Cultivate April 2014

Cultivate april 2014

Virginia Farm Bureau

Organic farming: The process, and the decisions farmers make

Contents

Cultivate Volume 7, Number 2 April 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.

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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.

Member: Virginia Press Association

Features

Departments

12 Organic farming: The process, and the decisions farmers make

26 Have a Soup-er Year!

For some farmers, organic production is the way to go.

But it isn’t every farm’s best option.

28 Heart of the Home 30 Marketplace

10 VSU project illustrates potential for big payoff on small plot A test plot at Virginia State University is being used to show smaller-scale farmers how they might gross $1 per square foot on one acre.

Greg Hicks Vice President, Communications Pam Wiley Managing Editor Kathy Dixon Sr. Staff Writer/Photographer Sara Owens Staff Writer/Photographer Morgan Barker Staff Writer/Photographer Bill Altice Graphic Designer Maria La Lima Graphic Designer

8 Farm Bureau enjoys long relationship with Special Olympics Virginia Farm Bureau and Special Olympics Virginia enjoy a relationship that has spanned 25 years of sponsorship and volunteer opportunities.

EDITORIAL TEAM

Cathy Vanderhoff Advertising VISIT US ONLINE

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

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Members – Address change?

On the Cover

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Becky and Lawrence (right) Latane of Westmoreland County and their son, Cameron, raise certified organic vegetables and herbs (Photo by Kathy Dixon).

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

Snapshot of Virginia agriculture since 2007 emerges Preliminary findings from the 2012 U.S. Census of Agriculture were released Feb. 20, and Virginia came out looking pretty good in some respects.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture surveys America’s farmers every five years, and the 2012 survey was conducted last year and based on farm activities in 2012.

It found that, in contrast to surrounding states, the amount of land in farms in Virginia increased by more than 229,000 acres, to a total of 8.33 million acres. The average farm size also grew by 10 acres, to 181 acres.

“Based on the preliminary report, we noticed that any Virginia farm that has 100 acres or more increased in size in 2012,” said Herman Ellison, Virginia statistician for the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.

“The other category we can look at is farms by economic class.

(In 2012), farms that generated $50,000 in income or more also increased in number, while our (smaller) farms generating less than $50,000 a year decreased” from 41,645 in 2007 to 39,113 in 2012.”

It’s hard to draw strong conclusions from the preliminary report, Ellison said; the full census report is expected in May. But he noted that 2012 was a year with record prices for grain farmers.

“That’s when we had high grain prices for corn, soybeans and wheat. This is also the year there was a major drought in the Midwest grain areas. Our corn yields didn’t do so well, but we had a record year for soybean production.”

Timing might have been everything when it came to the larger numbers for Virginia farmland, said Dr. Gordon Groover, an associate professor in Virginia Tech’s Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics. He speculated that higher grain prices going into 2012 might have led some farmers to convert pastures and hay land to crop production, especially in Southside Virginia. As for farms getting larger, that’s a long-term trend he wasn’t surprised to see continue.

“If capital inputs like tractors, buildings and land prices have increased in costs, the one way for farmers to stay current is to expand production and reduce the fixed cost per unit of production,” Groover said.

Tony Banks, assistant director of commodity marketing for Virginia Farm Bureau Federation, said the Census of Agriculture “is a five-year snapshot that captures an image of the agricultural economy. In 2012 we saw high grain and oilseed prices and higher meat and dairy prices. But many areas of Virginia, as well as the nation, were experiencing drought” and were affected by other circumstances not captured by the census, such as severe weather and exchange rates.

VirginiaFarmBureau.com

That means that, while the latest census paints a good picture for Virginia agriculture, the battle for farm profitability never ends, Banks said.

“In 2014 grain prices are expected to trend lower, and cattlemen are trying to rebuild their herds after a couple years of drought and responding to higher beef prices. So farmers are always facing an ever-changing set of factors.”

Top 20 Virginia farm commodities The commonwealth’s top 20 agricultural commodities in terms of 2012 cash receipts are:

Commodity

2012 Cash Receipt Value ($ Million)

1. Broiler chickens

$649

2. Cattle/Calves

$434

3. Milk

$358

4. Turkeys

$324

5. Soybeans

$302

6. Greenhouse/Nursery

$272

7. Corn for grain

$212

8. Hay

$123

9. Winter wheat

$109

10. Tobacco

$109

11. Eggs

$ 91

12. Cotton fiber

$ 69

13. Fresh tomatoes

$ 62

14. Hogs

$ 55

15. Apples

$ 54

16. Peanuts

$ 24

17. Summer potatoes

$ 15

18. Cottonseed

$ 12

19. Barley

$ 12

20. Grapes

$ 11

Source: Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

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Books of the Year honored for agriculture content Two children’s books with Virginia connections are being recognized this year for accurate, educational and compelling depictions of agriculture.

What’s in the Garden?

Virginia’s Agriculture in the Classroom program has selected What’s in the Garden?

by Marianne Berkes as its 2014 Virginia AITC Book of the Year.

Told in riddle form, it features colorful illustrations of plants and gives children the opportunity to guess what fruit or vegetable grows on each one. The page following each plant’s description reveals the fruit or vegetable, along with a kid-friendly recipe.

What’s in the Garden? features the work of Buckingham County illustrator Cris Arbo and was read and distributed in schools statewide by volunteers during Virginia’s fourth annual Agriculture Literacy Week, March 23-29.

New farming documentary to be shown in Norfolk Farmland, a feature-length documentary film about young farmers and their day-to-day lives, will be released nationally May 1 and distributed in more than 60 major markets.

Norfolk’s Regal MacArthur Center Stadium is one of the regional screening sites for the film by Academy Award-winning filmmaker James Moll. The public screening is scheduled for 7 p.m. on May 1.

Farmland offers viewers an intimate, first-hand glimpse into the lives of a fourth-generation poultry farmer from Georgia, a sixthgeneration cattle rancher with operations in Texas and Colorado, a fifth-generation Nebraska corn and soybean producer, a fourthgeneration produce grower in California, a fourth-generation Minnesota hog farmer and a first generation vegetable farmer in Pennsylvania.

The film will premier in New York on April 17 during the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival.

Farmland was produced by Allentown Productions with support from the U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance, of which Virginia Farm Bureau Federation is a member.

USFRA consists of nearly 80 farmer and rancher organizations and their agricultural partners, representing virtually all aspects of agriculture.

To see a trailer of the film, visit farmlandfilm.com.

The Beeman The American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture presented its seventh annual Book of the Year award to Laurie Krebs of Williamsburg for her book The Beeman, which introduces young readers to bees, beekeeping and the pollination process.

Krebs is a retired elementary school teacher whose beekeeper husband visited her classroom to tell children about his hobby.

The AFBFA presents its Book of the Year award to identify books that accurately cover agricultural topics. It maintains its Accurate Ag Books database of more than 400 titles for children, teenagers and adults at agfoundation.org.

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Cultivate APRIL 2014

VaFarmBureau.org

>> save the dates

Signature events planned for 2014 at The Meadow Event Park Five signature events are being held at The Meadow Event Park in Caroline County this year to capitalize on the historic property.

Virginia Farm Bureau Federation became full owner of the venue in 2013. It is the former Meadow Farm, birthplace of Thoroughbred racing legend Secretariat, and home to the State Fair of Virginia since 2009.

The diverse events will feature hot air balloons, craft beer, Virginia wine, country music and holiday lights.

The annual Secretariat Birthday Celebration at The Meadow was held March 29.

Mid-Atlantic Balloon Festival The inaugural Mid-Atlantic Balloon Festival, which will be held May 10 and 11, will feature about 20 hot air balloons from across the country. Visitors will have an opportunity to take tethered and untethered balloon rides or simply enjoy the colorful spectacle from the ground. The event also will feature local artisans, Virginia wines, craft beer, live music and a children’s area. Details and advance tickets are available at midatlanticballoonfestival.com.

K95 CountryFest at The Meadow The third event is not new to Virginia, but it is new to The Meadow. K95 CountryFest at The Meadow, scheduled for June 28, will offer a full day of country

music and summer fun, including competitive bull riding and barrel racing.

National recording artists Travis Tritt and Greg Bates are slated to perform, along with local and regional acts. Details and advance tickets are available at k95countryfest.com.

