farms’ use of voluntary best management practices. That’s problematic, because BMPs are seen as a major element of the state’s water quality improvement efforts.

After two years in development, a new state Resource Management Plan program was introduced in July to document and share farmers’ role in protecting and improving water quality.

Virginia Resource Management Plans, which are created for individual farms, will be effective for nine years, with compliance inspections every three years. Farmers will enter into a plan agreement voluntarily; no law will force them to sign up.

“The main thing is to get farmers to use a high level of conservation practices or best management practices, and what this plan does is gives them a new incentive,” said Gary Waugh, public relations manager for the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. “It basically gives them a certainty that during the life

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Cultivate NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014

of their plans, they would be assured that they are in compliance with water quality standards associated with Chesapeake Bay and other local clean-up plans.”

Del. Ed Scott, R-Culpeper, was instrumental in getting the legislation passed.

“The idea behind the Resource Management Plans was to advance water quality improvement and at the same time provide farmers an opportunity for some regulatory assurance,” Scott said.

“We’ve got farmers who have put literally thousands of best management practices on the grounds. We’ve got farmers doing nutrient management plans now, doing soil and erosion plans now. What we’re simply trying to do is kind of bring it all under one umbrella.”

The RMP program is the first of its kind for any state in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, and hopes are high that it will make a significant difference for Virginia’s farmers and the future of the state’s waterways.

Michael Downing, a Northumberland County grain farmer, was the first producer to have a Resource Management Plan approved.

Downing’s farm is on a peninsula.

There are three ponds on the property that separate sections of corn, wheat and soybeans, and Glebe Creek which drains into the Potomac River, surrounds his farm. On the other side of the creek are

houses, and many people boat on the creek.

“Everything we have is on the waterfront, and we need to protect the water as best we can,” he said. “We were already doing everything to be in compliance. We were already keeping records and had a nutrient management plan in place. The only thing we had to do was widen our buffer strips.”

Gerald Garber, a dairy and grain farmer in Augusta County, was the second Virginia farmer to have an RMP for his farm.

He already used buffer strips, setbacks and fencing along streams to keep his cattle out of water. He also has a system in place that uses underground pipes, concrete slats and concrete pads to direct any water off of his land.

“The water runs off the land, over the slats and gets put underground instead of the sod holding water,” Garber said. “It goes underground to the (Shenandoah) river, keeping the fields and cattle dry.”

Garber said the RMP gives farmers a good baseline to work from and that he already was doing almost everything required to be in compliance.

“It was good to see a report of how well we were doing on the farm to protect the water,” he said. “I think the RMP is good for farmers to use as a report card.

If you’re already doing what you need to do, that’s fine; if not, try to do a project a year and improve.”

VaFarmBureau.org

virginia’s waterways «

‘Everything we have is on the waterfront, and we need to protect the water as best we can.’

— MICHAEL DOWNING, grain producer in Northumberland County

Augusta County dairy and grain producer Gerald Garber has fenced his dairy herd out of water on the property and installed a system that channels away water that otherwise would stand on or erode his land. photos by sara owens

Larger-scale farm operators keep emphasis on family, not ‘factory’ .,

By Kathy Dixon

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Cultivate NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014

photos by kathy dixon

T

he U.S. Census of Agriculture defines a farm as any establishment that produces and sells $1,000 or more of agricultural products during a given year. By that definition, there are just over 2.2 million farms in the United States.

Of those, 46,000 are located in Virginia. The average size of a Virginia farm is 181 acres. In total, they cover 8.3 million acres. And of those farms, 90 percent are owned and operated by individuals or families.

The most recent Census of Agriculture found that nationwide, more than 85 percent of farms are owned and operated by individuals or families. The next largest category of ownership is partnerships at 8 percent. Corporate farms account for only 4 percent of U.S. farms and 1 percent are owned by cooperatives, estates or trusts.

“However, the term family farm does not necessarily equate with small farm nor does a corporate farm necessarily mean a large-scale operation owned and operated by a multi-national corporation,” according to the ag census report.

“Many of the country’s largest agricultural enterprises are family-owned. And many farm families have formed modest-sized corporations to take advantage of legal and accounting benefits.”

Cultivate visited two Virginia farms that formed limited liability corporations, or LLCs, for tax and inheritance purposes. Their operators raise animals for food in numbers they say are necessary to meet consumer demand and to keep their businesses viable. And they note that animals on larger farms require the same amount of care—or more—as those on smaller ones.

VaFarmBureau.org

THE TURNERS

Page County poultry producer Jerry Turner (center) and his sons Adam and Jason raise more than 700,000 chickens a year on Countryside Farm, which supports a total of 10 people.

Father, sons raise almost 1 million birds a year on Page County farm .,

I

n any given year, more than 700,000 chickens are raised on picturesque Countryside Farm in Page County.

Some consider the farm a large, commercial operation. But Jerry Turner and his two sons, Jason and Adam, don’t share that view.

“To me there is no difference between a man and wife raising 2 acres of vegetables to sell at a farmers’ market and our family operation,” said Turner, who has been raising poultry since 1977.

Only in the past couple of years have the Turners been able to support their families by farming full time.

The two generations raise baby chicks for Pilgrim’s Pride, the world’s second-largest chicken processing company. They operate eight 42- by 400-foot chicken houses, and Pilgrim’s delivers a flock of newly hatched chicks to each house five times a year— 18,000 at a time.

“With the population exploding like it is, bigger farms like ours are a must, or people will starve,” Turner said. “There’s a place for produce stands, but they won’t feed the world, and that’s a fact.”

The Turners keep the chicks for eight weeks before they are picked up for processing. While they are housed on the farm, the birds live in a climate-controlled environment and receive VirginiaFarmBureau.com

unlimited food and water. A Pilgrim’s representative visits the farm weekly to check on their health.

“We want to keep them comfortable, and they eat and drink whenever they want,” Turner said.

The 16,800 square feet of space in each building gives the chicks plenty of room to move around as they grow.

The younger Turners are the fourth generation to farm on their family’s land. The average American is two or more generations removed from farming.

Consumers “don’t understand the challenges that farmers face, and they’ve also become accustomed to eating whatever they want and never seeing empty shelves,” Turner said. “It’s worth repeating that we have the cheapest, safest, most abundant food supply in the world.”

And the majority of that food comes from larger-scale farms— what some describe as “factory farms.” That label “is a term environmentalists came up with to garner support for their cause,” Turner said. In Virginia, both large and small farms are often incorporated to protect the family members running them.

