FBN June 2014

Virgnia VaFarmBureau.org

June 2014

Farm Bureau News

Some produce growers ‘sold’ on wholesale auctions

Contents 16

Virgnia Farm Bureau News

Charlotte produce auction has doubled sales, created producer options

The twice-weekly Southside Wholesale Produce Auction opened two years ago and has expanded marketing options for the region’s produce growers.

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Urban Agriculture Summit tackles food deserts, other issues

Participants in the Urban Agriculture Summit, held in April, examined ways to help Virginians in areas where access to fresh, healthy foods is limited.

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State’s feral swine population being tracked to curtail damage

State and federal officials are keeping tabs on feral pig populations in Virginia in hopes of minimizing the damage they do to farms and other property.

Departments 8

Have a Soup-er Year

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Heart of the Home

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Marketplace

Virginia Farm Bureau News (USPS 017-763) (ISSN 1525-528X) is published six times a year, January, March, May, June, August, September/October (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 $1.42 (included in membership dues).

Postmaster: Please send changes of address to, Virginia Farm Bureau Federation, Farm Bureau News, P.O. Box 27552, Richmond, VA 23261-7552; 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 virginiafarmbureaunews@vafb. com. Office hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Members — Address change? 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.

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.

Viewing Virginia

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Volume 73, Number 4 June 2014

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Member: Virginia Press Association

editorial team Greg Hicks Vice President, Communications Pam Wiley Managing Editor Kathy Dixon Sr. Staff Writer/Photographer Sara Owens Staff Writer/Photographer Bill Altice Graphic Designer Maria La Lima Graphic Designer Cathy Vanderhoff Advertising

publication schedule Producer members will receive their next issue of Virginia Farm Bureau News in August. The magazine is published six times a year.

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On the Cover 16

Summer bedding plants were among the late-spring offerings at the Southside Wholesale Produce Auction in Charlotte County (Photo by Kathy Dixon).

Officers Wayne F. Pryor, President Scott E. Sink, Vice President Board of Directors director district Emily Edmondson 1 Richcard L. Sutherland 2 Evelyn H. Janney 3 Gordon R. Metz 4 Stephen L. Saufley 5 Peter A. Truban 6 Thomas E. Graves 7 H. Carl Tinder Sr. 8 William F. Osl Jr. 9 Robert J. Mills Jr. 10 J. M. Jenkins Jr. 11 W. Ellis Walton 12 M. L. Everett Jr. 13 David L. Hickman 14 Janice R. Burton * Nathan A. Aker **

county Tazewell Grayson Floyd Henry Rockingham Shenandoah Orange Albemarle Cumberland Pittsylvania Lunenburg Middlesex Southampton Accomack Halifax Wythe *Women’s Committee Chairman **Young Farmers Committee Chairman

Washington Watch

‘This is pure and simply wrong’

The American Farm Bureau Federation is encouraging its members to resist a proposed rule from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that AFBF says will impose unworkable regulations on the nation’s farms.

The more-than-111,000-word “Waters of the U.S.” proposed rule reflects the EPA’s latest interpretation of the 1972 Clean Water Act. The rule ultimately could lead to unlawful expansion of federal regulation to cover routine farming and ranching practices as well as other common private land uses, such as building homes.

“This rule is an end run around Congressional intent and rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court alike,” said AFBF President Bob Stallman. “Congress and the courts have both said that the 50 states, not EPA, have power to decide how farming and other land uses should be restricted. It’s time to ditch this rule.”

AFBF has assembled articles and analysis relevant to the proposed rule at ditchtherule.fb.org.

Among other things, the rule would expand federal control over land features such as ditches and areas of agricultural land that are wet only during storms. The EPA says its new rule clarifies the scope of the Clean Water Act. However, AFBF leaders have pointed out, the “clarification” is achieved by categorically classifying most water features and even dry land as “waters of the United States.”

If carried out, AFBF noted, ordinary field work, fence construction or even planting could require a federal permit.

“Congress, not federal agencies, writes the laws of the land,” Stallman said. “When Congress wrote the Clean Water Act, it clearly intended for the law to apply to navigable waters. Is a small ditch navigable?

VirginiaFarmBureau.com

indiana farm bureau

American Farm Bureau: EPA needs to ‘ditch’ proposed water rule

The proposed "Waters of the U.S." rule would expand federal control over land features such as ditches and areas of agricultural land that are wet only during storms.

Is a stock pond navigable? We really don’t think so, and Farm Bureau members are going to be sending that message.”

The EPA contends that a set of exemptions will protect many farmers from the burdensome new rule. Stallman countered that those exemptions will apply only to farming that has been ongoing since the 1970s, not to new or expanded farms.

Even for those exempt farms, the exemptions do not cover weed control, fertilizer use or other common farm practices. The already-narrow exemptions, Stallman said, have existed for years but have been further narrowed by EPA guidance issued simultaneously with the proposed rule.

“The EPA exemptions offer no meaningful protection for the hundreds of thousands of farmers and ranchers whose operations and livelihoods are threatened by this expansion of EPA’s regulatory reach,” he said.

“EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers have said the Waters of the U.S. rule provides clarity and certainty. The only thing that is clear and certain is that, under this rule, it will be more difficult for private landowners to farm and ranch, build homes or make changes to the land—even if the changes that landowners propose would benefit the environment. This is pure and simply wrong, and it is why we need to ditch the rule.”

Want to know more?

For more information on the proposed “Waters of the U.S.” rule and the American Farm Bureau Federation’s “Ditch the Rule” campaign, visit ditchtherule.fb.org.

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USDA announces $78 million available for local food enterprises The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced May 8 that it is making a historic $78 million investment in local and regional food systems, including food hubs, farmers’ markets, aggregation and processing facilities, distribution services and other local food business enterprises.

“The 2014 Farm Bill has given USDA new tools, resources and authority to support the rural economy,” said Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack.

“Consumer demand for locally produced food is strong and growing, and farmers and ranchers are positioning their businesses to meet that demand.

As this sector continues to mature, we see aggregation, processing and distribution enterprises across the local food supply chain growing rapidly.

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Virginia Farm Bureau News

These historic USDA investments in support of local food give farmers and ranchers more market opportunities, provide consumers with more choices and create jobs in both rural and urban communities.”

Vilsack said $48 million in loan guarantees for local food projects is now available through USDA’s Rural Development’s Business and Industry Guaranteed Loan Program, and $30 million is available through competitive grants via the Agricultural Marketing Service’s Farmers Market and Local Foods Promotion Program.

Details on how to apply for local food funding through the B&I program are available at rurdev.usda.gov, and details on how to apply for AMS programs are available at ams.usda.gov.

Series of farm bill update meetings being planned As a follow-up to passage of the 2014 Farm Bill, the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation is planning a series of listening sessions that will focus on changes from the previous farm bill.