State Fair of Virginia The State Fair of Virginia will be held Sept. 26 through Oct. 5 and will include rides, games and music, along with a continued emphasis on agriculture. The 4-H and FFA youth livestock competitions will return, as will Young MacDonald’s Farm, a full schedule of equine events and the two-night rodeo. Details are being added to StateFairVa.org as they become available.

Illuminate at The Meadow Illuminate at The Meadow, which will feature a 1½-mile drive-through holiday light display, will open Nov. 21 and run through Jan. 4, 2015. It also will include a holiday village with seasonal shopping, photos with Santa and Yuletide treats.

In 2015: Virginia Horse Festival The annual Virginia Equine Extravaganza, which was held last November, is being re-organized as the Virginia Horse Festival.

That new event will be held in March 2015.

Virginia wine competition returning to 2014 State Fair Virginia wineries have been invited to submit wines for judging at the 2014 State Fair of Virginia commercial wine competition.

“The State Fair’s annual wine competition has, in past years, generated considerable attention for winning wines and wineries, and rightfully so,” said Wayne F. Pryor, president of Virginia Farm Bureau Federation, which owns the fair. “Virginia’s wine industry is a vibrant and important element of Virginia agriculture, and Virginia wines are enjoyed in many parts of the world. Bringing the competition back for the 2014 fair is a wonderful opportunity to showcase some remarkable products.”

The competition was last held in VirginiaFarmBureau.com

2011. It previously drew more than 250 entries from wineries throughout the commonwealth. Judging will take place in June, and winning wines will be on display during the fair.

All proceeds from the 2014 competition will benefit the fair’s scholarship program.

“Revitalizing this competition is important, not only from an agricultural standpoint but also because it will help the State Fair continue to award more than $70,000 in scholarship funds each year,” said Jeff Dillon, the fair’s president. “Those scholarships reward young people for their dedication and achievement in State Fair livestock, science, technology and art competitions.”

Wines will be judged in June for the 2014 State Fair of Virginia commercial wine competition.

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When behind the wheel, make driving your No. 1 priority April has been designated Distracted Driving Awareness Month in Virginia.

Virginia Farm Bureau has partnered with Drive Smart Virginia to raise awareness of distracted driving’s possible consequences.

Distracted driving is any activity that could divert a person’s attention away from the primary task of driving. All distractions endanger driver, passenger and bystander safety.

Eight out of 10 traffic crashes in Virginia are related to a distracted driving incident. In 2012, 3,328 people nationwide were killed in crashes caused by a distracted driver, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. An estimated 421,000 people were injured in crashes involving a distracted driver.

Put devices, diversions out of reach Avoid eating and drinking while driving. Set your GPS, radio or iPod before you start your vehicle; and turn off your phone or put it out of reach if necessary.

A text can take only five seconds to read, but how far are you likely to drive in those five seconds?

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Cultivate APRIL 2014

Eliminating those distracting behaviors can help drivers focus on their speed, rules of the road and the traffic around them, said Janet Brooking, executive director of Drive Smart Virginia.

“An average text message takes nearly five seconds, which means your eyes can be off the road for the entire length of a football field. If you are updating your Facebook status or posting a picture on Instagram, it could take even longer,” Brooking said. “Even just talking on your cell phone is distracting and reduces your brain activity associated with driving by 37 percent.”

No-texting law in effect since last July As of July 1, 2013, Virginia has a primary texting and driving law. Any driver who uses his or her phone to manually enter multiple letters or text in an effort to communicate with another person is guilty of texting and driving.

It’s also illegal to read any email or text message. A fine for a first offense is $125.

A second or subsequent offense carries a $250 fine.

Drivers under the age of 18 and school bus drivers are prohibited from using hand-held or hands-free cell phones.

The Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration has banned hand-held cell phone use while driving a vehicle that requires a commercial driver’s license; the use of hands-free devices is still permitted.

“These days we rely on our phones for so much more than just talking,” Brooking said. “Cell phones are an important part of our daily communication. But when you’re driving, they should be out of sight, out of mind.

Anyone who says they can multi-task behind the wheel is fooling themselves.”

For more information, visit DriveSmartVa.org.

State Police cite 500-plus drivers for texting while driving In the first six months since Virginia’s texting-while-driving ban became a primary offense, Virginia State Police troopers issued 567 citations for the violation.

Troopers have the discretion to warn, summons or arrest a violator. As with any other primary offense, they must observe illegal conduct of a vehicle’s operator, providing them with reasonable suspicion to initiate a traffic stop.

“Distracted driving puts everybody at risk on the highway,” said Col. W. Steven Flaherty, State Police superintendent.

Need a refresher course?

Virginia offers Driver Improvement Program In Virginia, a vehicle crash occurs every three minutes. The odds are one in four that you will be involved in a crash during your lifetime.

To reduce those odds, the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles has created the Driver Improvement Program, which rewards safe drivers and warns potentially unsafe ones.

Driver improvement clinics offer defensive driving techniques that can help you avoid and prevent crashes. The eight-hour classroom sessions cost no more than $100 and are offered at sites around the state as well as online.

Participants may be awarded five safe driving points once every 24 months after successfully completing a driver improvement clinic.

To find out more, visit dmv.virginia. gov/drivers.

VaFarmBureau.org

WANTED:

More Virginia wine grapes

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Albemarle County. “Winery owners want to grow their business, and the demand also has grown.”

Hill said most wineries have extended their vineyards as far as they can. Ideally, they need more land to grow more grapes, but if someone else grows grapes for them, they’d be happy to buy.

Buyers need tons, not pounds Len Thompson grows 7 acres of grapes. He was named the 2013 Virginia Grape Grower of the Year.

“We got into grape growing when I was ready to retire from the Navy,” Thompson said. “I was looking for a second career, something to do, and we owned some land in Amherst County.”

He said most growers start with 3 to 5 acres.

“You’re not going to sell 200 pounds of grapes to a winery. They want tons.

So that’s going to dictate the amount of vineyard you’re going to need.”

By Norm Hyde and Sara Owens

T

he Virginia wine industry has earned plenty of national and international accolades in recent years, but the amount of wine grapes being grown in the Old Dominion has remained relatively flat.

And that’s hampering the potential growth of the whole industry, according to Bill Tonkins, vineyard manager at Veritas Vineyards and Winery.

“Nobody’s growing enough grapes for large-scale production,” Tonkins said. “The average-size winery is only about 5 acres. Those operations are not

VirginiaFarmBureau.com

Much of state suitable for vineyards producing grapes in the quantities to make a large quantity of wine—no more than 2,000 or 3,000 cases a year.”

Under state law a wine cannot be called Virginia wine unless 50 percent or more of the grapes used in it come from Virginia.

The number of Virginia wineries jumped to more than 250 this year, Tonkins said. That represents tremendous growth from 78 wineries a decade ago.

“The wineries I’ve spoken to probably need 20 to 30 percent more grapes each year,” said Christopher Hill, a grape grower and vineyard consultant in

Many areas of the state have locations suitable for grape growing, said Dr. Tony Wolf, professor of Viticulture and director of Alson H. Smith Jr. Agricultural Research and Extension Center.

“There are people growing grapes successfully all over the state. There are pros and cons to all areas of the state. You can look at a map of Virginia vineyards and wineries, and that will give you a sense of the best places to grow grapes.”

Technical support and information is available from Virginia Cooperative Extension and industry specialists for potential growers.

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‘Truly an uplifting way to spend your day’ Farm Bureau enjoys long relationship with Special Olympics softball skills clinic. Last year more than 30 employees from all over the state volunteered to help run the softball skills competition at the Summer Games in Richmond, but the event was cancelled because of heavy rains.

Farm Bureau also provides a scholarship for each of its 88 county offices to send an athlete to the Summer Games each year.

By Kathy Dixon

hile Special Olympics Virginia athletes got tips on dribbling, driving and dunking basketballs from the University of Richmond Spiders men’s basketball team, Virginia Farm Bureau employees scored benefits of their own.

“I walked away with a big smile on my face,” said VFB Vice President of Claims Rick Mattox, who helped at the sixth annual SOVA basketball clinic on Feb. 9.

“The fun, enthusiasm, sportsmanship, competitiveness and camaraderie of the Olympians is contagious.”