Countryside Farm supports a total of 10 people in three households. “We would all have to have off-farm jobs,” Turner said, “if we didn’t raise the quantity of birds that we do.”

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THE SMITHS

John Henry Smith III (left) and his son, Andy, raise beef cattle on a family farm that supports two households.

Russell County family committed to their animals, land .,

O

n 1,450 acres of steep, hilly countryside in Russell County, more than 325 cows and their calves graze the land.

“We had a lot of sheep until the ’90s, when coyotes put us out of business,” said John Henry Smith III, the sixth generation in his family to work Smithfield Farm since 1774.

There have always been some beef cattle on the land, but it wasn’t until the past two decades that the Smith family increased the herd size to support two households: Smith and his wife, Pat, and their son, Andy. The three of them formed a limited liability corporation to run the farm.

A report by the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine said the average Virginia cow-calf farm has 30 beef cows that they breed. Based on that, Andy Smith said, “I guess we’re a large operation.”

He and his father don’t see anything wrong with that. John Smith said he doesn’t believe only small-scale or niche-market farmers could feed this country. “Those types of farmers certainly 10

Cultivate NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014

have a place, but to feed America and those in other countries, we need larger-scale farms.”

The Smiths said they are good stewards of the land and take good care of their animals. “We do a lot of soil testing so we apply a minimal amount of fertilizer on the hay we grow,” Andy Smith said.

The cows graze freely and receive supplemental grain in the winter. They have access to barns if they want to go inside, but Smith said they are pretty hardy. This past February, temperatures were below zero, but the cows stayed outside and managed to have their calves without any problems.

The men keep a careful watch on cows that are getting ready to calve. “We check them every three hours to make sure they’re OK,” Andy Smith said. “The vast majority of our cows take care of business on their own.”

But they get special attention if they need it, John Smith said.

During calving season, mid-January through the first part of April, “we are on 24-7.”

VaFarmBureau.org

‘DURING CALVING SEASON, MID-JANUARY THROUGH THE FIRST PART OF APRIL, WE ARE ON 24-7.’

— JOHN HENRY SMITH III, cattle farmer in Russell County

VirginiaFarmBureau.com

Cultivate NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014

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After cutting corn stalks in the field, Dave Black’s combine separates the kernels from the cobs and stores them in a tank. Once the grain tank is full, a chute transfers the corn to a truck used to move it to a grain storage bin.

FALL HARVESTS : When the work won’t wait FALL IS A BUSY TIME OF YEAR on farms all across Virginia, because that’s when many field crops are harvested.

Sometimes the activity is dictated by the weather. In other cases it goes on regardless of the weather. In every case, though, it has a specific window of opportunity. Three farm families invited Cultivate to take a look as they harvested this year’s corn, cotton and Christmas trees, along with starter plants for next year’s strawberries.

Grain producer: ‘We’re driving hard for one to two months’ During harvest time, Dave Black doesn’t check his emails because he simply doesn’t have time.

That’s because from early September through Thanksgiving, he spends every day and most nights harvesting corn, planting winter wheat and then harvesting soybeans.

“We’re driving hard for one to two months,” Black said, as he worked on hitching his tractor to a brand-new grain drill.

It was an unusually slow day at the end of September; a piece of storage equipment had experienced electrical problems, and Black was waiting on a part being shipped from Illinois. He had to cut back on harvesting corn until more storage was available.

The grain drill synchs up with a tractor’s GPS, but if the signal is lost, the machine needs “marker arms” to help guide it manually. Black was having a welding fabricator retro-fit the drill so it would be ready for planting wheat after the corn harvest was finished.

Mother Nature sometimes interferes with the day-to-day operations but, weather permitting, harvest season brings a constant workload, Black said. His Labrador retriever, Sam, accompanies him everywhere, even in the combine. “He’s my buddy.”

Black and his 81-year-old father, George, handle most of the harvest. His wife, Sherry, works full time off the farm, his older son, Jake, is in college and his younger son, Adam, is an active high school junior. “They pitch in when they can, but they’re pretty busy,” Black said.

Each year, Black and his father grow about 630 acres each of corn, soybeans and wheat on Heritage Farms, which consists of three farms in Charles City County: one on 425 acres of land rented from Westover Plantation, one on 330 acres rented from Berkeley Plantation and another on 500 acres of their own land.

In some respects, Black said, harvest time is a lot like the regular lives of busy non-farming people with jobs and children. “Like them, we have to work around the kids and their social calendars.”

VirginiaFarmBureau.com

photos by kathy dixon

By Kathy Dixon

“ We pick all day and run steady until dark,” Black said of harvesting corn and soybeans with his father in Charles City County.

It takes some juggling, but that’s why he often works well into the night. “We pick all day and run steady until dark,” he said. After daylight runs out, they service equipment so it’s ready for the next day.

As the corn harvest nears its end, they start planting wheat, and that’s when “it gets really busy.” Black runs the harvester, and his father plants the wheat with the grain drill. And before all the wheat is planted, the soybeans need harvesting.

“My wife says the fall harvest drags a long time,” Black said. But for him, it just goes with the territory. “I’ve been farming all my life, and it’s all I’ve ever wanted to do. It’s a profession where if you don’t love it you don’t need to be doing it.”

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Christmas tree grower: ‘I feel like a tree widow’

By Sara Owens

Strawberry work — in October Before Christmas tree harvest begins, Severt’s Tree Farm harvests strawberry plants.

The Taylors started growing the plants seven years ago and now grow them on 35 acres.

“We raise them to send to Plant City in Florida, which has been dubbed the Strawberry Capital of the World,” Carlos said.

Workers start gathering up the strawberry plants the first week of October. A tractor lifts the plants and shakes them loose from the ground. Workers then bundle the plants in groups of 25 and pack them 20 bundles to a box. They can lift about 325,000 plants on a good day. It takes about two days to lift enough to load one tractor-trailer.

“It takes about 20 days to lift all the plants,” Carlos said. “We sell almost 5 million plants in 20 days. We lost some lifting days this year due to rain. If we’re not careful, the strawberry harvest can run into when we need to start working on the trees.”

photos by sara owens

Neither cold, rain, sleet, snow nor nightfall stops Carlos and Sherrie Taylor from getting their Christmas trees harvested and shipped to their customers.

The Grayson County tree farmers and their employees put in long days from early November to mid-December—often working around the clock—to get their trees to buyers up and down East Coast.

The Taylors operate Severt’s Tree Farm in Elk Creek. Sherrie Taylor’s parents, Mike and Kathy Severt, own the farm, which she and Carlos manage and operate.