Regulations to implement the new law are being written in Washington, and the meetings most likely will be held late this summer to ensure that producers can get the most up-to-date information they need to prepare for program sign-ups. Meetings will be held in eastern, Southeast, Southside and Southwest Virginia and in the Shenandoah Valley.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Services Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service and Risk Management Agency will partner with Farm Bureau to deliver program-specific information.

Once finalized, meeting dates, times and locations will be shared in the coming weeks. The meetings will be open to all producers at no charge.

VaFarmBureau.org

Farm Bureau calls Herring brief in EPA case ‘surprising’

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edict that Virginia and the other bay states cannot change their cleanup plans without EPA approval. No state should have to say, ‘Mother, may I?’ to make its own land use and water quality decisions.”

Pryor added that the 21 state attorneys general involved in the appeal “recognize this EPA power grab for what it is. If or when Virginia decides it wants to pursue the bay cleanup in a manner contrary to EPA’s wishes—perhaps in a way that will lower its $15 billion price tag for citizens—the commonwealth will thank the American Farm Bureau for preserving its ability to do so.”

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farmers, builders, homeowners and towns will share the responsibility for achieving clean water. The EPA’s plan gives that agency the ultimate authority in those decisions.

“It is surprising that Attorney General Herring would defend an EPA action that undeniably ties states’ hands and restricts their authority to make their own local land use and development decisions,” said VFBF President Wayne F. Pryor. “The pending American Farm Bureau appeal does not challenge Virginia’s own cleanup plan or Virginia’s ability to work collaboratively with other bay watershed states and with the EPA to clean up the bay.

“What it does challenge is the EPA’s

MA D

Leaders of the state’s largest farmers’ advocacy organization were startled April 10 when Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring filed an amicus brief in support of the Chesapeake Bay cleanup plan being challenged in federal court.

Virginia Farm Bureau Federation has supported the American Farm Bureau Federation’s challenge of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency “pollution diet” for the 64,000-square-mile bay watershed.

The AFBF and attorneys general in 21 states are appealing a Sept. 13, 2013, federal district court ruling in favor of the EPA. They assert that the existing Clean Water Act gives individual states the authority to determine how their

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Museum of the Virginia Horse is new attraction at The Meadow Event Park “That fondness for horses … was peculiar to the Virginians of all stations.”

That 1779 quote from British explorer and writer Thomas Anburey might begin to explain the philosophy and passion behind the founding of the Museum of the Virginia Horse. The museum, which has been in development for many years, now has a home on the historic grounds where Thoroughbred racing legend Secretariat was born.

Located in Meadow Hall mansion at The Meadow Event Park in Caroline County, the Museum of the Virginia Horse is dedicated to preserving, promoting and celebrating the rich culture and history of the horse in Virginia. It opened to the public for the first time on March 29 during the annual Secretariat Birthday Celebration at The Meadow. Visitors now can see the museum as part of The Meadow’s narrated tours of Secretariat’s birthplace.

“The Virginia Farm Bureau Federation was pleased to make space available in Meadow Hall for the Museum of the Virginia Horse,” said Jeff Dillon, president of the State Fair of Virginia, which also is

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held at The Meadow. “The museum certainly will complement our efforts to showcase the property’s equine heritage.”

For more than 400 years, “the horse has played a vital role in our commonwealth,” said museum chairman Beryl Herzog. “We are very grateful to the Virginia Farm Bureau for enabling the Museum of the Virginia Horse to begin to tell that story.”

The inaugural exhibit in the museum traces the history of the horse in Virginia from Colonial times to the present, highlighting various breeds, riding disciplines and famous equines.

Complementing the exhibit are the new Meadow Champions Galleries in Meadow Hall. They showcase the famous horses of Meadow Stable, from great broodmares such as Somethingroyal, mother of Secretariat, to the farm’s champion racehorses of the 1950s and 1960s. A separate gallery presents Secretariat’s 1973 Triple Crown races, as well as the 1972 Kentucky Derby and Belmont races won by his stablemate, Riva Ridge.

VaFarmBureau.org

Replenishing Virginia’s ‘wood basket’—the need for reforestation Just as an agricultural area that produces large amounts of grain is known as a “breadbasket,” Virginia has a 16-million-acre “wood basket” of forestland.

The commonwealth’s forestry industry contributes more than $17 billion annually to the overall economy, along with nearly 104,000 jobs. Forest products are used in the construction, paper, packaging, treated wood and biomass energy industries.

However, Virginia’s seemingly plentiful wood basket is facing a major challenge. While demand for wood products is growing, the annual net growth of pine and hardwood in Virginia is declining.

Several factors account for that scenario, according to a recent report on reforestation prepared by the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation, Virginia Forestry Association and several other stakeholder organizations and companies. The causes are: • economic development projects that are creating new wood-using facilities; • the annual loss of 16,000 acres of private forestland to other uses such as development; • decreasing levels of replanting by rural landowners, along with a decrease in resources for the Virginia Department of Forestry to support reforestation; and • a significant reduction by the state in funding for the Reforestation of Timberlands, or RT, program, which was created to provide cost-sharing assistance for landowners to plant pines on their available acreage.

Virginia has become a victim of its own success, industry experts say.

Successful economic development efforts have helped increase the total demand for wood fiber in the VirginiaFarmBureau.com

state. But the state could lose out on future agricultural and economic development, the reforestation report states, without a renewed commitment to increasing the forest resource.

Companies could locate or expand their businesses elsewhere if the raw materials they need are not available or affordable.

“The demand has always been there for paper products. Now we’re seeing demand for energy products such as wood pellets,” said Andrew Smith, VFBF senior assistant director of governmental relations. “We need to maintain the resource to maintain the competitive edge.”

Smith noted that a significant portion of the state’s privately owned timberland is owned in conjunction with farm operations. The importance of reforestation to farmers was highlighted during the recent Urban Agriculture Summit, for which Farm Bureau was among the organizers.

Most of Virginia’s forestland is privately owned or family-owned in parcels smaller than 75 acres.

Robert Farrell, acting director of the Virginia Department of Forestry at the time of the conference, cautioned that farmers need to be concerned not only about losing farmland but also about losing forestland. He noted that deforestation follows urban and suburban development patterns. In the western half of the state, timber harvesting is restricted due to the prevalence of national park and national forest lands.

Farrell emphasized that landowners must get involved in managing and preserving their land and said his department is reaching out to them to offer help. He pointed out that VDOF has foresters available throughout the state, as well as a conservation division to help landowners set aside property

devoted to growing trees. To achieve a higher rate of forest sustainability, it could be necessary to encourage landowners to plant 600 trees per acre instead of the current 400.

Of course, Virginia’s forestland offers many benefits in addition to wood products. Forests contribute to improved air and water quality, flood mitigation and wildlife habitat. They also attract people seeking scenic areas and outdoor recreation.

“It is important,” Smith said, “to replant trees for both the environment and the economy.”

Want to know more?

Information on reforestation and other topics of interest to owners of forestland is available on the Virginia Department of Forestry website.

