THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, November 13, 1995 TAG: 9511130039
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LINDA MCNATT, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 103 lines
While amber waves of grain have supported American farmers for generations, a new wave in agriculture comes in a more colorful array.
The selections run from blue, purple and yellow Irish potatoes to personal-sized watermelons with golden skin and ruby-red flesh. Also on the horizon are a rainbow of bell peppers, baby vegetables and flowers. Herbs and mushrooms could flourish in woodlands that now produce only timber.
In Virginia, that day may not be far off.
Suffolk farmer Arthur L. ``Art'' Whitener Jr. recently added elephant garlic to his crops. Drought resistant, the garlic requires little cultivation.
And come spring, strawberries will burst forth from the black plastic covering part of his farm, which straddles the Suffolk/Isle of Wight County line.
For Whitener and other farmers willing to turn away from such traditional crops as corn and peanuts, this altnernative agriculture could turn into big cash crops. On average, Americans spend $21 a person a year on flowers alone.
Whitener is among several Virginia farmers involved in alternative agriculture, an option being promoted by Andy Hankins, an extension specialist at Virginia State University in Petersburg.
He's seen the method work elsewhere in the state, he recently told a group of Western Tidewater farmers, and he believes it could work in their area.
``It's haute cuisine,'' he said. ``Farmers can take advantage of it. . . . Why not grow something besides green beans, carrots and summer squash?''
Hankins targets small farmers - who often are hurt the most economically when crops do poorly. About two-thirds of Virginia's farms have 60 acres or less.
Small, speciality farms are increasing. The state has about 47,000 farms - up 1,000 over the 1994 count and about 2,000 more than 1993.
``More people are moving to the rural areas when they retire and buying a few acres to farm,'' Hankins said. ``These alternative crops are examples of what they can grow without a huge investment.''
Take, for example, the tiny watermelons, which already are being served in gourmet restaurants in Williamsburg and Richmond.
``You get five or six times as many an acre as you do the large melons,'' Hankins said. ``And the consumer is willing to pay the price for something real nice.''
Ginseng, one of China's biggest imports, already is known by some American farmers as ``green gold.''
``Find a north-facing slope under some big hardwood timbers. Rake the leaves back to make a bed. Dig three little furrows; cover with soil. And walk down the row,'' Hankins instructed.
Then, leave it alone for seven years. That's important because the roots of naturally grown ginseng are much more valuable than cultivated ginseng, which for centuries the Chinese thought had near-magical curative powers.
An investment of less than $2,000, including the time involved for the walk in the woods, could eventually bring $20,000. And if a farmer gets in a money crunch in the meantime, he could harvest the scarlet berries produced by the plants after just four years. They sell for $100 a pound, and the market is growing.
In Wisconsin, growing ginseng is a $40 million industry. In Virginia, it grows best in the mountains. But placed properly on a shaded slope in the woods, Hankins said, it could do well in Hampton Roads.
The herb goldenseal, also grown in the woods, is another alternative crop.
``There's likely to be a strong potential for goldenseal right in Suffolk,'' Hankins said. ``It can withstand high temperatures and drought. And it's selling right now for $30 a pound.''
Hankins said 12 million acres of woodlands in Virginia could be used to grow herbs like ginseng and goldenseal. The woods also are great for mushrooms.
Hankins introduced several of his alternative crops in other parts of Virginia, and many have worked well.
In Amherst County, for instance, garlic, which is said to aid digestion and circulation, has led to an annual festival.
``Wine and garlic are good for the heart in Virginia,'' was emblazoned on T-shirts for the event, held last month. About 8,000 people attended, despite rain.
Hankins also helped establish the sorghum festival in Madison County, about 30 miles north of Charlottesville. Festival chairman David Jones said many of the alternative crops are succeeding because of a nationwide trend toward a natural lifestyle and healthier eating.
Sorghum, a cousin of sugar cane, produces a more complex sugar, which takes longer to break down in the body. It was the only form of sweetener early pioneers had.
As for Whitener, he has visions of pound-size elephant garlic bulbs next summer and a crop that could make up for some of his losses from drought and insects this year.
``The peanut program has been cut back,'' he said. ``I think pure economics on the part of the government will eventually take us out of the peanut business. I believe we're already out of the corn business.
``As more people plant cotton, those prices will fall. We've got to look for crops that don't need the perfect conditions.'' ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photo]
JOHN H. SHEALLY II
The Virginian-Pilot
Suffolk farmer Arthur L. Whitener Jr. grows elephant garlic. Drought
resistant, it requires little work.
by CNB