“We cut 70,000-plus trees every winter in about six weeks’ time,” Carlos said. “We ship the trees all the way up to New York and as far down as Florida.”

The trees that will be harvested are handtagged to indicate size and grade starting in July.

“It’s a 70-plus-hours, six days-a-week job,” Sherrie said. “I feel like a tree widow when it’s time to tag the trees.”

Workers begin cutting trees around the first of November and are done with the

bulk of the harvest around Thanksgiving, but they continue to cut trees until around Dec. 10. One person operates the chain saw, and another serves as the “stick man.”

The stick man uses a rod to raise the lower branches of each tree so the chain saw operator can see the trunk and make the cut.

Employees use a baler to string-wrap each tree, and all the cut trees are transported to a warehouse where they are sorted for shipping.

“We cut trees in the snow or rain. If we get behind we load them in the dark and at night. I put lights out in the fields so we can see,” Carlos said. “Our neighbors have been very understanding. We work hard, we work late and we’re busy.”

Severt’s Tree Farm sells mostly Fraser firs but also some blue spruce, Scotch pine and grand fir trees, as well as fresh wreaths.

“We cut trees to all sizes, from tabletop, which is 3 feet tall, up to 12 feet tall,” Carlos said. The 6- to 7-foot and 7- to 8-foot trees and the tabletop trees are the biggest sellers.

“It takes a year per foot to grow a tree, and there’s always something to do with the trees,” he said. “There’s a lot of labor that goes into growing Christmas trees.”

Before the Christmas tree harvest begins, employees at Severt’s Tree Farm lift and bundle strawberry plants that will be shipped to Florida. The work takes about 20 days.

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VaFarmBureau.org

“ We cut trees in the snow or rain. If we get behind we load them in the dark and at night. I put lights out in the field so we can see,” Carlos Taylor said of the Christmas tree harvest that starts in early November. He operates Severt’s with his wife, Sherrie.

Shelley Barlow (left) transfers just-harvested cotton to equipment that shapes and presses it into modules.

Cotton farmer: ‘We use the term “relentless”’ to describe season

By Pam Wiley

VirginiaFarmBureau.com

and it’s the first priority,” Shelley said.

“We use the term ‘relentless.’ It’s not that we want to hurry up and get it over with; it’s that if we get good conditions, we need to get it all.”

The longer a mature crop stays in the field, she explained, the greater the potential for its quality to decline. And when the work is completed, “that’s a great day, just a feeling of accomplishment.”

There is the sight of picked-clean fields and the ability to take a winter vacation, or just sleep a little later or have supper at 6, “like normal people.

“We’re usually worn out and beat up, but it’s a very satisfying feeling to have that completed.”

photos by pam wiley

Shelley and Joe Barlow of Suffolk and their son, Joey, grow about 400 acres of cotton.

On a particularly good day, they can harvest about 50 acres.

If they farmed in a math textbook word problem, they might be done in eight days.

In real life, “that would never, never happen,” Shelley said wryly. Instead, they shoot for being done by Thanksgiving.

Cotton must be completely dry before it can be harvested, which presents a challenge, she said. “Just a hint of a light rain” or a heavy dew, “and we have to stop everything.”

Additionally, equipment used to harvest cotton is complex and high-maintenance.

The Barlows co-own theirs with another farm.

“Between them and us, the cotton picker has to go over 1,000 acres” and be moved from one property to another, Shelley said.

Each cotton harvest day starts with maintenance work on the cotton picker, which needs fuel, grease and a thorough cleaning. That takes until 10 or 11 a.m., “and then we’ll usually grab something to eat until (the cotton is) dried out” and start harvesting in the afternoon, Shelley said.

That work can continue “until it gets damp again. And if it’s 11 at night, that’s when we stop.” The picker is cleaned at least once more during a day’s work.

If equipment needs to be moved from one farm to another, the Barlows and co-owners move it in the morning for safety reasons.

It’s all machinery of the sort that can take up most of a two-lane road.

Interviewed by phone on a morning when she, her husband and their son were working on the cotton picker, Barlow described it this way: “It’s dirty, it’s greasy and there’s a million ways to cut yourself.”

Their picker will strip six rows of cotton at a time, each row feeding into units that grab the cotton bolls from the plants by means of many small spindles.

The machinery requires regular applications of a vegetable-based grease, Barlow said, “so if you can imagine working in Crisco. … I don’t care anything about getting dirty, but it’s a whole different level of dirty.”

She said her husband had joked recently, “I just want to buy a new cotton picker every year so it’s ready to go.”

The Barlows began harvesting cotton the second full week of October, having already harvested their best corn crop ever. On days that the co-owners of the cotton equipment are using it, “if we have soybeans ready, we try to do them,” Shelley said. Her family no longer grows peanuts, which tended to complicate the process. “The peanuts and the cotton all need to be done at the same time.”

Essentially, harvesting field crops “cancels out any other activities” for several weeks each fall.

“This is the only time we get paid every year, so we all know how important it is,

Joey Barlow operates the module maker, which expels 20,000-pound “blocks” of cotton that will be covered and later picked up for processing.

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Make sure your home has the right coverage for winter weather risks

Water from lines that have frozen and burst can damage a home’s floors, walls, ceilings and furnishings and result in mildew problems.

Freezing temperatures can cause water lines to burst, and the weight of ice and snow can cause extensive damage to a home’s roof.

Some common-sense examinations can determine how to make your home winter-ready, and a conversation with your insurance agent can determine whether you have appropriate coverage for damage related to winter weather.

“Take steps now to prevent damage to your home this winter season,” said Sam Rooks, vice president of underwriting and policy services for Virginia Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Co. “Policyholders need to take precautions to avoid damage and make sure they have the coverage they need should a loss occur. Damage from snow, ice and frozen pipes may not automatically be included in your policy. It’s important to review your insurance policy with your agent to find out what types of coverage are available to you before a loss occurs.”

Virginia Farm Bureau offers more than 50 endorsements that can be added to policies to offer protection from issues such as weight of ice, sleet and snow and water damage from frozen pipes.

For more information, contact your county Farm Bureau.

Is your home winter-ready?

To prevent winter weather-related damage to your home, follow these tips from the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety.

SNOW • Make sure your roof can handle the potential weight of snow or ice. A structural engineer can determine maximum loads your roof can withstand and can provide practical solutions to improve its strength.

• Safe snow removal can reduce some of the snow load on a roof. Consider contracting with a professional for snow removal. To avoid roof collapse, snow removal should begin before the roof reaches its snow load limit.