Conserving Forest Land and Resources dof.virginia.gov/land/index.htm Programs and Services Offered

by VDOF dof.virginia.gov/services/index.htm List of foresters by county dof.virginia.gov/aboutus/offices/ county/index.htm Information on Reforestation of Timberlands Program dof.virginia.gov/costshare/rt.htm

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Viewing Virginia

China lifts ban on poultry exports from Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe announced May 5 that a seven-year ban on exports of poultry from Virginia to China has been lifted by China’s General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine and that country’s Ministry of Agriculture.

“This is outstanding news for Virginia’s poultry industry and the many related businesses that work to move product from our family farms into the global marketplace,” McAuliffe said, noting that poultry is the largest individual sector of the state’s agriculture industry.

“Increased exports will help support farm-, processing- and transportationrelated jobs in the commonwealth.

This will also bring enormous business benefits to the Port of Virginia at a critical time for that entity.”

Robert Mills, a Pittsylvania County poultry grower and chairman of the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation Poultry Advisory Committee, agreed. “I think it’s very significant, with the amount of poultry we have in Virginia. Not only does it open up more opportunities for more product to be exported, but it also opens up opportunities for cuts of poultry that we typically don’t use here in the United States as much as they do in China.”

Todd Haymore, Virginia’s secretary of agriculture and forestry, said such products “can be an important income generator for poultry processors. …

Chicken feet and wing tips may be worth a few cents per pound in the domestic market but can sell for many times this amount in China.”

With the ban rescinded, “we believe that Virginia stands to gain $20 million or more in export sales each year,” Haymore said.

China instituted the ban in 2007 following an isolated case of low 8

Virginia Farm Bureau News

pathogenic avian influenza reported on a single Virginia farm. It applied to all poultry produced in Virginia, as well as to all poultry transiting through Virginia or exported from any port in Virginia. State officials have long contended that the ban was not justified by scientific data, as the avian influenza occurrence did not pose a food safety or poultry health risk.

‘This is outstanding news for Virginia’s poultry industry and the many related businesses that work to move product from our family farms into the global marketplace.’

— GOV. TERRY McAULIFFE

China is one of the top foreign markets for U.S. poultry, purchasing more than $416 million in 2013, with Georgia, Mississippi and North Carolina as leading suppliers. It also is Virginia’s top market for agricultural and forestry exports other than poultry.

Virginia’s work to resolve the ban with federal and Chinese officials began in late 2007 under then-Gov. Tim Kaine and has included efforts by numerous state and federal officials and members of Virginia’s Congressional delegation, along with the Virginia Poultry Federation and the USA Poultry & Egg Export Council.

VA. AGRICULTURE SALES UP, FARM NUMBERS DOWN, CENSUS FINDS The sale of agricultural products, both nationally and in Virginia, reached a record high in 2012, according to the most recent Census of Agriculture.

Census findings from 2012 were released May 2 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Conducted every five years, the census provides detailed information about the U.S. farm sector at the national, state and county levels.

In Virginia, the market value of agricultural products sold was $3.75 billion, up 29 percent from $2.91 billion in 2007. Nationally, farmers sold a record $394.6 billion in agricultural products, but it cost them a record $328.9 billion to produce that.

The market value for crops sold in Virginia was up 58.5 percent from five years ago; the market value for livestock sold was up 16.9 percent; and the average value of agriculture products sold per farm was more than $20,000 higher than in 2007.

Virginia had 46,030 farms in 2012, which represented a 2.9 percent decrease from 47,383 farms in 2007. Farm numbers dropped, but total farmland increased 2.4 percent from 8.1 million acres in 2007 to 8.3 million acres in 2012. The average size of a Virginia farm increased as well—from 171 acres to 180.

The census also reported that nearly 150,000 farmers and ranchers nationwide are selling products directly to consumers, which represents an 8.1 percent increase over 2007.

And farmers continue to practice good stewardship. The census report found that close to 500,000 farms encompassing 173.1 million acres were farmed with conservation tillage or no-till practices. And 57,299 farms reported using a renewable energy-producing system in 2012, more than double the 23,451 who reported the same in 2007.

VaFarmBureau.org

Viewing Virginia

The lifting of the Chinese ban opens up export opportunities, “but it also opens up opportunities for cuts of poultry that we typically don’t use here in the United States,” said Robert Mills, a Pittsylvania County poultry grower.

VirginiaFarmBureau.com

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urban ag ricu ltur e s um m it

Urban Agriculture Summit tackles food deserts, other issues How are food deserts, food access, food insecurity and urban agriculture linked?

That’s what more than 100 educators, nutritionists, Virginia Cooperative Extension agents, agricultural professionals, government officials and others gathered to discuss during the Urban Agriculture Summit April 15 and 16 in Lynchburg. Speakers addressed issues relating to urban agriculture and how to remove barriers to making it successful.

“I think urban agriculture is vitally important for our state, our city and our region,” said Lynchburg Mayor Michael Gillette during opening remarks. “When we shorten the distance between farmers and consumers, it puts food in places where it historically has not been.”

Access to fresh, healthy food was a central topic. Dr. Jewel Hairston, Virginia State University’s dean of agriculture, told summit participants a recent study found that more than 17 percent of Virginia residents live in areas considered “food deserts.”

The Virginia General Assembly commissioned VSU and Virginia Tech to lead a study of food deserts in the state.

“According to the USDA, a food desert is an area that has limited access to fresh, healthy, nutritious food,” Hairston said.

“Those that live more than 1 mile from a grocery store in an urban area or rural residents who live more than 10 miles from a grocery store are considered to be in a food desert.”

The national rate for food deserts is 7.3 percent, Virginia’s rate is 17.8 percent, and Lynchburg’s is 26.4 percent.

“People have known this for a while, but the report puts hard numbers behind the facts,” said Spencer Neale, chairman of the Virginia Food System Council and commodity marketing director for the 10

Virginia Farm Bureau News

photos by kathy dixon

By Kathy Dixon

A variety of lettuces are among the produce planted in 70,000 square feet of greenhouses by the urban farm operation Lynchburg Grows.

Virginia Farm Bureau Federation. “This report identifies the issue of food deserts and where they occur, and addresses the need for better access and distribution of food to people in those areas.”

The report said Virginia’s food deserts usually are found in impoverished areas without grocery stores, farmers’ markets or other sources of healthy foods. Food deserts contribute to food insecurity, which means people aren’t sure where they will get their groceries.

Barriers prevent access in cities Unfortunately, there are barriers to increasing food security in cities.

Anne Darby, a senior planner with the Richmond Regional Planning District Commission, said zoning ordinances and land availability are two major roadblocks she has encountered while working with the Richmond Mayor’s Food Policy Task Force to identify city-owned land suitable for urban agriculture projects. As is often the case in rural areas, available land is VaFarmBureau.org

ur b a n a g r i c ultur e s u m m i t

Despite a steady drizzle, participants of the Urban Agriculture Summit toured the Lynchburg Grows greenhouses. The organization has donated more than 56,000 pounds of fresh vegetables to a local food pantry.

‘We’re working to eliminate food deserts.’

