Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, April 20, 1991 TAG: 9104200311
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: PAUL DELLINGER/ SOUTHWEST BUREAU
DATELINE: WYTHEVILLE LENGTH: Medium
The board also approved up to $7,500 for geotechnical work on the Eastern Shore Farmers Market, which was to get $2.1 million from the legislature.
The board, meeting in Wytheville, authorized the funds as a cautionary measure to keep at least some work going should something bog down the money approved by the legislature.
"The governor could veto the entire budget and they could do it all over again, so we just don't know," said Nancy Israel, board staff member. Gov. Douglas Wilder has 30 days from April 4 to decide.
If the legislature's funding holds up, the next step would be to seek bids on construction of the Southwest Virginia Farmers Market on a site in Hillsville made available by Carroll County.
The site was made available several years ago, but the state has been slow to fund the project.
Israel said she thought the Southwest Virginia Farmers Market was more likely to be funded than Eastern Shore, because it is in both the governor's and the legislature's budgets while Eastern Shore is only in the legislature's budget.
The board also heard a report from the Virginia Cooperative Extension Service about efforts to encourage farmers to grow broccoli.
"I do feel like it has a potential, in Carroll County especially," said regional Extension Director Frank Smith. "We have tried to get the vegetable industry started in Southwest Virginia a number of times."
That is hard to do in counties where farmers have tobacco-growing quotas, he said, because tobacco is much easier to grow and has an almost-guaranteed payoff of $1,500 to $2,000 an acre. "With vegetables, these farmers don't like the uncertainty of the market out there."
Through state farmers markets, though, "it does look profitable from a budget standpoint," said Carroll County Extension Agent Gary Larrowe. "The potential's out there."
Broccoli is grown much like cabbage, he said. Growing more broccoli and less cabbage could help increase cabbage prices for farmers. The broccoli would be grown in late spring to early summer.
It was estimated that broccoli could be profitably grown in Southwest Virginia on about 50 acres in Carroll, Patrick, Floyd and Roanoke counties. Southside and southeastern Virginia also have the potential for it, board members were told.
"It seems like a great overall strategy," said Chairman Mark Titus. "I hope it works out."
by CNB