ICE DAMS Ice dams are ridges of ice that form at the edge of a roof and prevent water from draining off the roof as snow begins to melt. The water that backs up behind the dams can leak into your home.

• Increase insulation above ceilings to prevent damage from ice dams. A minimum of 24 inches of proper underlayment can prevent the water from reaching the roof sheathing.

• Keep all drains, scuppers, gutters and downspouts free of debris and vegetation that could cause water to back up.

• Prune trees that hang over the roof to prevent an accumulation of leaves and branches that could clog or slow roof drainage.

FROZEN PIPES • Keep all entries to unheated spaces closed as much as possible.

• When extreme cold weather is predicted, let all faucets drip to prevent freezing of water inside the pipes.

• If pipes are located adjacent to exterior walls or within base cabinets or closets, leave the doors open or use a fan to increase warm air circulation around the pipes.

• Insulate all pipes using pipe insulation.

• Ensure all cracks, holes and other openings on exterior walls are tightly sealed with caulk or insulation to prevent cold air from penetrating.

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VaFarmBureau.org

NEW BENEFIT! Members eligible for discounts on Polaris vehicles Farm Bureau members in Virginia are now eligible for a manufacturer’s incentive discount of $200 to $300 on utility and sport vehicles and all-terrain vehicles from participating Polaris dealers.

Members should negotiate their best deals with their preferred Polaris dealers and then present a membership verification certificate to apply the manufacturer’s incentive discount to the final sale price.

There is no limit to the number of incentive discounts that a Farm Bureau member may use, provided they use no more than one per vehicle acquired and vehicle acquisitions are made for their personal or business use.

The membership verification certificate must be presented and accepted prior to vehicle delivery. Eligible individual, family or business members will receive the following discounts:

• Utility and sport vehicles (excluding youth models) . . . . . . . . . $300 • BRUTUS UTV (limited-time offer) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,000 • All-terrain vehicles (excluding youth models) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $200 • GEM electric vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $300 Thirty days’ minimum Farm Bureau membership is required to qualify. To take advantage of this benefit, visit FBAdvantage/Deals/ Polaris, enter your membership number and ZIP code, and print out a Farm Bureau Membership Verification Certificate to take to your local Polaris dealership. Members without Internet access can get assistance in acquiring a certificate from their county Farm Bureau offices. * Benefit available pending approval by specific county Farm Bureaus.

Farm Bureau needs your updated contact information, including email Are your membership records current?

If you’ve moved, acquired a new telephone number, or changed your name or email address, it’s important that your new information is reflected in your membership and insurance records.

Email addresses and cell phone numbers help your Farm Bureau agent reach you in instances where prompt communication is important.

If you need to update your records, email your current contact information to membership@vafb.com, and our staff will handle the update. You’re also welcome to call or visit your county Farm Bureau office to update your records.

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VirginiaFarmBureau.com

Cultivate NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014

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New name, same great savings! Deals Advantage benefit gets name change: Member Deals Plus The Deals Advantage member benefit introduced by Virginia Farm Bureau last year has a new name—Member Deals Plus.

But Farm Bureau members in Virginia still can use it to save money on family outings, meals, clothing and other goods and services.

“We’ve even added new groups of categories for savings, such as automotive parts and services and golf,” said Clay Francis, vice president of membership and field services for Virginia Farm Bureau Federation.

How does Member Deals Plus work?

Member Deals Plus uses the nation’s largest private discount network and “show your phone” mobile deals that can be accessed anywhere and redeemed from a smartphone at the point of sale, or printed using a home computer.

Members can register for Member Deals Plus from a link on the front page of the Farm Bureau website at VaFarmBureau.org (Have your membership number at hand). Once registered, they’ll receive a confirmation email and can begin saving immediately after downloading the free Member Deals Plus smartphone app.

When shopping, dining out or traveling, registered members can

search for participating merchants they frequent, or they can search for all participating merchants in a specific ZIP Code.

Here’s a sample of Member Deals Plus savings available to Farm Bureau members in Virginia: • Advance Auto Parts – $40 off online orders of $110 or more; • Busch Gardens and Water Country USA – 20 percent off online purchase of single-day tickets; • Dunkin Donuts – 10 percent off purchases at selected stores; and • Jiffy Lube – $5 to $8 off Signature Series Oil Changes.

Member Deals Plus is offered in partnership with a network of more than 300,000 merchant partners.

Businesses in your community can participate Members who use Member Deals Plus also have the opportunity to recommend businesses in their community for participation.

“We welcome referrals of restaurants and other retail locations that our members frequent,” Francis said. “That information can be shared at any county Farm Bureau office or on the Member Deals Plus website. Program administrators will contact the businesses with the opportunity to participate.”

Medical alert benefit now available for cell phone use Help is always within reach for Virginia Farm Bureau members who use the Member’s Medical Alert program powered by national provider LifeStation. The service makes it easy for members or their loved ones to summon assistance to their homes in an emergency.

LifeStation maintains a state-of-the-art, 24-hour call center with care specialists users can reach via a tabletop console or a help button that can be mounted on a wall, worn around the neck or wrist or clipped to a belt.

Farm Bureau members pay a special monthly rate of $25.95 for use with a land line in the home and are eligible for a 30-day money-back trial. A cellular-based connection is offered for an additional $14.95 per month. The service involves no long-term contract.

To order or get more information call 877-288-4958, or visit MembersMedical Alert.com and use code FB102.

Address hearing loss while saving money with ClearValue About 20 percent of adults in the United States—48 million— report some degree of hearing loss, according to the Hearing Loss Association of America.

At age 65, one in three Americans has some degree of hearing loss. The condition is the nation’s third most common medical condition after arthritis and heart disease. But because it is invisible, the effects of hearing loss sometimes can be mistaken for aloofness, confusion or personality changes.

The ClearValue Hearing Healthcare Benefits Plan affords savings to Farm Bureau members in Virginia on professional audiology services and hearing devices. The plan partners with The Starkey Group, the world’s largest manufacturer of hearing aids, and

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Westone Earmold Laboratories to offer a comprehensive hearing benefits program.

The Starkey family of hearing instruments includes Audibel, AudioSync, Micro Tech and NuEar products, and ClearValue offers a member discount of up to 25 percent. Activated members are guaranteed free pre-approval and have access to a statewide network of participating professional audiologists and specialists.

If you or family members are experiencing ear disorders or hearing loss or have questions about the ClearValue program, activate your free ClearValue Hearing membership today by visiting clearvaluehearing.com or calling 888-497-7447.