— Michael Van Ness founder and executive director Lynchburg Grows

VirginiaFarmBureau.com

more valuable when used for housing rather than growing food.

In the District of Columbia, DC Central Kitchen started a program called Healthy Corners that works with corner convenience store owners to offer healthy produce to people living in food deserts. Jannell Walker, director of nutrition and community outreach for the organization, noted that even when healthy food is available, consumers don’t always know how to prepare it.

So education is critical.

Food banks add fresh produce People who don’t live in food deserts but rely on food banks for sustenance historically have not been able to access fresh produce either. That is changing, said Leslie VanHorn, executive director of the Virginia Federation of Food Banks, which oversees seven regional food banks in the state. The federation created Fresh Food for Virginians in 2010 to help the food banks distribute produce. june 2014

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Nine years ago, the seven member food banks distributed 45 million pounds of food. Last year the total grew to 137 million pounds.

Lynchburg Grows connects community The urban farm organization Lynchburg Grows has restored abandoned greenhouses and partnered with local organizations to provide food to city residents in food deserts. It also has created nutrition and food systems programming for elementary school children, implemented a vocational training program for disabled and low-income individuals and organized workshops for citizens interested in increasing gardening efforts. On April 15, Urban Agriculture Summit participants toured some of the

Lynchburg Grows sites.

“Our mission is to help all disadvantaged individuals have access to healthy foods,” said Michael Van Ness, the organization’s founder and executive director. Since it started in 2005, more than 5,700 volunteers have donated more than 70,000 hours in the nine Lynchburg Grows greenhouses. Lynchburg Grows also has a partnership with the St. John’s Episcopal Church feeding program and has donated more than 60,000 pounds of produce.

“We’re working to eliminate food deserts,” Van Ness said.

There are plans under way to make Lynchburg Grows part of Virginia Cooperative Extension’s network of Agricultural Research and Extension Centers.

Lynchburg Grows’ compost piles occupy land near the Lynchburg City Stadium. Virginia Cooperative Extension agents Kevin Camm (above, left) and Antwan Rose (above, right), described how Lynchburg Grows volunteers cleared out dead rose plants and installed growing systems for vegetables.

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VaFarmBureau.org

FERAL SWINE ‘unique in their ability to damage the whole spectrum’ of Virginia agriculture

By Sara Owens Feral swine come in all shapes and sizes and can quickly cause trouble for farmers.

They rip and root their way through the ground in search of food, leaving behind damage to farmland, and their wallowing activities cause property damage, soil compaction and erosion. They damage native habitats, and their rooting activities allow invasive plants to re-vegetate damaged areas, replacing native plants and grasses.

Feral swine also eat and destroy field crops such as corn, milo, rice, watermelon, spinach, peanuts, hay, turf and wheat, and they can harbor diseases that are harmful to domestic swine.

It can be hard to distinguish a feral pig from a farm-kept pig. Some look like traditional wild boars, while others resemble domestic pigs in body shape and color.

Feral swine are in at least 35 states, with a population of more than 5 million, and they cause about $1.5 billion in damages and control costs in the United States each year. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says at least $800 million of that is direct damage to agriculture.

A long history, a growing problem

Feral swine have been in Virginia for about four centuries. In recent years their tendency to rip, root and wallow farmland into wasteland has been a growing concern.

VirginiaFarmBureau.com

Feral pigs have been in Virginia for 400 years, and they pose an increasingly bigger problem for farmers and landowners.

Since 1993, the USDA Wildlife Services agency and the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries have tracked feral swine populations in the state.

There are four historical populations of feral pigs, said Glen Askins, terrestrial wildlife biologist manager for the game department.

“The historical populations are in the city of Virginia Beach, the Orange and Culpeper areas and in the southwest in Bland and Scott counties,” Askins said.

“There are other breeding populations in Halifax, Nottoway and Fauquier counties. In addition, feral swine have been reported in 22 additional counties. june 2014

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It takes only a small number of pigs to do a significant amount of damage in one place, Stoneman said.

“The damage is very acute. If you’re a small farmer, your livelihood could be gone overnight from a small band of pigs.”

‘We have an opportunity to stop the damage’ The USDA Wildlife Services program in Virginia has received funding for the first time to address the feral swine problem, so there should be more help for farmers and others with feral pig-related issues.

“Virginia has a wonderful diversity of agricultural products and natural resources, family farms to agribusiness industries, marshes to mountains,” said Scott Barras,

state Wildlife Services director. “Feral swine are unique in their ability to damage the whole spectrum. We have an opportunity to stop the damage that we’re seeing now and, hopefully, avoid the large-scale problems seen elsewhere.”

Anyone who experiences damage from feral pigs is encouraged to call the Virginia Wildlife Conflict Helpline at 855-571-9003.

“Pigs don’t have wings, so they don’t migrate, but people are releasing hogs into the wild and that’s a problem,” Askins said.

“Since we don’t have a large problem right now in Virginia, we’re trying to be proactive and identify groups and remove them before they become established.”

Stoneman said a spread of feral hogs in Virginia is definitely undesirable.

photos courtesy of usda

“Small populations continue to crop up, but we want to make sure the small groups don’t connect to the large historical groups.”

Wilmer Stoneman, associate director of governmental relations for Virginia Farm Bureau Federation, follows wildlife issues that have an impact on agriculture. He said the main concerns with feral or wild pigs is how easily they can resort back to their wild instincts and how quickly they breed.

“They can have a litter of piglets in the wild in a short period time and have multiple litters in a year,” Stoneman said. “They can become loose for a short period of time and resort back to their wild instincts quickly. No other animal out there can resort back to their wild state and begin causing trouble that quickly.”

“If you’re a small farmer, your livelihood could be gone overnight from a small band of pigs,” said Wilmer Stoneman, Virginia Farm Bureau Federation associate director of governmental relations. The animals can have multiple litters of piglets in a year.

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Virginia Farm Bureau News

VaFarmBureau.org

“They’re a nuisance animal,” he said.

“The damage they do is so quick. Farmers need to be able to deal with them without a lot of red tape, and they’re very hard to capture or kill. They’re very adaptable to surroundings, so it’s hard to do anything with them.”

Because they are considered a nuisance animal, farmers are able to deal with the problem as they would any other nuisance animals. Stoneman strongly recommends checking county ordinances related to nuisance animals, wildlife running at large and fences.

“Be a part of the help, and call the wildlife helpline number and report the problem. Make sure the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries and USDA’s Wildlife Services are aware of where they are so the proper resources can be applied,” he said. “Also, know your rights and local laws so you can take care of the issue if necessary.”

VirginiaFarmBureau.com

Feral pigs’ ability to damage forestland and cropland is significant.

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Charlotte produce auction has created grower options

By Kathy Dixon Ronnie Gross said he plans his entire week around the twice-weekly Southside Wholesale Produce Auction in Charlotte County.

“It’s been a great experience” and well worth the two-hour drive it takes to get there, said Gross, a fifth-generation family member running Gross’ Orchard in Bedford County.