Mattox was one of more than a dozen Farm Bureau employees and family members who shared part of their weekend to help out. “Year after year, I find Special Olympics to be one of the most rewarding events Farm Bureau participates in,” he said. “It is truly an uplifting way to spend your day.”

Senior Claims Field Representative Kent Calfee, his wife, Rhea, and their youngest son, Joel, were at the recent basketball clinic as well. Calfee said all three of his sons have helped with Special Olympics events in the past.

“All three sons love sports, and the pure joy that the athletes exhibit make it a very fulfilling time for my entire family,” he said.

During the one-day event at the UR Weinstein Center for Recreation and Wellness, basketball team members worked one on one with the Special Olympics athletes to hone their skills.

“The athletes are full of energy and excitement, and it’s really infectious,” said Pat Caine, Farm Bureau chief information officer and coordinator of the company’s volunteers at the clinic. He’s helped with various Special Olympics events for the past 15 years.

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Goal is 1,450 athletes this summer ‘Volunteers are essential to our program’ Farm Bureau first sponsored Special Olympics Virginia in 1989 during an event called Winterfest. In 1993, the organization became a sponsor of the Special Olympics Virginia Summer Games and began recruiting employee volunteers to help at the games. A little more than a decade later, Farm Bureau began sponsoring the state golf championships, for which it provided financial support through 2012.

In 2007, Farm Bureau took on sponsorship of the Special Olympics Virginia Volunteer Awards programs.

When the first basketball clinic was held in 2009, Farm Bureau became a sponsor for that as well.

“Volunteers are essential to our program; we can’t provide the welcome environment that we have without volunteers like those from Farm Bureau,” said Roy Zeidman, Special Olympics Virginia senior vice president of marketing and development.

As many as 20 employees helped with each of the annual golf tournaments and typically more than 20 help with a

Overall, more than 1,300 Special Olympics athletes from across the state participated in last year’s Summer Games. The goal for this year’s event, which will be held June 6 and 7 in Richmond, is 1,450 athletes, Zeidman said. The athletes range in age from 8 to 81.

To help with the event, about 3,500 volunteers and 500 coaches and chaperones work at the Summer Games.

Sports competitions include bowling, power lifting, softball, swimming, tennis and track and field events. Farm Bureau volunteers run the softball skills clinic, which prepares athletes to join a competitive softball team.

“Farm Bureau runs the softball skills clinic from soup to nuts,” Zeidman said.

Volunteers register the athletes and conduct skills tests in catching, hitting and running bases. They also cheer the athletes on.

“Our volunteer efforts stretch well beyond Richmond, as agents and other staff members work at local events and present awards at local and regional competitions,” said Sarah Marshall Elliott, Farm Bureau’s director of marketing and brand strategy. The

VaFarmBureau.org

barbara zeidman

Virginia Farm Bureau field claims representative Kent Calfee (previous page) and sales director Gerald Gardner (above, right) are among volunteers who want to make sure Special Olympics athletes have a positive experience at various competitions and sports clinics.

‘The athletes are full of energy and excitement, and it’s really infectious.’

— PAT CAINE, Farm Bureau

chief information officer

organization also sponsors the Annual Special Olympics Virginia Awards Luncheon, which celebrates Special Olympics champions, athletes, volunteers and families.

“We’re an organization that wants to be involved in the community and to give back,” Caine said.

VirginiaFarmBureau.com

giving back

Farm Bureau supports other Virginia charities

Virginia Farm Bureau and its employees also assist other charitable community organizations.

• Every two months, employees in the Richmond area serve food to clients of a homeless shelter run by the Salvation Army.

• Each fall Farm Bureau employees contribute toward the purchase of Thanksgiving meals for families in need. Last year they donated $1,460 to the Thanksgiving efforts of the Richmond Department of Social Services. The annual donation benefits families in a different locality each year.

• A year-long charitable contribution program allows Farm Bureau employees to benefit a multitude of charities through payroll-deducted donations. Employees agree to have

the donations deducted from each paycheck in exchange for a casual “jeans day” dress code on designated Fridays. Their contributions totaled $12,477 in 2013 and benefited local, state and national employee-selected charities.

• Farm Bureau employees in the organization’s home office in Goochland County collect backpacks and school supplies for the Goochland County YMCA’s annual Bright Beginnings program.

• Employees volunteer to help build homes for Habitat for Humanity in Goochland County.

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morgan barker

VSU PROJECT EXAMINES POTENTIAL FOR BIG PAYOFF FROM A SMALL SPACE

“I’m trying to redefine what profitability is on a small farm,” said Clif Slade, a small farm outreach agent for Virginia Cooperative Extension at Virginia State University. “You don’t need 50 acres and farm equipment to make money.”

The 43,560 Initiative at Virginia State University seeks to illustrate ways to farm a small amount of land for a big payoff.

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By Morgan Barker and Sara Owens “There’s 43,560 square feet in an acre. Our objective is to gross that much ($43,560) from one acre,” said William Crutchfield, field coordinator for VSU’s Small Farm Outreach Program. “There have been books written about it, and we’re attempting a demonstration to see if you can do it. We’re trying to make a dollar per square foot, and you would net about half that.”

A variety of crops were planted on the one-acre test plot last year. “A little over half the plot is leafy vegetables, but we’re

also growing sweet corn, fruit, melons and tomatoes,” Crutchfield said during the 2013 growing season. “As one crop deteriorates, we’re plowing it under and planting something else.”

At the same time, the project helped support people in need. “We’re working with the local food banks and other nonprofits to do gleaning,” Crutchfield said.

This year, VSU will plant Irish potatoes, chickpeas, onions, carrots, cabbage, collards, lettuce, kale, turnips, beets, Swiss chard, edamame, bok choy, tomatoes, eggplant, cucumbers, radishes and sweet potatoes.

VaFarmBureau.org

“In order to maximize profit on a small parcel of land, these are some of the best crops to grow,” said Clif Slade, a Virginia Cooperative Extension small farm outreach agent at VSU. Some important parts of production include liming, drip irrigation and planting a winter cover crop. “To get the yield I’m talking about, you need soil with a pH of 6.5,” Slade said. “For the winter cover crop, you’ll need to plant grass and legumes for nitrogen; common red clover and fescue will build the soil up. Drip irrigation will ensure that your plants will survive even when there isn’t a lot of rain and during high temperatures.”

Slade has undertaken the same project on his own farm and believes it’s possible for farmers to maximize profits on a small plot of land. “You’ll need $10,000 for up-front costs, which is what you would usually use to plant 15 acres,” he said. “But I’m trying to redefine what profitability is on a small farm. You don’t need 50 acres and farm equipment to make money.”

Marketing is another essential part of meeting the $43,560 goal. “Many people tell me they want to try this method on 5 or 6 acres, and I have to talk them down,” Slade said. “You have to test it first and find your market, and then you can think about expanding. I advise everybody to start small, try it out and then move up.”

Slade’s marketing approach has four parts: on-farm sales, farmers’ market sales, CSA sales and restaurant sales.

“On-farm sales are great; you set up a website and email customers and tell them when things are ready,” Slade said.

“Pick-your-own is the best, because it’s the least labor-intensive.”

Forming a CSA or selling to CSA operators is another good idea, he said.

“That’s what I did on my farm. I sold to a CSA with 250 members. Each week, I’d have 250 of something ready for those customers.”

Slade said he also recommends selling to restaurants. “Selling to high-end, white-tablecloth restaurants is a good option. They love using local produce and highlighting it on their menus.”

He said producers within driving distance of large metropolitan areas have added potential to increase their profits.

“If you love and respect the land and VirginiaFarmBureau.com

More than half of the VSU test plot was planted in leafy greens last year, but researchers also planted sweet corn, fruit, melons and tomatoes.

“Many people tell me they want to try this method on 5 or 6 acres, and I have to talk them down,” Slade said. “You have to test it first and find your market, and then you can think about expanding.”

treat it right, it will treat you right,” Slade said.

Grossing a dollar an acre requires some labor, he said, but “if you’re willing to do the work, the money is there.”

It generally will take three to five years to become successful at growing enough

crops on an acre to gross $43,560.

VSU’s annual Vegetable and Berry Field Day on June 12 will showcase the 43,560 Initiative. There also are numerous volunteer opportunities for those interested in learning more about the project. Contact Slade at cslade@vsu.edu.