VaFarmBureau.org

Members can save on health screenings Interested in monitoring your health more closely in 2015?

Virginia Farm Bureau Federation works with Life Line Screening, the nation’s leading provider of preventive health screenings, to provide a screening service to members at a discounted rate.

Life Line provides non-invasive stroke and heart attack assessments to members for $145, with no charge for an additional osteoporosis risk screening.

Strokes affect nearly 800,000 Americans every year. Abdominal aortic aneurysms, peripheral vascular disease and atrial fibrillation, as well as high blood pressure, are silent conditions that people often do not know they have until it is too late.

Additionally, about one in two women and as many as one in four men risk breaking a bone due to osteoporosis.

Life Line performs the following vascular procedures: • carotid artery screening; • abdominal aortic aneurysm screening; • atrial fibrillation, or “afib,” screening; • peripheral arterial disease, or PAD, screening; and • bone mineral density screening for osteoporosis risk.

Watch for mailings about Life Line screenings in your area, or contact your county Farm Bureau office for details.

Virginia’s Harvest treats make tasty gifts If you need a holiday gift for someone with a discerning palate, consider treating them to the rich flavors of fine Virginia foods.

Farm Bureau members can share tasty, traditional Virginia foods, in collections to suit every budget, with the Virginia’s Harvest gift collection. Choose from country ham, gourmet peanuts, salted jumbo cashews, butter-toasted peanuts and pecans, chocolate-covered peanuts and peanut brittle, and an energy mix of almonds, cashews and raisins. And for your next tailgate party or oyster roast, there are

2-pound bags of salted peanuts in the shell.

Virginia’s Harvest items can be viewed and ordered at county Farm Bureau offices. For an additional charge, they can be shipped via United Parcel Service with a personalized gift card.

Call or visit your county Farm Bureau office today. Or call 800-4768473 for more information or to order by phone.

Virginians do love their farmers’ markets.

That’s evident from the popular vote that landed four Virginia markets in the national Top 100 identified by the American Farmland Trust’s annual “I Love My Farmers Market Celebration.”

The Williamsburg Farmers Market was ranked second, the Historic Manassas Farmers Market was ranked 64th, the Four Mile Run Farmers & Artisans Market in Alexandria was ranked 80th and the Falls Church Farmers Market was ranked 94th.

“With the increased growth in the number of farmers’ markets in Virginia and nationwide, it’s very heartening to see that consumers continue to rank Virginia markets among the best in the country,” said Tony Banks, a commodity marketing specialist for Virginia Farm Bureau Federation. “These markets continue to provide a venue for farmers to sell their products directly to consumers who want locally grown food and other farm items. The growth in market numbers and size is quite impressive.”

Virginia is ranked ninth nationwide for number of farmers’ markets. There are 249 farmers’ markets in the commonwealth, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service. There are more than 8,200 farm markets nationwide; that represents a 76 percent increase since 2008.

VirginiaFarmBureau.com

kathy dixon

Virginia farmers’ markets among Top 100 in national celebration

Virginia is home to more than 200 local farmers’ markets.

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Two students win Rural Health Essay Scholarship Contest Winners in Christiansburg and Rockbridge aspire to medical, dental careers Rachel Dubit of Rockbridge County and Taylor Newman of Montgomery County will receive $1,000 for their winning entries in the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation 2014 Rural Health Essay Scholarship Contest.

Second-place winners Grace Craddock of Craig County and Jamie Fields of Montgomery County will receive $500 scholarships.

The contest was sponsored by the VFBF Rural Health Advisory Committee and funded by the Farm Bureau Health Care Consultants Department to help foster the careers of youth interested in rural health care. High school and college students from Farm Bureau member families submitted essays on “My Future Career in Rural Health in Virginia.”

Newman, the daughter of Jack and Kim Newman of Christiansburg, attends Virginia Tech.

In her essay, she recalled fond memories of spending time with her grandmother, who shared stories of rural life. Newman said working in her father’s community pharmacy influenced her as well. “I witnessed firsthand the rewards that came from establishing loyal, trusting relationships with patients,” she wrote. “I admired my father’s ability to use his expertise to help people with their health care needs and appreciated the inherent rewards in doing so.”

Newman’s goal is to become a dentist and return to her community to practice. “I believe that through improved accessibility, education and

compassionate professional health care, the lives of those living in rural Virginia can be greatly improved.”

Dubit attends Rockbridge County High School and is the daughter of Drs. Scott Dubit and Patricia Schirmer.

She wrote in her essay that she “grew up with the medical life,” because both of her parents are doctors. “I went on house calls with my father as a toddler,” Dubit wrote. “I have always wanted to practice medicine in the style of my parents. While working in a big city would certainly be more varied and lucrative, rural medicine allows a doctor to know his or her patients and their families.”

Call your county Farm Bureau for help understanding the new health care laws.

HealthMarketPlaceVA.com 22

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Anthem Health Plans of Virginia, Inc. trades as Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Virginia, and its service area is all of Virginia except for the City of Fairfax, the Town of Vienna, and the area east of State Route 123. Independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. ® ANTHEM is a registered trademark of Anthem Insurance Companies, Inc. The Blue Cross and Blue Shield names and symbols are registered marks of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

VaFarmBureau.org

Health Insurance Open Enrollment begins Nov. 15 The Affordable Care Act Open Enrollment Period that begins Nov. 15 is expected by many experts in the insurance industry to be one of the biggest open enrollment periods in history.

This is the first time in U.S. history that an open enrollment period affects everyone. Prior to 2014 and the first ACA open enrollment, many Americans knew about an “open enrollment period” through an employer. Once a year we could enroll, edit, modify, add to, change or cancel our insurance. Now that having health insurance is mandatory, the period applies to all.

The first year penalty was not much for people to balk about. It also came with the trials and tribulations of the first-ever governmental insurance exchange. After an abundance of technical problems, some people were unsure as to what was going on and simply stayed on the sidelines.

Fast forward to today, and you will see that there are public insurance exchanges as well as private insurance exchanges.

Public exchanges go through the state or federally administered plan, which may or may not have a subsidy available, while a private exchange gives you access to both public and or private insurance with the main difference being that private offers more options. More options equals more carriers and more plans, which translates to more competition and more choices for lower premiums and for doctors who are willing to accept the plans in a larger network.

With the Open Enrollment Period just around the corner, the chances of date changes or extensions this time around are slim. Yes, there were lots of changes, extensions and exceptions in the first go-round. But that was because everyone—including applicants, carriers, brokers and the Department of Health and Human Services—was figuring it out as they went along.