Leroy Lehman, an Amelia County farmer, was growing spaghetti squash and selling them at his farm stand for 25 cents each. Last year, spaghetti squash was featured at the produce auction one week.

After providing samples of a slow cooker spaghetti squash recipe one week, the next week Lehman sold his squash at the auction for $1.50 each.

Bob Jones, the Virginia Cooperative Extension agriculture and natural resources agent in Charlotte County who works with the auction, said he features one produce item weekly and provides recipes, freezing or canning instructions and samples of the product to potential buyers.

Amy Carwile of Archlynn Farm in Charlotte County is a former tobacco producer. She and her husband decided to grow produce and start a CSA. She had bought a high tunnel and just advertised the CSA when Jones called and asked if she wanted to sell produce at the new auction.

“It all just kind of converged, and now I plant extra to sell at the auction,” said Carwile, who brought a bumper crop of kale to sell on April 22.

Those are just a few of the success stories that have come out of the Southside wholesale auction, Jones said. He recounted how, 15 years ago, members of an Amish church moved into the area and began growing a variety of agricultural products.

They felt a produce auction would improve their marketing opportunities.

Charlotte County has been known for its pastureland, timber and tobacco farms. As tobacco production decreased, the number of farmers switching to fruit and vegetable production increased. However, markets for those growers were limited until the produce auction opened in the spring of 2012. “This is like a farmers’ market, but you can sell larger quantities,” Jones said.

“It gives produce growers another option.”

photos by kathy dixon

(continued on page 18)

Virginia Cooperative Extension agent Bob Jones has been instrumental in launching the Southside Wholesale Produce Auction, which is open twice a week in Charlotte County.

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Virginia Farm Bureau News

VaFarmBureau.org

Hanging baskets and bedding flowers were among the earliest spring offerings at the auction. Amy Carwile and John Price delivered a bumper crop of kale to sell.

Carwile’s Archlynn Farm in Charlotte County offers a CSA, but she tries to grow extra produce to take to the auction each week.

VirginiaFarmBureau.com

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17

About five years ago, Jones met with Amish leaders and other farmers in the community to explore the feasibility of a produce auction. They visited the wholesale produce auction in Dayton in Rockingham County, which has been in business since 2005, and they decided they could create something similar in Charlotte.

About 80 interested producers met at the county Extension office in January 2012 and offered to support the auction. The first one was held that April in a rented store.

About 350,000 pounds of produce was sold, and construction was begun on a permanent auction facility.

The current building was completed in December 2012, and the first auction in that facility was held in April 2013. The auction moved nearly 700,000 pounds of produce last year.

“We more than doubled our sales in the first year,” Jones said. And he expects a significant increase this year as well.

“This produce auction has been the last cog in the wheel for produce growers in this area,” Jones said. Some farmers are growing produce just for the auction, while others are supplementing other farm businesses with fruits and vegetables to sell at auction.

“We have old and young, male and female, Amish and English, and traditional agriculturalists and natural, organic growers,” Jones said. “People like knowing who’s growing their food, and this auction provides traceability and accountability.”

While the auction is geared to wholesale buyers, some families buy large amounts of produce to can or freeze.

Pat Spillman lives in Prince Edward County, but she and her husband frequent the auction. “My husband loves auctions, so we come here and buy apples, corn, onions and tomatoes. They’re good prices, so we buy them and I can them,” Spillman said.

Sometimes the auction bug takes over.

“One time my husband bought 13 dozen eggs here.” She gave eight dozen to her daughter and baked and froze pies with the rest.

Jones said the auction is promoting agritourism in the county as well. “We’ve had visitors from 11 different states” and average about 100 visitors and buyers per auction. One July day last year, there were 204 motor vehicles, 21 buggies and 4 dualteam wagons in the parking lot.

“Throughout the 26 years I’ve been an Extension agent and all the joys the job has brought me, working with local foods and the auction these past three years have been the most satisfying of my career,” Jones said.

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Virginia Farm Bureau News

Both Amish and English farmers support the produce auction, and parking is available for all types of vehicles.

At a late-April auction, Jones (bottom, left) unloaded apples from Ronnie Gross, who drives all the way from Gross’ Orchard in Bedford County. At the same auction, a potential buyer inspected fresh eggs.

VaFarmBureau.org

Get your work recognized at the State Fair of Virginia WINNING A RIBBON at the State Fair of Virginia is a time-honored tradition.

For many fairgoers, “it’s one of the biggest parts of a trip to the fair—coming to see the exhibits and displays and which entries won ribbons,” said Stuart Sanders, fair program coordinator.

The 2013 State Fair drew 3,781 arts and crafts entries and 688 crops and plants entries.

During the 2014 State Fair, which will open Sept. 26 and run through Oct. 5, arts and crafts entries will be on display in the Farm Bureau Center exhibition hall, while crops and plants entries will be on display near other agriculture exhibits in the Harvest Landing area.

As part of a new exhibit plan, “we will display the canned goods portion of the competition with the crops and plants, to highlight the farm-to-table aspect,” Sanders said.

Whether you’ll be competing for the first time or you’ve submitted entries for years, competing at the fair is easy. Entry forms, guidelines and related information are available at StateFairVa.org/competitions, and entries can be submitted online and by mail through Sept. 5.

“We try to make the entry process unintimidating and encourage Virginians from across the commonwealth to participate,” Sanders said. “In addition to winning a ribbon, there also are a lot of opportunities for youth to win scholarship money.”

Judges for each category are selected based on their expertise in a given area.

“The judges we select know what to look for in each category, and ribbons are awarded based on their expert opinions,” Sanders

said. “Judges are either professional artisans, teachers or industry experts.”

While entry forms are due by Sept. 5, actual items must be delivered to the fair by a specific date. That date will vary for different categories and can be found in the online competition guidelines.

“Baked goods and candies are typically due the Thursday before the fair opens so that the items stay fresh through the duration of the fair,” Sanders said.

“Paintings and crafts often will be brought in a week or so before the fair opens.”

Nearly all arts and crafts and crops and plants entries are judged before the fair opens to the public; however, a few competitions, such as the Giant Pumpkin Competition, are judged during the fair.

The State Fair of Virginia began accepting online and mailed entry forms June 1 for its 2014 arts & crafts and crops and plants competitions.

Tips for preparing your entry form: • Read all of the guidelines before submitting an electronic or mailed entry form.

• Double-check to be sure you have filled out the form completely.

• Submit your entry information early.

• Have fun! Judges and the fairgoing public look forward to seeing your work, and we hope you enjoy competing.

VirginiaFarmBureau.com

june 2014

19

Making a change to your farm?

Don’t forget to talk with your insurance agent!