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ORGANIC FARMING: The process, and the decisions farmers make Just as grocery shoppers make careful choices about what their families will eat, Virginia farmers must make informed and carefully considered decisions about how they will produce their meats, vegetables, fruits and other products.

For some, organic production is the way to go.

For others, it’s not their farms’ best option. For all, the goal is still wholesome food.

Both organic and conventionally raised foods have a place in industry and supermarkets

By Sara Owens Organic food is the fastest-growing sector of agriculture, with sales of organic products showing an annual increase of at least 20 percent over the past decade.

That’s a high growth rate for U.S. food products, but it is not yet a significant portion of total product sales, according to Dr. Jim Pease, a professor in Virginia Tech’s department of agriculture and applied economics. There are 2.2 million farms in the United States. Slightly more than 20,000— about 2 percent—are certified organic.

Tony Banks, a commodity marketing specialist for Virginia Farm Bureau Federation who works with organic and non-organic farmers, said organic production definitely has a place in the agriculture community.

“Some organic methods, such as crop rotation, cover crops and rotational grazing systems, can be very similar in cost to conventional methods and often are used on conventional farms,” Banks said.

However, relying extensively on compost and green manures requires access to suitable quantities of compost and acreage devoted to nutrient-enriching cover crops instead of food production.

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“Some of these practices may work for someone with small acreage; but for someone with hundreds or thousands of acres, it can be very difficult and more costly to accomplish on a larger scale,” Banks said.

“The input costs of farming would increase, and the cost of food would rise tremendously, and when there are already many people struggling to eat, that’s not ideal. Consumers in the United States are fortunate to have many food choices because we have farms of all sizes and production types; that is what’s important.”

Pease said that while both organic and conventional methods have a place at the table, conventional farms are needed to supply food for the world.

“We have an abundance of agricultural resources, particularly land, in the United States. We now export approximately onethird of our production to other countries,” he said. “Those populations need a lot of products produced as cheaply as possible, particularly protein products. We have an agricultural sector that is now able to supply the export demand, yet still have enough capacity to produce alternative products, such as organic food.”

Pease said the U.S. agriculture industry is strong enough to supply both the world and the newer demands of U.S. consumers, but it cannot supply enough food for everyone using organic growing methods exclusively, because the input costs would simply be too high.

“The labor force in agriculture has been shrinking for 80 years, and it’s very, very hard to hire workers for agricultural production,” he said. “Because the labor force has shrunk so much, the industry relies on labor-saving technology, such as GMO seed and synthetic fertilizer. Organic growing is much more labor-intensive and costly, and that’s something most farmers cannot endure.”

The key factor American consumers consider when selecting groceries is price, Pease said.

“We could not devote a much larger proportion of our agriculture resources to organic production and still keep food expenses so low for the consumer and generate large export earnings.”

VaFarmBureau.org

OrganicFarming

Westmoreland farmers: Organic certification ‘speaks for itself’

By Kathy Dixon

“We didn’t know how many peppers we’d grown last year until the audit,” Becky admitted.

It’s hard to keep track of everything that they grow. From asparagus and arugula to microgreens and rosemary, the Latanes plant traditional vegetables along with more adventurous ones like escarole, radicchio and kohlrabi.

While they do experience some crop loss due to disease or insects, the farm supports the three of them, and they’re satisfied with it.

“People like the flavor of our produce and the quality of our products,” Becky said. “Our produce is normally beautiful, but even when it’s not, the flavor makes up for it.”

Becky and Lawrence Latane grow certified organic vegetables and herbs on 15 acres for their community-supported agriculture customers and to sell at area farmers’ markets. When they were photographed in late February, they had started a variety of lettuces and greens for spring.

photos kathy dixon

As LAWRENCE AND BECKY LATANE and their son, Cameron, cultivate the fields near George Washington’s birthplace in Westmoreland County, they feel connected to nature.

“You can look up from picking and see sparrows flitting about, wildflowers blooming and beneficial insects buzzing around,” Lawrence said. “It feels like there is little separation between what we’re doing and nature. The biodiversity feels natural.”

The Latanes’ Blenheim Organic Gardens produce about 15 acres of certified organic herbs and vegetables for their communitysupported agriculture, or CSA, customers and also enables them to sell at a couple of farmers’ markets each year.

The farm has been certified organic by the U.S. Department of Agriculture since it began 14 years ago. And the Latanes believe it’s important to let customers know their produce is grown organically and certified as such.

At the Fredericksburg and Williamsburg farmers’ markets where they sell their produce, customers want to know how the food is grown. “Being certified organic,” Lawrence said,“speaks for itself.”

There are two reasons the Latanes became organic producers, they said.

Before becoming full-time farmers, they had planted a successful garden each year and never used pesticides, and they wanted to continue growing vegetables that way.

Additionally, they knew they wanted to be small-scale farmers, so they needed to produce something high-value rather than high-volume.

When Latane retired from The Richmond Times-Dispatch in 2000 after working 22 years as a reporter, organic production had been gaining in popularity. He had written a series of articles about sustainable agriculture, and he and his wife decided that would be their niche.

Each year they are evaluated by a thirdparty organic inspector from a USDAapproved certification firm in Florida. The inspector comes to their farm, checks their planting records, verifies that the natural and biologically derived pesticides are all on the approved list and examines their sales records.

The annual certification costs close to $1,500, but the Latanes said it’s worthwhile.

Knowing what’s required for recertification each year forces them to keep good records, even during the busiest of times.

VirginiaFarmBureau.com

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OrganicFarming

The Latanes’ farm is subject to annual evaluation by a Florida-based organic certification firm that’s approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

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OrganicFarming

The Latanes farm with their son, Cameron. Their early season crops include microgreens, arugula and chard.

Recycled wine bottles have proven useful for watering tiny plants in trays, and weeding and thinning are part of the production process.

VirginiaFarmBureau.com

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OrganicFarming

Floyd farmers meet some standards for organic, find certification ‘a moot point for us’

By Kathy Dixon

The pork label says the hogs were raised outside without antibiotics or growth hormones, and the beef label says the animals were grass-fed and raised without the use of antibiotics or hormones.

“They could be organic if the pastures were certified organic,” Bright said. Even though he’s not treating the pastures with any herbicides or pesticides, he’s chosen not to seek organic certification for them.

According to the USDA’s National Organic Program regulations, organic fields shall have no prohibited substances applied to them for a period of three years immediately preceding harvest of the crop. And they are required to have distinct, defined boundaries and buffer zones to prevent the unintended application of a prohibited substance to the crop from neighboring lands not using organic methods.

“It’s a moot point for us, because we’re just a mom and pop operation,” Bright said. “People buy from us because they know it’s clean.”

photos kathy dixon

LARRY AND DEBBY BRIGHT follow the concepts of organic farming, but they are not certified organic farmers.

It would cost three times as much to feed their pasture-raised Tamworth hogs, grassfed beef cattle and pasture-raised broilers and Thanksgiving turkeys in order for Bright Farm in Floyd County to be certified organic.

“It’s not economically viable for us,” Larry said. “Business is good; the farm’s doing well, so why change?”

If the couple sold to large retailers, Larry noted, it might be beneficial to obtain organic certification. But since they sell directly from the farm and have a base of about 400 customers who trust their farming practices, they choose not to.

The hogs graze on pasture, but about 60 percent of their feed is a corn/soybean mix that the Brights buy from Big Spring Feedmill in nearby Elliston. The Angus, Devonshire and Hereford cows are raised on 100 percent pasture without any supplemental grain.

Because the hog feed is not certified organic, the hogs can’t be classified as organic. Organic grain is grain that is grown from non-genetically modified seeds and has been produced according to organic standards.

Bright said the hogs and cattle are not treated with antibiotics, artificial hormones or vaccines, and he refers to them as natural. While the U.S. Department of Agriculture doesn’t certify “natural” farm products, it does give a definition: “As required by USDA, meat, poultry and egg products labeled as ‘natural’ must be minimally processed and contain no artificial ingredients.” The definition does not include any standards regarding farm practices and applies to processing of meat and egg products only. Federal regulations have never permitted hormones or steroids in poultry, pork or goat.

Each year, Bright Farm sells about 120 hogs, 50 beef cattle, a few thousand broilers and a couple hundred turkeys. The meat products are labeled “Bright’s Pork – Naturally” or “Bright’s Beef – Naturally.”