That won’t be the case in the ACA’s second year. Exchanges will be ready to go on Day One, and the Feb. 15 end date will be pretty solid.

• People who enroll between Nov. 15 and Dec. 15 will have coverage effective Jan. 1, 2015.

• People who enroll between Dec. 16 and Jan. 15, 2015, will have

You are allowed one gap in coverage of up to three months without having to pay a penalty, so if your uninsured period begins no earlier than Dec. 1, you won’t owe a penalty for 2015. Or, if you are without coverage for more than three months at the end of 2014 and are assessed a penalty for the uninsured period in 2014 (calculated when you file your taxes in early 2015), you also won’t owe a penalty for the two months you’re uninsured in 2015, since your uninsured gap would start over on Jan. 1.

There are going to be people who end up paying a penalty for not having coverage in 2014 but won’t find out that they owe the penalty until they file their taxes. And at that point they might miss the 2015 Open Enrollment Period as well.

Don’t let yourself be one of those people! If you’re uninsured this year, now’s the time to figure out whether you qualify for an exemption or whether you’re going to have to pay a penalty. Don't miss out on Open Enrollment this year, or you might find yourself left out should you be diagnosed with something that calls for medical care.

If you have questions about the Open Enrollment Period or the enrollment process, contact your county Farm Bureau office.

coverage effective Feb. 1.

• People who enroll between Jan. 16 and Feb. 15 will have coverage effective March 1.

• If you are uninsured until March 1 because you enroll during

the last month of the 2015 Open Enrollment Period, you’ll have two months without insurance at the start of 2015.

VirginiaFarmBureau.com

Leah Gustafson is a marketing specialist for Experient Health.

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Native wildlife habitats start with native plants There’s a lot of buzz about local food, but what about local plants?

“Native plants” are those that are indigenous to a region and possess traits that make them uniquely adapted to local conditions. They have evolved over time, adapting to factors specific to their regions such as climate, moisture, soils and interactions with other plants, animals and insects, according to Virginia Cooperative Extension.

“Native plants are so important to the ecosystem,” said Nancy Vehrs, president of the Virginia Native Plant Society. “If you want the beautiful birds and butterflies, you have to have the native plants to support the insects that support the higher levels (of the food chain). Most of our native insects are specialists and feed on only certain plants.”

Plants are the foundation of wildlife habitats, and even small gardens and container plantings can attract wildlife. A variety of native plants will attract different species of wildlife and contribute to a healthy ecosystem.

Native plants also tend to be hardier and better able to resist drought, insects and disease if used in locations that approximate their native environments. Additionally, they’re well-suited for the trend in low-maintenance gardening and landscaping.

Non-natives are species that have been introduced to an area and did not evolve and naturally adapt to the specific ecological conditions of a region. Some non-native or alien species have difficulty thriving without extra maintenance such as irrigation, fertilization and pest control. Other non-native species can get out of control and create an unhealthy monoculture, crowding out native species. Non-native plants that grow in this manner are called “invasive species.”

“Virginia bluebells belong in Virginia, and California poppies belong in California,” Vehrs said. “They are iconic species of certain regions and help us to celebrate our diverse species across the globe.”

Plants that are native to Virginia include a range of trees, shrubs, flowers and ground covers. The VNPS maintains a directory of nurseries that carry native plants at vnps.org/conservation/plant-nurseries.

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Eastern redbud (left) and American wisteria are among native plant choices that bring spring color to a landscape.

Clockwise from upper left: passion flower vine, fringe tree flowers, beautyberry and mountain laurel VaFarmBureau.org

‘People love mums,’ and they’re easy to grow Burgundy, burnt orange, purple, pink and yellow are all colors of the hardy chrysanthemum, one of the most popular plants in Virginia’s fall gardens.

“People love mums,” said Chris Mullins, a Virginia Cooperative Extension specialist at Virginia State University. “In the fall they’re one of the few plants that are blooming during September and October.”

Although related, garden mums are a different variety of plant from floral chrysanthemums, Mullins said. “These will do very well in most climates in Virginia.

They do need a lot of water when they’re in pots. When they’ve been growing in a farmer’s field, they give them water every day.

“You want to water just about every day as you’re going into the fall. You might cut back a little bit as the season progresses,” he said. “In terms of fertilizer, they don’t need a whole lot. Sometimes the grower will put a little slow-release fertilizer in the pot, and as they’re blooming anyway they don’t need a lot of fertilizer.”

While many people simply throw away mums when the fall ends, the plants are perennials and can be planted outdoors for year-round enjoyment.

“You can buy smaller mums in early fall and plant them right in the ground,” Mullins said. “They’ll probably over-winter for you.

Find a nice, well-drained location. For the first couple of weeks you’ll want to water pretty heavily, to make sure that they get established well. You’ll have beautiful blooms throughout the fall.”

Mums prefer full sun but can thrive in partial shade as long as they get sun for half a day.

“When it freezes, you’ll notice all of the plant will kind of die back and look brown.

I would leave all that plant material around to give it some protection through the winter,” Mullins said.

In the spring the plant will begin sprouting new shoots. That’s when you should start fertilizing and pruning back

To find the station nearest you that airs Real Virginia, or to view the show online, visit VaFarmBureau.org.

VirginiaFarmBureau.com

Chrysanthemums prefer full sun but can be grown in locations that afford half a day of sun.

growth to create the rounded shape most gardeners prefer, he said.

“Probably sometime in May you’ll start to see some shoots coming up. Then you can go ahead and cut out all the old foliage.

Those nice green shoots will probably be a few single stems at first.

“Go ahead and pinch those shoots back” an inch or two at a time, Mullins said. “This will force the plant to branch out and make

itself more rounded. Otherwise it will get tall and leggy and tend to flop over when it blooms.

“Make a couple of pinches throughout the spring and summer, maybe the last pinch by the Fourth of July. That will also help delay flowering until the fall, when you want it to be pretty.”

Hardy mum transplants also can be purchased in the spring.

Chris Mullins appears on Real Virginia, Virginia Farm Bureau’s weekly television program. Mullins is an assistant professor and Virginia Cooperative Extension greenhouse specialist at Virginia State University and works with fruit and vegetable growers statewide. He is a member of the American Society of Horticulture Science.

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Have a Soup-er Year!

Stock up for cooler weather with homemade broths The peak of soup season is almost upon us.