What do an accountant, an attorney and an insurance agent have in common? They should all be a part of your business decision dream team. “It’s important to always talk to your insurance agent about any business or life change that you make or are thinking about making,� said Sam Rooks, vice president of underwriting and policy services for Virginia Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Co. “A lot of people remember to check with their accountant or attorney, but they forget about their insurance agent.�

It is your insurance agent’s job to answer your questions and make sure you and your operation are fully covered, said Gerald Gardner, director of sales for VFBMIC. “You don’t want to ever assume you are protected. Any change you make could have an impact on your policy. You don’t want to make a change, have a claim, and then find out you’re not covered because you didn’t call your agent and change your coverage. Always make sure your insurance agent is part of your team.�

If you are going through any of the following additions or changes, contact your insurance agent: • purchase or sale of equipment or land; • upgrades to land or buildings; • diversification; • change of name or business entity; or • life status changes such as marriage, divorce or death.

Also, remember that what may be a good tax move isn’t always a good insurance move. “Sometimes your accountant may help you make a business decision that will be beneficial tax-wise, but when you have to add or change your insurance coverage, it may not be worth it in the end,� Rooks said.

To find your agent’s contact information quickly, visit FarmBureauAdvantage.com.

New Silverado, same great member beneďŹ ts.

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20

Virginia Farm Bureau News

VaFarmBureau.org

Agent honoree says customer trust brings ‘a good feeling’

kathy dixon

“I can appreciate the hard work our farmers do, no matter what type of farming they do,” said Virginia Farm Bureau insurance agent Robin Gloss.

Her first summer job as a teen was on a Campbell County tobacco farm.

VirginiaFarmBureau.com

By Sara Owens Time spent on her grandfather’s farm and working on a tobacco farm gave Virginia Farm Bureau insurance agent Robin Gloss a taste for agriculture and helps her relate to her customers, many of whom are farmers.

Gloss, an agent in Campbell County, was honored with Farm Bureau’s 2014 Ralph Stokes Award. The annual award is the top recognition presented by the sales management team of the Virginia Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Co. It honors agents who exhibit a high degree of integrity, offers Farm Bureau members excellent service and earn the respect of their peers.

Farm Bureau established the Ralph Stokes Award in 1986, the same year Stokes retired after selling Farm Bureau insurance for 32 years.

Stokes was known for his motivation and high level of mobility, despite the fact that he used a wheelchair while serving policyholders in remote areas.

Gloss spent her childhood in Oregon but traveled to Virginia to visit family every summer.

When she was 13 her family moved to Campbell County to live with her grandfather on his farm.

The summer she was 15, she took her first summer job, working on a large tobacco farm.

“That job was my first real encounter with farming,” Gloss said. “It really helps with my work at Farm Bureau to have that background and understanding. I can appreciate the hard work that our farmers do, no matter what type of farming they do.”

Gloss said her favorite part of her job is meeting people, especially new clients. After 27 years as an agent, she’s been able to help a lot of people.

“In the earlier part of my career I was helping clients who were buying their first homes, and now they have grown children who are buying their first homes and coming to me for their insurance needs.

“It’s a good feeling, knowing your customers trust and count on you, not only for themselves, but for their extended family too.”

Gloss and her husband, John, live in Appomattox County and have five grown children between the two of them. They enjoy bicycling, antiquing and traveling.

“We hope to hit every state in the country,” Gloss said. “We love to travel and see new things. We try to pick up something unique in each town that we visit and have quite the collection of items from each area we visit.”

june 2014

21

‘Lady Leader’ spokesperson program available for Farm Bureau women The Virginia Farm Bureau Federation Women’s Committee is introducing a new recognition program called the Virginia Farm Bureau Lady Leader.

The program will honor and provide opportunities to a spokeswoman who is passionate about promoting agriculture. Its purpose is to recognize a woman who can effectively articulate and share the value of the agriculture industry in today’s world, and to increase her opportunities to promote farming, agribusiness and Farm Bureau throughout the commonwealth.

“We wanted to give women the opportunity to be better spokespersons for Farm Bureau beyond our Farm Bureau Ambassador program, which is for men and women under the age of 27,” said Janice Burton, Women’s committee chairman. “Women are so very important to the success of agriculture, and we want to recognize them and give them the opportunity to represent us at functions across the state.”

County Farm Bureau members can recommend candidates, and interested individuals also may apply by Dec. 31. Finalists must attend the VFBF Women’s Conference in March 2015 to meet with judges and give a prepared speech to conference participants.

The 2015 Lady Leader will be named at the conference.

Eligible applicants must be female, at least 27 years of age, members in good standing with a county Farm Bureau in Virginia, and able to give speeches promoting agriculture to any size group.

They also must understand key issues affecting agriculture. Farm Bureau employees are not eligible. Additional information is available at VaFarmBureau.org/contests.

A cash award of $500, sponsored by Farm Credit, will be presented to the Lady Leader at the Women’s Conference, and reasonable travel expenses will be covered for pre-arranged speaking appearances the following year.

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22

Virginia Farm Bureau News

VaFarmBureau.org

Young Farmers Summer Expo set for Aug. 1-3 The Virginia Farm Bureau Federation Young Farmers annual Summer Expo will take place Aug. 1-3 in Mecklenburg County. It is open to anyone age 18 to 35 and is geared toward people who support agriculture through production, education, promotion and leadership. Any young adult with an interest in agriculture is encouraged to attend.

In addition to workshops, contests and networking activities, the event will include tours of the area with an emphasis on tobacco.

Registration includes all program events and most meals. Participants are required to make and pay for their hotel arrangements and any optional tours.

The final agenda and registration information should be available this month. For updated information, visit VaFarmBureau.org or VAFBYoungFarmers. com, email youngfarmers@vafb.com or call 804-290-1032.

Tobacco will be a focus of tours planned for the Young Farmers Summer Expo in Mecklenburg County.

Nominations open for 2015 Young Farmers awards Nominations are being accepted through Dec. 31 for Virginia Farm Bureau Federation’s 2015 Young Farmers Achievement Award, Excellence in Agriculture Award, Environmental Stewardship Award and Outstanding Young Farm Employee Award.

Nomination forms are available at VaFarmBureau.org/contests and from county Farm Bureau offices.

Discussion Meet gives participants a different view of Farm Bureau, agriculture The annual Young Farmers Discussion Meet competition will begin during the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation Young Farmers Summer Expo.

The competition is designed to build young adult members’ ability to analyze agricultural issues and decide on solutions that best meet their collective needs. Participants are judged on their ability to listen, share insights, offer constructive criticism and lead the group toward consensus on agricultural issues.

Discussion topics are determined each year by the American Farm Bureau Federation.

The competition is open to Farm Bureau members between the ages of 18 and 35. Semifinals will be held Aug. 2 at the Young

Farmers Summer Expo. All cash prizes and incentives for competing at the Summer Expo are sponsored by the Virginia Farm Bureau GM Discount Program.

The final round will be held in December at the VFBF Annual Convention in Hot Springs. The state-level winner will receive a John Deere Gator utility vehicle, sponsored

by Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance Co., and a travel package to the 2015 American Farm Bureau Federation Annual Convention. The first runner-up also will receive a travel package to the AFBF convention.