Beef cattle from Bright Farm in Floyd County are raised on 100 percent pasture and no supplemental grain.

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OrganicFarming

Larry Bright’s pigs graze on pasture and receive a soybean and corn mix from a local feed mill. Bright and his wife, Debby, sell meat and poultry products directly from their farm and have chosen not to pursue organic certification, though they employ some practices used on organic farms.

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OrganicFarming Certified seal proves farm products are truly organic tour. “The inspector is the eyes and ears on the ground,” Barton explained. He or she checks to make sure the farm is in compliance with organic regulations and notes any areas of concern.

After a post-inspection review, certification staff make a recommendation, and if the farmer is approved, a certificate is issued to him or her.

There is an annual fee for the application and inspection process, and farmers need to be recertified every year.

“It’s a voluntary program, and it’s not for everyone,” Barton said. “But some producers feel it’s valuable to have a third party vouch for them.”

By Kathy Dixon “Organic.”

“Natural.”

“Free-range.”

“Pasture-raised.”

“Grass-fed.”

Food labels can be overwhelming, and the definitions can be baffling.

So what is a shopper to do?

For those who want to buy organic, look for foods bearing the “USDA organic” seal or one that says “certified organic by [a certifying organization].” The seals indicate a product has been grown or produced using approved methods spelled out by the National Organic Program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“The NOP is the most rigorously enforced production program I’ve seen, and it can give consumers peace of mind that the certification means something,” said Julia Barton, a program manager for the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association. OEFFA, a nonprofit membership-based organization and organic certifying agency, is one of the nine certifiers servicing Virginia farmers.

Overall, organic farming focuses on renewable resources, soil and water conservation and improving a farm’s ecological balance. Synthetic fertilizers, biosolids, irradiation and genetic engineering may not be used. Organic livestock producers don’t use antibiotics, hormones or conventional medications, although vaccinations are allowed.

“It’s a comprehensive systems approach,” Barton said.

Certified products meet requirements The NOP regulates all organic crops, livestock and agricultural products certified to USDA organic standards. In order to sell, label or represent their products as organic, operations must follow all of the specifications spelled out in the USDA 18

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Recordkeeping helps farmers

organic regulations. Operations that sell products as organic but whose annual gross agricultural income from organic sales totals $5,000 or less annually are exempt from certification.

If a product carries the USDA organic seal, it has 95 percent or more organic content. If a label claims a food product is made with specified organic ingredients, then those ingredients have been certified organic.

Organic plan required To get certified, farmers have to apply to one of the third-party certifying agencies like OEFFA. The annual springtime application includes an organic system plan, “which is basically an on-paper tour of (an applicant’s) farm,” Barton said.

An inspection coordinator reviews the application and then sends it to an inspector who performs an actual on-farm

Some farmers take issue with the paperwork involved in the certification process, “but the required records are what you’d aspire to keep as a producer anyway, organic or otherwise,” Barton said.

While many consumers believe organic farming means no synthetic herbicides, insecticides or pesticides, that is not necessarily the case. Organic producers are required to try natural methods of controlling insects or diseases, but if those don’t work, the Organic Materials Review Institute publishes an approved list of mostly non-synthetic products they can use. Additionally, certifying agencies will review inputs to determine whether they are approved for use in organic production.

“You have to document that you’ve tried the alternatives first,” Barton said. “It’s not as simple as what you can or can’t use.”

VaFarmBureau.org

OrganicFarming Organic foods have four labeling options Under the National Organic Program, there are four types of labels that classify organic food products:

• “100 Percent Organic” means a product contains 100 percent organically produced ingredients that have been grown according to the NOP specifications. The product will have “100 Percent Organic” on its packaging, as well as the U.S. Department of Agriculture seal and name or logo of the certifying agent.

• “Organic” indicates a product contains at least 95 percent organically produced ingredients.

The product will have “organic” on the packaging, as well as the USDA organic seal and name or logo of the certifying agent. Additionally, each individual ingredient that is organic must be labeled as “organic” in the ingredients section of the packaging.

• “Made With Organic” means a multi-ingredient agricultural product contains at least 70 percent organically produced ingredients according to NOP guidelines.

The product will display “Made With Organic” and the name or logo of the certifying agent.

Additionally, individual ingredients that are organic must be labeled as “organic” in the ingredients section of the packaging. The packaging will not display the USDA seal.

• <70 Percent Organic” means a multi-ingredient agricultural product contains fewer than 70 percent organically produced ingredients. Non-organic ingredients in these products are not subject to the requirements of the NOP. The product will display the word “Organic” next to organically produced ingredients in the ingredient statement on the packaging, and the packaging will not display the USDA seal or any certifying agent’s information.

VirginiaFarmBureau.com

Are organic foods healthier?

Some proponents believe eating organic foods is more beneficial than eating foods produced using conventional farming methods. The perceived benefits vary, based on reasons for eating organic.

Researchers at Stanford University recently examined more than 200 studies about the benefits of eating organic foods and determined that there is not much difference between the nutritional content of organic and non-organic foods.

“There isn’t much difference between organic and conventional foods if you’re an adult and making a decision based solely on your health,” said Dr. Dena Bravata, senior author of the Stanford research paper published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

If, however, consumers want to eat organic foods because they have been exposed to fewer synthetic products, then that’s a valid reason according to the study.

At the same time, however, pesticide levels in both organic and non-organic foods were found to be within the allowable safety limits.

If consumers want to buy organic foods because they are believed to be good for the environment, there is good reason for that.

Organic foods certified under the National Organic Program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture have been produced through methods that “integrate cultural, biological and mechanical practices that foster cycling of resources, promote ecological balance and conserve biodiversity.”

According to the USDA website, synthetic fertilizers, biosolids, irradiation and genetic engineering may not be used. Under the NOP guidelines, organic livestock producers can’t use antibiotics, hormones or conventional medications, although vaccinations are allowed.

Other, non-organic labels are available for meats and eggs There are other voluntary labels for livestock products such as meat and eggs and the U.S. Department of Agriculture definitions for those are as follows: } Free-range—indicates that the poultry flock was provided shelter in a building, room or area with unlimited access to food and fresh water and continuous access to the outdoors during their production cycle.

The outdoor area may or may not be fenced and/or covered with netting-like material.

This label is regulated by the USDA.

} Cage-free— indicates that the flock was able to freely roam a building, room or enclosed area with unlimited access to food and fresh water during their production cycle.

} Natural—As required by USDA, meat, poultry and egg products labeled “natural” must be minimally processed and contain no artificial ingredients. However, the natural label does not include any standards regarding farm practices and applies only to processing of meat and egg products. There are no standards or regulations for the labeling of natural food products if they do not contain meat or eggs.

} Grass-fed— Grass-fed animals receive a majority of their nutrients from grass throughout their life, while organic animals’ pasture diet may be supplemented with grain. Also USDA-regulated, the grass-fed label does not limit the use of antibiotics, hormones, or pesticides. Meat products may be labeled as grass-fed organic. } Pasture-raised—Due to the number of variables involved in pasture-raised agricultural systems, the USDA has not developed a federal definition for pastureraised products. } Humane—Multiple labeling programs make claims that animals were treated humanely during the production cycle, but the verification of these claims varies widely.

These labeling programs are not regulated under a single USDA definition.

} No added hormones—A similar claim is “Raised without hormones.” Federal regulations have never permitted hormones or steroids in poultry, pork or goat.

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Financing Country Living Since 1916 The Experts in Rural Finance Homes • Land • Construction • Livestock Barns • Outbuildings • Equipment

800-919-FARM (3276)

FarmCredit.com

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Enjoy these discounts anywhere nationwide!

Any problems? Contact Deals Advantage support at 888-275-9136

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Members enjoy savings on many prescription drugs Virginia Farm Bureau’s free Prescription Drug Discount and Savings Program now affords members significant savings on more than 12,000 name-brand and generic prescription drugs at more than 57,000 pharmacies.

Members pay no fee to use the program, which is designed for individuals with no insurance coverage for prescription drugs.

It also can be used in instances when a prescription drug is not covered by a health insurance plan.

