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STATE FOOD PRODUCERS BENEFIT FROM SPECIALTY CROP GRANTS
Charleston, W.Va. – West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture Gus R. Douglass presented 10 local-food projects with nearly $100,000 in specialty crop grants at a ceremony at the State Fair of West Virginia Tuesday, August 12, 2008.
Funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and administered by the West Virginia Department of Agriculture (WVDA), the program seeks to promote increased consumption of specialty crops and increase the competitiveness of specialty crop producers. Specialty crops are defined as fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits and nursery crops – nearly anything but traditional commodity items.
“The individuals and organizations represented here are proof of the self-reliance, ingenuity and work ethic of West Virginians,” said Commissioner Douglass. “These projects will open doors for other West Virginia food producers, and will provide the state’s consumers with even more fresh, West Virginia Grown options.”
Among the recipients is 10-year-old Alex Hannah from Renick, whose project aims to demonstrate the appeal of “blue” high-antioxidant potatoes to local restaurant clientèle.
The Greenville Garden in Union will develop an educational outreach program to help consumers make wise food choices and lead healthy lifestyles.
Grants also went to the West Virginia State University Recipe Challenge, now in its third year at the State Fair of West Virginia, and the Collaborative for 21st Appalachia, sponsor of the annual Cast Iron Cookoff at Stonewall Resort and the wvfarm2u.org website.
“I’m very excited about the prospects for this program. We’re really going to show what West Virginia can do with these agricultural dollars that historically have gone to other states,” said Commissioner Douglass.
For this year’s program, 35 applicants were approved for all or partial funding out of 61 applicants. Sixteen projects were funded in West Virginia in 2007. Applications for next year’s program will be available from WVDA later this year.
Specialty Crop Grant Recipients
- Hanna Farm (Renick, $750) – Ten-year-old Alex’s project focuses on two varieties of “blue” potatoes known for their antioxidant properties. Alex hopes to demonstrate their appeal to local restaurants. His grant is part of his 4-H project with the Williamsburg 4-H Club.
- Lewisburg Farmers’ Market (Lewisburg, $3,500) – Featuring locally grown produce and products, this market has flourished with a combination of quality vendors, organized events and a weekly festival atmosphere. The market received funding to conduct its annual zucchini race and a fall event designed to promote the market’s producers.
- Mountain Top Farm (Renick, $4,850) – Devastated by weather conditions in the last three years, Mountain Top Farm is experimenting with the use of “high tunnels” for strawberry production. This innovative technique should reduce the impact of weather on crop yield at this popular pick-your-own operation.
- The Greenville Garden (Union, $1,000) – Today’s consumer demands a focus on nutrition, and specialty crops are a great way to fill the shopping basket. The Greenville Garden will develop an education and outreach program designed to help consumers make wise food choices and lead healthy lifestyles using specialty crops.
- Fayetteville Farmers’ Market (Fayetteville, $2,100) – Provides tools for youth to make educated eating choices including fresh, local specialty crops through the development of a “Young Farmers” program. Documented sales and attendance at the 2009 West Virginia Small Farms Conference in Morgantown are the benchmarks of this project.
- Spangler’s Greenhouse and Organic Farm (Lindside, $5,500) – Known throughout the area for his outstanding micro-greens and specialty crop production, Lindside farmer John Spangler will use his grant to develop and model a water recirculation project designed to eliminate wilt in lettuce and green growth during periods of high demand in summer.
- Daniel Vineyards, LLC (Crab Orchard, $4,000) – This popular agritourism attraction will plant 12 new varieties of grapes and track their effectiveness in terms of increased yields and their application to wine production in the state.
- Cross Point Church of God (Beckley, $500) – This grant is designed to educate teens about the production and sale of pumpkins during this summer-long fund-raising effort for outreach missions.
- West Virginia State University Recipe Challenge (Institute, $2,000) – This event, in its third year, is held at the State Fair of West Virginia. Designed to encourage budding food entrepreneurs and the use of locally grown products as ingredients, previous winners include Frank’s Batter Up of Kingwood, Darrell Vowell from Kenova and the 2008 winner, Phillip Bricker of the Wooden Spoon in Charleston. Each received funds to develop their businesses and will also have products in this year’s “Country Store” in the Gus R. Douglass Annex at the State Fair.
- The Collaborative for 21st Century Appalachia (Charleston, $5,000) – This statewide initiative brings farmers, consumers and chefs together to explore the benefits, economic potential and health benefits of locally grown and consumer agricultural products. The successful e-market agricultural website was unveiled at last year's far. This year’s grant builds upon the success of the website and provides training and technical assistance to West Virginia farmers and consumers.
The West Virginia Department of Agriculture protects plant, animal and human health through a variety of scientific, regulatory and consumer protection programs, as mandated by state law. The Commissioner of Agriculture is one of six statewide elected officials in West Virginia. Currently, Commissioner Gus R. Douglass is the longest-serving agriculture commissioner in the nation. For more information, visit www.wvagriculture.org.
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