To enter the Discussion Meet, contact Ron Saacke at 804-290-1032 or ron.saacke@vafb.com.

National competition The American Farm Bureau Federation Young Farmers & Ranchers Discussion Meet winner will receive a choice of a 2015 Chevrolet Silverado or 2015 GMC Sierra, courtesy of GM, as well as a travel package to the 2015 AFBF Young Farmers & Ranchers Leadership Conference.

Three runners-up will receive a Case IH Farmall 55A tractor, courtesy of Case IH; a Stihl Farm Boss chain saw, courtesy of Stihl; and $2,500. *Note: All state and national prizes are subject to change and will be officially announced during or just prior to the annual competition.

VirginiaFarmBureau.com

june 2014

23

Savings on Grainger purchases is a member benefit Whether you need specialty products or simply need the right tool for a specific job at home, you can put your Virginia Farm Bureau membership to work and save 10 percent on all purchases from Grainger.

The discount applies at Grainger retail locations, online at grainger.com and when ordering from the Grainger catalog.

Farm Bureau members’ online purchases also qualify for free shipping.

Grainger serves 2 million customers from North American manufacturing, commercial, government, transportation and contractor markets and offers a wide variety of inventory management and online purchasing solutions. The company works with more than 3,000 suppliers to provide products for categories including these: • cribs;

• motors;

• electrical;

• office supplies and furniture;

• exercise equipment;

• painting;

• fleet and vehicle maintenance;

• plumbing;

• HVAC;

• power tools and metalworking;

• hand tools;

• pumps;

• hardware;

• safety;

• hydraulics;

• security;

• janitorial;

• team sports equipment; and

• lighting;

• yard and pool equipment.

Members with places to go can save on Avis car rentals An agreement between Virginia Farm Bureau and Avis means Farm Bureau members can enjoy significant savings when renting vehicles.

Avis savings Members can save up to 25 percent on Avis’ daily and weekly rates when they reference Farm Bureau’s Avis Worldwide Discount number, available from your county Farm Bureau. Avis also offers special services like Avis Roving Rapid Return and the Preferred Service program, which can make renting and returning an Avis car quick and easy. And the Avis where2 GPS Navigation system offers turn-byturn directions, real-time traffic routing and hands-free calling when used with Bluetooth-capable phones.

To rent a car, visit www.avis.com/vafb or call 800-331-1212.

• mattresses; To use your Farm Bureau discount, you’ll need your Farm Bureau membership number, which is on your membership card, and the Virginia Farm Bureau Grainger discount code, available from your county Farm Bureau.

Grainger can apply your Farm Bureau discount to an existing Grainger account, so you automatically save every time you buy.

Water stewardship and Extension centennial, on Real Virginia

Watch this!

To view RealVirginia, visit VaFarmBureau.org.

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Virginia Farm Bureau News

Farm Bureau leaders are concerned about a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposal to expand its jurisdiction over Virginia waters, and Virginia Cooperative Extension is celebrating a century of service.

Those are just two stories from this month’s episodes of Real Virginia. The program also shows how to start a container garden and why feral hogs are a growing problem in the countryside.

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.

VaFarmBureau.org

‘The class I read to asked lots of great questions’

Agriculture Literacy Week was one for the books

AGRICULTURE IN THE CLASSROOM www.agintheclass.org

Adult and youth volunteers from throughout Virginia’s agriculture community visited more than 1,500 classrooms in their local schools and child care centers during Agriculture Literacy Week, March 23-29.

Many volunteers read Agriculture in the Classroom Book of the Year What’s in the Garden? by Marianne Berkes and donated copies of the book to classroom, school and public libraries.

“AITC sold out of books this year, which is a first,” said Tammy Maxey, AITC senior education program coordinator. The organization made 2,000 copies of What’s in the Garden? available for volunteers to purchase.

The book features rhyming riddles that invite children to guess what vegetable or fruit a particular plant produces, and it includes simple recipes.

“The general consensus is that volunteers enjoyed reading this book,” Maxey said. “Many commented that having the children guess what the crop would be was fun, and some of them helped build the excitement by bringing a bag of produce to use as props.”

Among this year’s volunteer readers were Virginia’s first lady, Dorothy McAuliffe, as well as 4-H and FFA members. “The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and Colonial Farm Credit expanded their involvement this year,” Maxey said, “and we had the solid support of about 80 county Farm Bureaus.”

Volunteer comments: • “It was a pleasure taking part in this program, and I enjoyed having the opportunity to help the students obtain a better understanding and appreciation of how agriculture impacts their lives.”

Summer workshops scheduled Four Agriculture in the Classroom professional development workshops have been scheduled for this summer. Each is for teachers of pre-kindergarten through fifth grade and will focus on engaging children with investigations and hands-on activities involving plants and animals found on farms.

• July 24 – Henricus Historical Park, Chesterfield County

• “The class I read to asked lots of great questions about gardens, and they know their fruits and vegetables. Thanks for sponsoring a great program!”

• July 29 – Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, Richmond

• “It was a wonderful event. I can’t wait for next year!”

For registration information, visit AgInTheClass.org, or contact AITC at aitc@vafb.com or 804-290-1143.

VirginiaFarmBureau.com

• Aug. 5 – Morven Park, Leesburg • Aug. 6 – Green Spring Gardens, Alexandria.

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Have a Soup-er Year

Chill out, with cold soups featuring local produce When it’s hot outside, chilled soups are a cool option for a healthy, refreshing lunch or an easy supper. June is prime time for picking cucumbers and digging potatoes, and both lend themselves to nutritious, delicious cold soups.

Virginia cucumbers, which are available June through October, are chock-full of vitamins and minerals. They are low in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium and a good source of vitamin A, vitamin C,

potassium and other nutrients, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Summer potatoes, available primarily in June and July, also pack a nutritious punch.

One medium potato contains 45 percent of the daily value of vitamin C and has more potassium than bananas, broccoli or spinach.

If you add onions to your soups, you are getting extra nutrition as well. Onions are rich in chromium, which helps cells

respond to insulin and vitamin C. They are known to lower blood sugar levels, cholesterol and blood pressure, and their vitamin B6 helps prevent heart disease by lowering risk factors for heart attack and stroke.

The regular consumption of onions—as little as two or more times per week— is associated with a reduced risk of developing colon cancer.

Cold Cucumber Soup with Cucumber Relish INGREDIENTS

2 pounds cucumbers, any variety 1 cup buttermilk, plain yogurt or sour cream 1 cup coarsely chopped herbs, divided (cilantro, chives, basil or dill) salt and pepper to taste 2 lemons, zested and juiced, divided 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil DIRECTIONS Peel and seed the cucumbers. Finely dice 1 cup of cucumber, and set aside.

Roughly chop the rest of the cucumbers.

Puree them in a blender or food processor with the buttermilk, ½ cup of the herbs, ½ teaspoon salt and the zest and juice of one lemon.