On average, participants save 20 percent on brand-name medications and 40 percent on generic ones, though savings can be as great at 75 percent on specific generic products. Members

Save $500 on purchase or lease of selected GM vehicles Farm Bureau members in Virginia can receive a $500 discount on the purchase or lease of qualifying Buick, Chevrolet and GMC vehicles at participating dealerships.

The Farm Bureau GM $500 Vehicle Discount Program is available for members who are at least 18 and have been Farm Bureau members for at least 60 days.

The discount is not a rebate and may not be stackable with some other incentives. It must be processed at the time of delivery; GM will not accept certificates on vehicles that already have been delivered.

To use this member benefit, visit fbverify.com/GM, enter your membership number and ZIP code, and print out a Farm Bureau Membership Verification Certificate to take to your GM dealership. Members without Internet access can get assistance in acquiring a certificate from their county Farm Bureau offices.

See participating GM dealers for full details.

can realize additional savings when they take advantage of the program’s mail-order service.

The Prescription Drug Discount and Savings Program is not insurance. Rather, it works via what’s known as a “consumer card” or “point of sale card” that can be used by your entire household.

There are no medical exams, no waiting periods, no claim forms to file and no exclusions for pre-existing conditions.

Simply present your card at a participating pharmacy when you have your prescription filled, or use it when ordering medicines through the mail-order service.

You can obtain a card from your county Farm Bureau office.

E L I G I B L E

Buick Enclave LaCrosse Lucerne Regal Verano

Chevrolet Avalanche Aveo Camaro Camaro C Camaro ZL1

V E H I C L E S :

Colorado Corvette Cruze Equinox Express HHR Impala Malibu (including 2013)

Silverado Suburban Tahoe Traverse

GMC Acadia Canyon Savana Sierra Terrain Yukon

Excluded from discount Cadillac Chevrolet Volt

Food deserts, aquaculture highlighted on Real Virginia in April Find out how many Virginians live in areas called food deserts with limited access to fresh, healthy groceries. And learn more about trout farming, which is part of Virginia’s a multi-million dollar aquaculture industry. Real Virginia also will bring you recipes for asparagus salad and fish tacos, and garden tips for your lawn and lilac bushes this month.

Watch this!

To view RealVirginia, visit VaFarmBureau.org.

Real Virginia is Virginia Farm Bureau’s weekly television program that 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.

VirginiaFarmBureau.com

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Marketplace

Find farm-fresh products near you, with Farm Bureau Fresh If you’re looking for Virginia farm-fresh strawberries and early-season produce, meats, starter plants for your garden or spring events on local farms, 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/ marketplace, lets members who farm and who sell directly to the public place free, searchable listings.

Consumers can use Farm Bureau Fresh to search for products in any of 14 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.

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Products currently are being listed in the following categories: • agritourism; • aquaculture; • bees and honey; • Christmas trees; • eggs; • fiber; • flowers; • fruit; • meat; • mushrooms; • pick-your-own; • pumpkins; and • vegetables.

VaFarmBureau.org

Some of the top misconceptions about health care reform With ever-changing information available about the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, we thought it would be helpful to assemble a list of the five most common misconceptions.

4. An employer who is subject to the employer sharedresponsibility provision (“pay or play” or “the employer mandate”) that does not offer affordable coverage at a minimum coverage level is automatically fined or penalized

1. The public health insurance marketplace is the only place to purchase individual health insurance that has all of the provisions of the new health care laws

FALSE—This is perhaps the most misunderstood, and incorrectly explained, provision of the entire law. There are two types of penalties and different amounts associated with each.

Both are triggered specifically by at least one employee doing both of the following: • verifying and being eligible for a federal subsidy; and • purchasing coverage on the public marketplace/exchange.

FALSE—The new marketplaces are the only place where individual insurance can be purchased by those who are eligible for and wish to take advantage of federal subsidies and tax credits.

Individual insurance plans purchased outside the federal health marketplace have the same provisions, such as guaranteed-issue, no pre-existing condition exclusions, community rating, essential health benefits, and limits on out-of-pocket expenses. They may also offer more benefit options or broader provider networks.

2. The individual mandate and associated penalty apply to everyone FALSE— The individual mandate doesn’t apply to people who can’t afford insurance because the cost exceeds 8 percent of their household incomes. It also doesn’t apply to American Indian and Alaskan native peoples; prison inmates; undocumented immigrants; members of a religion that is known for objecting to insurance; people who have been uninsured for less than three months; members of a health care sharing ministry; and people who are covered by Medicare, Medicaid or Tricare/Champus.

3. All preventative care is covered at 100 percent under the new health care laws FALSE—The Affordable Care Act includes a provision that requires “non grandfathered” plans to cover certain prescribed preventive health care services at 100 percent, but some preventive services ordered by a doctor may not be included on the list. Also, carriers are not required to provide 100 percent coverage for preventive services that are ordered by doctors outside of the network.

Unless or until at least one employee takes both of those actions, the employer faces no penalty. There is a significant difference between employer shared-responsibility exposure and actual penalty. It’s important for affected employers to understand, and perhaps even calculate, both.

5. Insurance companies are cancelling certain health insurance policies that are not “ACA-compliant,” leaving customers uninsured TRUE AND FALSE— The vast majority of nongrandfathered small-group and individual policies in place prior to 2014 do not meet several ACA requirements like the community rating, the 10 essential health benefits and the out-of-pocket maximum. In order to be compliant with the new laws, insurance companies sent “cancel and replace” notices to affected customers and replaced their policies with ACA-compliant coverage. In many cases the ACA requirements increased the cost of coverage and/or the replacement plans include higher out-of-pocket costs.

So yes, policies are being cancelled, but customers are being offered replacement plans to prevent them from being uninsured.

For more information on how health care reform affects you, contact your local Virginia Farm Bureau health insurance specialist at your county Farm Bureau office.

Leah Gustafson is a marketing specialist for Experient Health.

VirginiaFarmBureau.com

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Homeowners can help block the spread of boxwood blight

By Norm Hyde Plant diseases have no regard for history or tradition, and unchecked boxwood blight could change the look of many home gardens and historic sites in Virginia.

That’s why Virginia Cooperative Extension specialists are asking homeowners and home gardeners to take steps to prevent the disease’s spread.

“You definitely don’t want to put boxwood greenery in the compost bin this year,” said Mary Ann Hansen, a Virginia Tech instructor in plant pathology, physiology and weed science and co-manager of the university’s Plant Disease Clinic. “Even with the cold temperatures, the fungus could survive over the winter and spread to nearby plants next spring.”

Boxwood blight is a fungal disease that starts out as leaf spots and causes a shrub’s leaves to turn brown and fall. Neither the English boxwood nor the American boxwood have resistance to the blight.

C A R I N G

F O R

B O X W O O D S :

Boxwood trees are great foundation plants and also can be used for privacy screening, but they are prone to ice, snow and winter damage, said horticulturalist Mark Viette.

Boxwoods should be pruned in the spring using lopping shears or a hand saw. Scratch a branch with a pen knife to determine whether it is dead or alive. If it is dead, it is important to cut out damaged branches to where new growth starts at the plant’s base.

“As you pull apart the plant, you can see where it is dead,” Viette said. “Prune to where the nice, green growth is at the bottom of the tree, about 12 to 18 inches from the ground.”

It will take about three years for a boxwood to regain its full size.

Boxwoods grow well in full sun to part shade; however, they look and perform best in a location that has some shade, especially in the afternoon.

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Winter is a good time to clean up around the yard and garden and remove any plant materials that could spread diseases in the spring.

That includes boxwood clippings purchased for holiday decorations.

“The best thing to do is bag (boxwood) and get it to the landfill,” Hansen said. “Do not compost it or leave it lying around. Burning it is another option, if allowed by local fire laws.”

Boxwood blight is a fungal disease that starts out as leaf spots with a dark border. Symptoms also appear on stems, which show black streaks. Then the leaves turn brown and fall. Plants can lose almost all their leaves, with just a few green ones remaining at the top. The whole process can happen quickly. According to Hansen, the English boxwood and the American boxwood have no resistance to the disease, and once they become infected there are no fungicides that can save the plants.

“So far, the disease has only been found in certain areas of Virginia,” Hansen said. “It was first found in 2011 in Southwest Virginia, where we have a lot of nursery operations. But it showed up this past fall in the Richmond area in landscapes and a garden center and in a landscape and garden center in Fairfax County.”