Before the rush of holiday activity hits and you run out of time, you can make basic soup stocks and freeze them to use all winter long. Stocks are fairly easy to make and typically use leftover ingredients that you likely would have just thrown away.

Most stock recipes make large batches, but you can easily freeze stock in multiple small containers.

There are four basic types of stock: fish, meat, poultry and vegetable. For all stocks, the rule of thumb is one part bones, pieces and scraps to two parts water.

The mixture should always be brought to a boil and then reduced to simmer. The simmering time differs for each type of stock.

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Poultry stock

Vegetable stock

For poultry stock, use inexpensive chicken or turkey parts like backs and necks, or use bones from previously cooked poultry. You also can use a leftover cooked chicken or turkey carcass such as the one from Thanksgiving.

You can add vegetables to the poultry stock for more flavor. Carrots, celery and onions are good choices. For a darker, richer stock, roast the meat scraps, bones and vegetables in a 450-degree oven for about 40 minutes and then add them to the stock pot.

Use about 4 to 5 pounds of poultry parts, 2 pounds of vegetable scraps, 6 to 8 garlic cloves and a tablespoon of peppercorns. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 2 hours. Skim off the foam periodically as the stock cooks. When it’s done, strain it, let it cool, then refrigerate it for a few hours. Any fat in the broth will congeal at the top and can be strained off.

Then your stock is ready to freeze.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture warns not to put a large pot of hot soup directly into your refrigerator. According to the USDA, it would take an 8-inch stock pot of steaming chicken soup 24 hours to cool to a safe temperature in your refrigerator. To be safe, transfer the soup to shallow containers to speed cooling, making sure the soup is no more than 2 inches deep. Refrigerate promptly.

When freezing soup, the USDA recommends leaving ½ inch of space at the top of the container. Use the broth within 3 months.

To make vegetable stock, use basically any type of vegetable scraps such as carrot peels, celery stalk ends, onion pieces and potatoes. You can keep a re-sealable bag in the refrigerator and save well-washed peels and trimmings as you cook. Or you can use produce that is getting ready to go bad.

For seasoning, add a tablespoon of freshground pepper and a couple of bay leaves.

Cover ingredients with water, bring to a boil and then simmer for about an hour. Cool the mixture before straining it.

Cultivate NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014

Vegetable pieces and scraps are an essential part of homemade stocks.

Meat stock

Seafood stock

When making meat stock, roast the meat, bones and vegetables before boiling for a darker, richer broth. Use about 5 to 7 pounds of roasted meat and bones from beef, veal, lamb, pork or venison. Add about half that amount of vegetables, four bay leaves, a tablespoon of black peppercorns, about a half cup of chopped fresh parsley and any other seasonings you want. Add enough water to cover the ingredients.

Bring the pot to a boil, then simmer for about 4 hours. Add more water, if necessary, to keep the ingredients covered.

Strain the soup, let it cool, then refrigerate it for a few hours. Skim the fat layer off the top before freezing.

For seafood stock, use white fish scraps, bones and trimmings and add crab, shrimp and lobster shells for even more flavor. For this lighter-style stock, it’s best to use just a few veggies like celery, onions and garlic.

Sauté the vegetables in butter. Add the fish parts, some dry white wine, peppercorns, lemon juice and herbs. Cover everything with water.

Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about an hour.

Skim off any foam. Cool and then strain out the solid ingredients. Store in freezertight containers.

VaFarmBureau.org

Have a Soup-er Year!

Autumn Squash Soup INGREDIENTS

2 tart apples 1 Granny Smith apple 4 tablespoons butter 2 cups finely chopped yellow onion 1 tablespoon curry powder (optional) 3 pounds butternut squash, other autumn squashes, or pumpkin 5-6 c ups chicken stock or vegetable stock 1 cup apple cider or apple juice salt and pepper to taste fresh parsley or cilantro, chopped DIRECTIONS Peel, core and chop tart apples. Leave Granny Smith apple unpeeled, shred it and set aside.

Melt butter in a large pot. Add chopped onion and curry powder, cover and cook over low heat until onions are tender, about 15 minutes.

Peel the squash, scrape out the seeds and chop into large cubes. When the onions are tender, add 4 cups of stock, squash and tart apples, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until squash and apples are tender, about 25 minutes.

Puree the soup with a potato masher or an immersion blender, or puree it in small batches in a food processor or food mill. Add apple cider or juice and 1-2 cups additional stock until soup reaches the desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper, and simmer briefly to heat.

Garnish with shredded apple and chopped parsley or cilantro.

This soup will keep in the refrigerator for several days.

Source: Virginia Cooperative Extension

Autumn Squash Soup can be made with butternut or other autumn squash or with pumpkin.

VirginiaFarmBureau.com

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Heart of the Home

Leftover turkey from holiday meals is perfect pot pie filler This take on a traditional pot pie is the perfect way to use Thanksgiving and Christmas meal leftovers, including turkey, celery and carrots.

Real Virginia cooking host Caressa Jackson said the prepared pie crusts make this dish a simple option for post-holiday celebrations.

Double Crust Turkey Pot Pie INGREDIENTS

1 prepared deep-dish pie crust 2 tablespoons butter 1 onion, chopped 2 stalks celery, chopped 3 carrots, chopped 4 tablespoons flour 4 cups chicken or turkey stock 2 potatoes, peeled and diced 2 cups shredded cooked turkey ½ cup frozen peas, thawed 1 prepared refrigerated pie crust 1 egg, lightly beaten DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 350°, and bake deep dish crust for 10-15 minutes.

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and sauté the chopped onion until it’s tender, about 1 minute. Stir in the celery and carrots, and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the flour, and cook for 2 more minutes. Add the chicken stock, and bring to a boil. Add the potatoes, turn down the heat and simmer until potatoes are tender. Stir in the turkey and peas.

Pour the mixture into the deep dish crust.

Unroll the other crust and place it on top, pinching the edges tight and tearing off the excess crust. Brush with beaten egg, and bake for 30 minutes, until the crust is golden brown.

Serves 4-6.

What’s not to like about comfort food that also makes use of holiday leftovers?

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kathy dixon

VaFarmBureau.org

Heart of the Home

Pair Virginia pork and apples with cinnamon for a fragrant holiday meal Combining cinnamon and apples with a traditional pork tenderloin makes a festive and aromatic holiday dinner, said Real Virginia cooking host Caressa Jackson.

Many cuts of pork, including the tenderloin, are as lean as skinless chicken, and lean pork is a great source of protein and essential vitamins.