Just before serving, make the relish by tossing the reserved diced cucumber with the remaining ½ cup of herbs, a few pinches of salt, the olive oil and the remaining lemon juice and zest. Test the soup for seasoning, and add more salt and pepper if desired. Serve soup with a spoonful of relish on top.

The herbs used to season cucumber soup also make attractive garnishes.

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Virginia Farm Bureau News

VaFarmBureau.org

Have a Soup-er Year

Cold Potato-Leek Soup (Vichyssoise)

Potatoes’ appeal in soups is not limited to recipes that are served hot.

INGREDIENTS

4 leeks 1 medium onion 1 tablespoon olive oil 4 medium potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced 4 cups unsalted chicken broth ½ teaspoon mace 2 cups evaporated skim milk, chilled 6 tablespoons chopped chives ground black pepper to taste DIRECTIONS In a blender or food processor, process the leeks and onion until finely chopped.

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped leeks and onion, and sauté until browned, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the potatoes, chicken broth and mace. Cook over medium heat until the potatoes are tender.

Carefully pour the mixture into the blender or food processor, or process with an immersion blender. Blend until smooth, pour into a large bowl and refrigerate.

Before serving, stir in the evaporated milk.

Ladle into individual bowls. Top each with 1 tablespoon chives and pepper to taste.

Serve cold.

Source: The Mayo Clinic

Mace?

Mace is the name of a spice similar to nutmeg. In fact, mace and nutmeg spices come from different parts of the nutmeg fruit. Both are available in most supermarket spice aisles.

Mace also is the genericized trademark of Chemical Mace, an early type of aerosol selfdefense spray. Please don’t put that in your soup!

VirginiaFarmBureau.com

june 2014

27

Heart of the Home

Easy chicken dish is good choice for lazy summer days On those days when you don’t feel like cooking but still want to eat healthy, this flavorful chicken and spinach dish is easy to make.

Sauteed fresh spinach topped with an herb-rubbed chicken breast is the perfect entrée for one, said cooking show host Caressa Jackson.

Garlic Chicken and Spinach INGREDIENTS

1 chicken breast 1 tablespoon herb-garlic blend seasoning 1 tablespoon onion powder 1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic ¼ cup olive oil 1 pound fresh baby spinach, rinsed and drained salt and pepper to taste

kathy dixon

DIRECTIONS Preheat the oven to 350°.

Rub both sides of the chicken breast with the garlic seasoning and onion powder.

Place a stovetop griddle on medium-high heat, or heat a gas grill to medium high.

Place chicken breast on the pan or grill and cook about 3 minutes on each side, until imprinted with grill marks. Remove from griddle or grill and place in a non-stick casserole dish. Bake for 20 minutes.

Five minutes before the chicken breast is done, place olive oil and garlic in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Add a little salt and pepper, and saute the spinach for 3-5 minutes, until it is soft.

Remove chicken from the oven and place on top of spinach. Serve immediately.

The Garlic Chicken and Spinach recipe can be doubled, tripled or quadrupled as needed to feed more than one person.

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Virginia Farm Bureau News

VaFarmBureau.org

Heart of the Home

Cabbage becomes the main dish in this one-pot recipe In this family recipe that Caressa Jackson adapted from one used by her husband’s Aunt Lorraine, cabbage and bacon pair up for a one-dish main course.

Jackson said people typically view cabbage as a side dish exclusively. This recipe proves its heartiness as an entrée. Fresh cabbage can be found at many Virginia farmers’ markets, and so can Virginia bacon.

“Anything with bacon in it, it’s for me,” Jackson said. She cautioned home cooks not to cut the cabbage into fine shreds.

Caressa’s Crispy Bacon Cabbage INGREDIENTS

3 slices uncooked bacon, cut in half half a head of cabbage, chopped quarter of an onion, finely chopped 1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic ¼ cup minced carrots herb-garlic blend seasoning to taste salt and pepper to taste 2 tablespoons sugar DIRECTIONS Cook the bacon in a skillet over mediumhigh heat. While the bacon is frying, chop the cabbage by cutting the half head into slices and then cutting each slice lengthwise into four pieces. Then chop those pieces into thirds.

When the bacon is crispy, remove it from the pan and set aside on paper towels to drain. Leave the drippings in the pan, and add onion, garlic and carrots and cook for 1-2 minutes. Heap in the cabbage, and stir until all the cabbage is coated with the pan drippings. If there’s not enough to coat the cabbage, add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil.

Once the cabbage is coated, sprinkle in the garlic-herb seasoning, salt and pepper, and mix everything together. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes, until the cabbage is tender.

Add 2 tablespoons of sugar, and mix well. Place cabbage in a serving dish and top with the crispy bacon pieces. If you want more for your meal, pair the cabbage dish with some crusty bread or homemade cornbread.

kathy dixon

Don’t try to shred the cabbage like fine slaw when making this recipe.

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

VirginiaFarmBureau.com

Caressa Jackson 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. 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. june 2014

29

Marketplace

Help consumers find your summer farm products, with Farm Bureau Fresh If you are a Virginia farmer who direct-markets meats, eggs, produce or fibers, there’s a Farm Bureau member benefit that can make it easier for potential customers to find you.

Farm Bureau Fresh, based on the Virginia Farm Bureau website at VaFarmBureau.org/ marketplace, lets members place free, searchable listings of up to 45 words. Farm Bureau began promoting Farm Bureau Fresh last year to anyone with an interest in local foods and other farm products.

Consumers can use Farm Bureau Fresh to search for products in any of 11 categories, or use a ZIP code to locate all producers in a specific area who sell to the public. In addition to addresses, phone numbers and farm websites, they’ll be able to access a map and Google travel directions to your 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; • pick-your-own; • pumpkins; and • vegetables.

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 Virginia Farm Bureau News, which is mailed to producer members, or in Cultivate, which is mailed to associate 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 January 2014 issue of Virginia Farm Bureau News 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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Virginia Farm Bureau News

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 Farm Bureau News (mailed to producer members only); • July Cultivate (mailed to associate members only); and • August 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.

• 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 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.

Important: We are not responsible for typographical errors or errors due to illegible handwriting (No refunds available). Classified ads carried in Virginia Farm Bureau News and Cultivate 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.

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!

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

NAME: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ MEMBER NO.: _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ COUNTY: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ADDRESS: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Category in which ad should run (select only one): ❑ Crops ❑ Farm Equipment ❑ Hay/Straw

CITY: ______________________________________________________ STATE: ________________________________ ZIP: ___________________

❑ Livestock

DAYTIME PHONE NUMBER: ____________________________________________________ E-MAIL ADDRESS: ______________________________ Ads will not be accepted without the information above

❑ Livestock Equipment

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

No other categories available

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

ISSUE IN WHICH AD SHOULD RUN: ❑ August (mailed to producer members)

*

❑ This is my one free 15-word ad for 2014 ❑ Payment enclosed: $ _______________ Ad placement available for these issues only ❑ Please place my ad in The Delmarva Farmer for 4 weeks at no additional cost to me.

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

VirginiaFarmBureau.com

june 2014

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