Hansen said homeowners and landscape professionals should purchase boxwoods exclusively from nurseries that participate in the Boxwood Blight Cleanliness Program.

“Some boxwood cultivars also appear to have tolerance to the disease,” Hansen said. Planting those varieties, especially if they are purchased from a nursery participating in the Boxwood Blight Cleanliness Program, can reduce the chances of having to remove diseased plants from a landscape in the long run.

Virginia residents can submit plant samples with symptoms of boxwood blight to the Virginia Tech Plant Disease Clinic through their local Extension offices.

Soil pH for boxwoods should be in the range of 6.5 to 7.2, but values just above or below that range will result in acceptable growth.

Boxwoods can grow in a variety of soil textures—sand, silt and clay—but too much sand or too much clay should be avoided.

While boxwoods can withstand some dry onditions, they should be irrigated during periods of drought.

Overgrown boxwoods respond well to a severe pruning. They prefer full sun or part shade.

VaFarmBureau.org

Compost socks can start small-space gardens off on right foot For gardeners interested in having a few vegetables or fruits without working a large plot of land, and those interested in trying out a new gardening trend, the “compost sock” can be a step in the right direction.

“I like to hide my composting,” said Augusta County horticulturalist Mark Viette. “In a small yard or on a patio or deck, I like using a compost sock.”

The device is a mesh cylinder filled with composted soil, which is rich in nutrients.

It’s small enough to place on a deck or railing or along a driveway, Viette said.

“You simply cut a few holes in the outer fabric and then plant seeds or seedlings directly into it.”

Compost socks are sold at a variety of lawn and garden retailers and are good for suburban gardeners and those without much land or garden-appropriate land.

They last for about three years, Viette said, and their mesh covering makes them easy to water.

“Compost socks are perfect for growing herbs like chives and parsley,” he said. “Or you can grow tomatoes, peppers or strawberries. Around three plants will grow in each sock.”

A compost sock is filled with composted soil. The compact, re-usable products can be used to grow a few plants in a small space.

photos kathy dixon

Cut openings for plants in the top of the product.

VirginiaFarmBureau.com

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Have a Soup-er Year

Seafood and soup: A succulent success The American Heart Association recommends that everyone eat at least two servings of fish or shellfish each week.

The Virginia Marine Products Board promotes that fact on its website and notes that Virginia fish and shellfish are excellent sources of protein, are low in saturated fat and are a good source of omega-3 fatty acids.

The waters of the Chesapeake Bay are the nation’s largest and most biologically diverse estuary, yielding more seafood than any of the 840 other estuaries in the United States, according to the VMPB. With about 416 million pounds of finfish and shellfish harvested annually from Virginia’s rivers, coastal and Atlantic waters, you’ve got a wide variety of fresh seafood readily available.

Broth-based soups, especially when made with low-sodium broth, are a good way to sneak in extra servings of vegetables along with your seafood.

Virginia Seafood Gumbo INGREDIENTS

1½ tablespoons cooking oil 1 cup chopped onion 1 cup chopped green pepper 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 cups beef broth 16-ounce can tomatoes OR 2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon thyme ½ teaspoon red pepper or several drops of hot sauce ½ teaspoon crushed oregano 12 ounces skinned and cubed (1” cubes) bluefish, catfish or striped bass fillet 1 cup sliced fresh okra or 10 ounces frozen okra 1 10-oz. package frozen okra cooked rice DIRECTIONS Heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven.

Add onion, green pepper and garlic, and sauté until tender. Add broth, tomatoes and seasoning. Simmer for about 15 minutes.

Add fish and okra. Simmer briefly, until fish is cooked through. Serve over rice. Serves 4.

Source: Virginia Marine Products Board

Any number of seafood products, including Virginia fish, can be used to make gumbo.

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VaFarmBureau.org

Have a Soup-er Year

Oyster Chowder

Salmon and Corn Chowder Ingredients

INGREDIENTS

INGREDIENTS

4 tablespoons. chopped onion

1 cup brown rice

3 tablespoons butter

8 cups fat-free, low-sodium chicken stock

12-ounce can oysters, undrained

1 tablespoon ginger purée

4 cups boiled potatoes, cubed

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup diced onion

1 cup corn kernels

1 cup diced carrots

4 cups scalded milk

1 cup diced celery

2 tablespoons flour

2 cloves garlic, chopped 1 teaspoon turmeric

DIRECTIONS Fry onion in butter until delicate brown; add oysters and liquid. Add potatoes, salt, pepper, corn and milk, and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to simmer. Mix flour with enough water to make a smooth paste, and add to the chowder. Stir gently until it thickens. Serves 4.

Source: Virginia Marine Products Board

1 teaspoon dried thyme 1 bay leaf 2 tablespoons curry powder 1 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons sugar Salmon and Corn Chowder

3 cups (1 pound) sweet corn kernels, thawed if using frozen ¼ cup flour 1 pound salmon, cut into 1” cubes ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro ½ cup chopped scallions, green and white parts, for garnish DIRECTIONS Place the rice, stock and ginger purée in a large saucepan, and set over high heat. Boil until the rice is cooked through, about 40 minutes. Remove from stove and set aside.

In a large stockpot over medium-high heat, bring the olive oil to the smoking point. Add the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, turmeric, thyme, bay leaf, curry, salt, sugar and corn to the pot, and sauté for 5 minutes. Stir in the flour to coat the vegetables. Add the cooked rice and stock to the mixture, and let it simmer for 5 minutes.

Add the salmon, and remove the pot from the heat. Let the soup rest for 5-10 minutes to cook the salmon through. Stir in the cilantro and serve immediately. Garnish with chopped scallions.

Source: American Heart Association

Some Virginia families prepare milk-based oyster chowders and stews to mark holidays and other special occasions.

VirginiaFarmBureau.com

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Heart of the Home

Put a lid on it!

You’ll still be able to smell this bean soup “This is a hearty, comforting, delicious meal for a cold night,” said cookbook author Kendra Bailey Morris. “This is a great way to use up a leftover holiday ham bone. The meatier the ham hock, the better!”

Opening the lid of your slow cooker can add up to 20 minutes of extra cooking time, so keep this in mind with any slow cooker recipe.

“A lot of heat escapes, so you really want to avoid removing the lid and just enjoy the aroma coming from your cooker!”

Enjoy this savory meal, Morris said, with a big hunk of cornbread.

Slow Cooker White Beans and Ham INGREDIENTS

1 pound dried cannellini or navy beans 1 large smoked ham hock or leftover ham bone 1 cup chopped onion 1 cup chopped carrots ½ cup diced celery 1 cup chopped smoked ham or honey ham 3 small cloves garlic, minced 2 bay leaves ½ teaspoon paprika 1 tablespoons minced fresh sage or 1 teaspoon dried sage ½ teaspoon dried thyme pinch of cayenne pepper (optional) salt and black pepper to taste DIRECTIONS In a large bowl, cover the beans with at least 2˝ of water, and soak overnight.

Spray the inside of the slow cooker with cooking spray. Drain the beans, and add them to the slow cooker. Next, add the ham hock, onion, carrots, celery, smoked ham pieces, garlic, bay leaves, paprika, sage and thyme. Cover with water by at least 1˝. Cover and cook 10 to 12 hours or until tender, adding more water if necessary.

Remove the ham hock or ham bone, and let it cool. Shred any additional meat, and return it to the slow cooker. Discard leftover bones and skin. Add the pinch of cayenne to the soup, and season with salt and pepper.

Remove the bay leaves. Mash up some of the beans before serving if you like a creamier consistency.

Pull that Christmas ham bone out of the freezer to make this soup, or use a smoked ham hock.

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VaFarmBureau.org

Heart of the Home

Versatile quiche recipe gives you lots of options This quiche is a great for making ahead and rewarming before company arrives— or even serving chilled, said cookbook author Kendra Bailey Morris.

“It’s perfect for brunch, lunch, dinner or any time. Make it a day or two ahead of time; it’s perfect for entertaining.”

The recipe is really versatile too, Morris said, and the spices and herbs can be changed to your liking. Try substituting parsley or tarragon for the thyme or salty country ham in place of the honey ham. And then there are all the cheese choices!

sara owens

Ham, Onion and Cheese Quiche INGREDIENTS

One prepared pie crust ¾ cup shredded Cheddar or Swiss cheese 1 tablespoon unsalted butter ¾ cup diced onion 1 cup diced honey ham 6 large eggs 1 cup milk ¼ teaspoon dried thyme ¹⁄8 teaspoon salt ¹⁄8 teaspoon black pepper DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 375°. Place pie crust in a pie pan, and prick crust all over with a fork.