Cinnamon Apple Pork Tenderloin INGREDIENTS

kathy dixon

2 medium apples, sliced into thin wedges 2- to 3-pound boneless pork tenderloin ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon pepper 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for pan-searing pork 1 teaspoon brown sugar ½ tablespoon honey 1 tablespoon cinnamon 1 tablespoon lemon juice

This oven-roasted tenderloin can be an aromatic centerpiece for any number of celebratory meals.

To find the station nearest you that airs Real Virginia, or to view the show online, visit VaFarmBureau.org.

VirginiaFarmBureau.com

DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 350°. Line a baking dish with foil, and place 2⁄3 of the apple slices on the foil.

Sprinkle the tenderloin with salt and pepper. In a large skillet or grill pan, heat the oil and sear the meat about 2-3 minutes on each side until it’s lightly browned; cool slightly. Cut 3-inch-deep slits across the top of the tenderloin. Place the remaining apple slices in the slits, and then place the roast on top of the apple slices in the baking dish.

Tent the foil, sealing it completely, and bake for 30 minutes.

In a small mixing pan, stir together the brown sugar, honey, cinnamon and lemon juice, and add in the tablespoon of olive oil.

Remove the pork from the oven, and open the foil. Pour the cinnamon mixture over the tenderloin, re-cover and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes.

Serves 4.

Caressa Jackson appears on Real Virginia, Virginia Farm Bureau’s weekly television program, courtesy of Virginia Grown, a program of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Jackson grew up in rural Virginia, in a family that frequently cooks and enjoys Virginia farm products. The former Miss America has had the pleasure of dining all over the world, but says nothing compares to the taste of a meal made with Virginia-grown ingredients.

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Marketplace

Find farm-fresh products near you, with Farm Bureau Fresh Looking for local meats, honey or sweet potatoes? How about a fresh cut Christmas tree or evergreen garland? There’s a Farm Bureau member benefit that can simplify your search.

Farm Bureau Fresh, based on the Virginia Farm Bureau website at VaFarmBureau.org, lets farmer members who sell directly to the public or hold special events on their farms place free, searchable listings.

Consumers can use Farm Bureau Fresh to search for products in any of 15 categories, or use a ZIP code to locate all participating farms in a specific area. In addition to addresses, phone numbers and farm websites, you’ll be able to access a map and Google travel directions to each farm, stand or other venue.

Products currently are being listed in the following categories:

• agritourism • aquaculture • bees and honey • Christmas trees • CSAs • eggs • fiber • flowers • fruit • meat • mushrooms • peanuts • pick-your-own • pumpkins • vegetables

Local foods at the fair, fall decorations from farms, on Real Virginia Local foods took center stage at this year’s State Fair of Virginia, and the fair’s Educational Expo is Virginia’s largest outdoor classroom. Additionally, the state’s tobacco producers are adapting to a new economic reality, and fall decorations have proved lucrative for some Virginia farmers.

Learn more on Real Virginia, Virginia Farm Bureau’s weekly television program.

Watch this!

To view RealVirginia, visit VaFarmBureau.org.

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Cultivate NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014

Real Virginia airs nationwide at 3:30 p.m. on the first Saturday of each month on RFD-TV on Dish Network and DirecTV in the Voices of Agriculture time slot. It also airs weekly on WVPT Harrisonburg, WBRA Roanoke, WCVE Richmond, WHRO Norfolk, WVVA Bluefield and WTKR Norfolk, as well as on 40 cable systems across the state. It’s available online at VaFarmBureau.org.

Check local television listings, or visit VaFarmBureau.org for a list of participating stations.

VaFarmBureau.org

2015 magazine classified ad schedule and policies Members of Virginia Farm Bureau will receive one free 15-word classified ad per membership per year in Cultivate, which is mailed to associate members, or in Virginia Farm Bureau News, which is mailed to producer members.

Ads of 16 to 30 words must be accompanied by payment of $20.

Any additional ads placed by members in the same calendar year must be accompanied by payment of $10 for 15 words or fewer, or $20 for 16 to 30 words. Ads submitted without payment will be returned.

We do not invoice for classified ads or provide proofs or tearsheets.

Ads with more than 30 words and ads from nonmembers will not be accepted.

Use the form in the February 2015 issue of Cultivate or the online form at VaFarmBureau.org to place your ad. No ads or cancellations will be taken by phone. Ads will be accepted only from members whose membership is current.

Magazine classified ads can be placed in the following five categories only: • Crops; • Farm Equipment; • Hay/Straw; • Livestock; and • Livestock equipment.

Classified ads will be published in the following issues: • April Cultivate (mailed to associate members only); • May Virginia Farm Bureau News (mailed to producer members only); • July Cultivate (mailed to associate members only); and • August Virginia Farm Bureau News (mailed to producer members only).

Finding your member number When placing your ad, be sure to include your Farm Bureau member number, which can be found above your name on the mailing label of your copy of Cultivate. All member numbers will be verified.

Notice of Annual Meeting Virginia Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company The annual meeting of policyholders of Virginia Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company will be held at 8:30 a.m., Thursday, December 4, 2014, at The Homestead, Hot Springs, Virginia, for the following purposes: 1. To receive and act upon the reports of the officers of the Company.

2. To elect a Board of Directors, each to serve for the term of one year.

3. To transact such other business as may properly come before the meeting or any adjournment thereof.

Dated this 1st day of October, 2014.

Jonathan S. Shouse, Secretary

VirginiaFarmBureau.com

Notice of Annual Meeting Virginia Farm Bureau Marketing Association The annual meeting of members of the Virginia Farm Bureau Marketing Association will be held at 8:30 a.m., Thursday, December 4, 2014, at The Homestead, Hot Springs, Virginia, for the following purposes: 1. To receive and act upon the reports of the officers of the Association.

2. To elect a Board of Directors, each to serve for the term of one year.

3. To transact such other business as may properly come before the meeting or any adjournments thereof.

Dated this 1st day of October, 2014.

Jonathan S. Shouse, Secretary

Cultivate NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014

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Hope you had as much fun as we did!

The organizers of the State Fair of Virginia hope you had as much fun at the 2104 fair as we had planning and presenting it.

We’re grateful to the 238,000 fairgoers who made the fair part of their fall. We’re equally grateful for the work of our agricultural partners and everyone who participated in livestock, equine, vocational, horticulture and arts & crafts competitions and demonstrations. The fair could not showcase the best of Virginia without you!

We look forward to welcoming you back in 2015, when the fair will be held Sept. 25 through Oct. 4.

Find out about other events at The Meadow Event Park at MeadowEventPark.com.