Show spuds some love this February

BY NICOLE ZEMA

Roasted, baked, fried or mashed, or smothered in gravy, potatoes are a nutrient-rich vegetable with endless culinary versatility.

February is National Potato Lovers Month—an opportunity to learn more about the world’s fourth-largest food crop.

While potatoes are not ranked among the top Virginia vegetable crops, nine growers on the Eastern Shore produce roughly 90% of the state’s tubers on 4,000 acres. These potatoes generate upward of $20 million in annual sales.

The Eastern Shore’s sandy loam soil and temperate climate are ideal for growing perfect potatoes, said Ursula Tankard Deitch, a Virginia Cooperative Extension agent in Northampton County. Unlike clay soils, there is more space between soil particles, so water can filtrate instead of pooling on the crop, which helps the tubers grow. Plus, Deitch explained, spuds like it warm.

“The Eastern Shore stays a little warmer in the wintertime compared to rest of the state,” she said.

Virginia potato farmers typically plant spuds in March for harvest in July and August.

While grains like soybeans and corn are produced on greater acreage and therefore gross more in sales, potatoes are the Eastern Shore’s largest vegetable crop, Deitch added.

“We have a long history in the potato business on the Eastern Shore,” said Accomack County grain and vegetable farmer David Hickman, whose family has been growing potatoes on Dublin Farms since the 1880s. Hickman serves on Virginia Farm Bureau Federation’s board of directors, and chairs the VFBF Specialty Crops Advisory Committee.

The farms’ potato varieties—round white, red, purple and yellow flesh— mostly end up in supermarkets. Some grocery chains have initiated buy-local programs in response to consumer interest in local produce, Hickman said.

“Our potato bags say ‘Horntown, Virginia’ on them, and in our first year selling to Walmart, their potato sales increased significantly, which reflects consumer desire to know where their produce comes from” he said.

National Ag Day, Agriculture Literacy Week celebrated in March

National Ag Day 2023 will be celebrated on March 21 during National Ag Week, March 19-25. The annual observances are organized by the Agriculture Council of America, a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing the public’s awareness of agriculture’s role in modern society. Virginia Agriculture in the Classroom will hold its annual Agriculture Literacy Week March 13-17. AITC’s mission is to help students and educators gain a greater understanding of agriculture. During Agriculture Literacy Week, AITC’s largest educational event, thousands of volunteers read to approximately 60,000 children statewide.

Golf tournament will benefit AITC

The annual Virginia Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom Charity Golf Tournament will be held May 8 at The Dominion Club in Glen Allen. The event benefits AITC, and sponsors and teams of four will be able to register starting in February. The tournament will offer two shotgun starts with awards following each round of play. Food and refreshments will be available throughout the day. Details are still being developed. For more information, contact Angela Buchanan at angela.buchanan@ vafb.com or 804-687-4463, or visit AgInTheClass.org.

Membership cards now paperless Virginia Farm Bureau members will no longer be mailed printed membership cards. The cards are available online at vafb.com. After a member logs in, on the My Account page, they need to navigate to the membership section. Once there, a link to “Membership Card” is available.

Virginia Farm Festival returns this spring

The Virginia Farm Festival will mark its third year at The Meadow Event Park in Caroline County. The fun, family-friendly event will be held May 5 and 6.

This event focuses on spring planting season in Virginia, which culminates in the harvest season celebrated during the State Fair of Virginia, which will be held Sept. 22 through Oct. 1. During the farm festival, visitors can see farm animals, explore the science behind how to grow plants, play in an AGtivity zone, savor Virginia-grown foods and beverages, shop at a farmers-artisan market and catch live entertainment on Friday and Saturday nights. The festival also will host a demolition derby and an antique tractor show and parade.

The event will be held inside the venue’s Farm Bureau Center, with large animals and outdoor displays in the surrounding outdoor space. School field trip opportunities will be available on Friday.

Festival details are still being developed. Visit StateFairVa.org for more information and updates.