Bake the crust for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Sprinkle cheese over the bottom of the cooled crust. Reduce oven temperature to 350°.

Heat a large sauté pan to mediumhigh and add the butter. When the butter bubbles, add the onion and ham. Sauté until the onions are translucent. Sprinkle onions and ham over the cheese. In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, thyme, salt and pepper. Pour mixture into the pie shell.

Place quiche on a baking sheet on the center rack in the oven, and bake until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40-50 minutes. If the edges of the pie crust begin to burn, wrap them in aluminum foil.

Cut into wedges and serve hot, warm or cold.

Kendra Bailey Morris recommends this quiche for brunch, lunch or supper, served hot, warm or chilled.

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

VirginiaFarmBureau.com

Kendra Bailey Morris appears each month 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. Morris is an author and culinary instructor whose work appears in Better Homes and Gardens, Food Republic, Virginia Living, Chile Pepper and other publications and is a former food columnist for the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Her blog is at fatbackandfoiegras. blogspot.com.

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Marketplace CROPS FARMERS MARKET – Wood’s Methodist Church, 7200 Hickory Road, Chesterfield. Saturday 8:30 a.m.

June-September. 804-590-1695.

DEER AND RABBIT REPELLENT – $12.95 makes 10 gallons. Safe effective long lasting, guaranteed.

540-464-1969.

DAYLILIES – Stella D-Oro, bare root divisions, dug to order, $2 each.

804-725-0111.

FARM EQUIPMENT SAWMILL – 60-inch steel frame, 50-HP, electric pulleys, v-belts, steel track, heavy built, $8,000.

804-457-4461.

933C CATERPILLAR – Loader dozier, 6,300 hours in good condition, near Lynchburg, Va. area, $18,000.

443-928-4728.

OLIVER – Two horse turning plow, parts original, kept inside, good condition. Harrisonburg, Va. area.

540-833-6620.

GOATS – Sheep, Highland and Jersey Cattle. Hudson Heritage Farms, LLC. hudsonheritage@aol.com, 434-753-9327.

SNOW PLOW – For Wheel Horse tractors, very good condition with hitch, $160, Tappahannock, Va., 540-207-9624.

1951 FARMALL H – Restored, new paint, good tires, excellent condition, $2,250. 540-271-3006.

KIKO MEAT GOATS – Full bloods and percentages, some Boer crosses.

Well-bred from $200. 540-894-3405.

JOHN DEERE – 6400 2WD, cab tractor with mower 1987, 4,643 hours, good condition, Lynchburg area.

443-928-4728.

1930s JOHN DEERE A – Shed kept, running condition, $1,500.

434-392-7451.

ONE – Stable and one log tobacco curing barn, circa 1900. Buyer dismantles, best offer. 434-568-6541.

HAY AND STRAW ORCHARD GRASS – Hay for sale, near Lynchburg, Va. $4 per square bale. Call 443-928-4728.

LIVESTOCK ANGUS BULLS – Calving ease, semen tested, excellent bloodlines.

Reasonably priced, good selection, delivery available. C-Stock Farm, Scottsville. Day 434-286-2743, after 7 p.m. 434-981-1397 or 434-286-2423.

CHAROLAIS BULLS – High quality and easy calving, veterinarian owned. $1,200 to $2,200. Abingdon, Va. 276-628-9543.

BLACK PERCHERON – Yearling stud, quiet $600 to good home.

Two yearling fillies also available.

804-837-9613.

REGISTERED – Black Angus seed stock; fall born; bulls and heifers; AI sire. Sammy Smith 434-664-8767.

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 Virginia Farm Bureau News. All member numbers will be verified.

Farm Bureau needs your updated contact information, including e-mail 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.

2014 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 2014 issue of Cultivate or the online form at VaFarmBureau.org/marketplace to place your ad. No ads or cancellations will be taken by phone. Ads will be accepted only from members whose membership is current.

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Cultivate APRIL 2014

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).

VaFarmBureau.org

Marketplace

How to place your classified ad Step 1 Use the form below to provide contact information and the text for your ad.

• Ads will be accepted from Farm Bureau members only.

• Classified ads are not transferable.

• Please type or print.

• Classified ads will not be accepted or cancelled over the phone.

Step 2 Indicate the issues in which you want your ad to run.

Important:

• Ads longer than 30 words will not be accepted.

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

• Ads submitted without payment will be returned.

Step 5 Mail your ad (and payment) to: Virginia Farm Bureau News/Cultivate Classifieds P.O. Box 27552 Richmond, VA 23261-7552

Step 3

Or place it via the Virginia Farm Bureau website at VaFarmBureau.org/Marketplace.

Select the category in which you want your ad to run (Pick one only).

Deadlines

Step 4 Your first ad of 15 words or less is free with your membership.

Pricing for additional ads: 1–15 words $10/ad 16–30 words $20/ad

Ads and cancellations must be received (not mailed) by the following deadlines: Issue Deadline Mailed to producer members August July 3

Moving?

If your address or phone number has changed—or is about to—don’t forget to contact your county Farm Bureau office to ensure that your membership and subscription information stays current!

Mailed to associate members July June 3

Additional ads must be accompanied by a check (no cash) for each issue in which the ad is to appear.

• Make check payable to: Virginia Farm Bureau.

We are not responsible for typographical errors or errors due to illegible handwriting (No refunds available). Classified ads carried in Cultivate and Virginia Farm Bureau News do not constitute an endorsement by Virginia Farm Bureau Federation and its affiliated companies and organizations.

We reserve the right to edit or reject ads, including ads that represent a business in competition with the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation, Virginia Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company or any of our affiliated or affinity partners. We reserve the right to edit or reject any advertisement that makes reference to any particular political party or group, religious belief or denomination, race, creed, color or national origin.

One free 15-word ad per membership per year; dues must be paid before placing ad.

NAME: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ MEMBER NO.: __________________________________________________________________________________________________

Category in which ad should run (select only one): ❑ Crops

COUNTY: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________

❑ Farm Equipment

ADDRESS:______________________________________________________________________________________________________

❑ Hay/Straw

CITY: _________________________________________________ STATE:____________________________

❑ Livestock

ZIP:__________________

DAYTIME PHONE NUMBER: ___________________________________________ EMAIL ADDRESS: _________________________ Ads will not be accepted without the information above.

ADVERTISEMENT (one word per space; please type or print):

❑ Livestock Equipment No other categories available in magazines

1. ____________________________ 2.____________________________ 3. _______________________________ 4. ______________________________ 5. __________________________________ 6. ____________________________ 7. ____________________________ 8. _______________________________ 9. ______________________________ 10. _________________________________ ( ) 11. ___________________________ 12. ___________________________ 13. _______________________________ 14. _____________________________ 15. _________________________________ phone number

Watch this!

ISSUE IN WHICH AD SHOULD RUN: ❑ Please place my ad in The Delmarva Farmer ❑ July (mailed to associate members) To view RealVirginia, ❑ August (mailed to producer members) for 4 weeks at no additional cost to me.

❑ Payment enclosed: $_______________ ❑ This is my one free 15-word ad for 2014.

visit VaFarmBureau.org.

Your ad will automatically be included in the online VFB Marketplace for free (Ads expire with membership.)

Ad placement available for these issues only

*

VirginiaFarmBureau.com

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Breaking new ground, all the time It won’t be long before farmers across Virginia begin spring planting, but Farm Bureau members like you help the organization break new ground year-round.

Last year Farm Bureau became the sole owner of the State Fair of Virginia.

And earlier this year Virginia Farm Bureau Young Farmers helped host a leadership conference in Virginia Beach for their peers from across the nation.

Your Farm Bureau membership helped support those activities.

For less than $4 a month you’re helping to ensure that working farmland stays in production, that Virginia farmers get the information they need to be successful, and that their interests are represented to elected officials.

You can make an even bigger difference this year by telling your family, friends and neighbors about Farm Bureau and encouraging them to become members as well.

There’s never been a better year, and we’re just getting started.

VaFarmBureau.org