- Teamwork
- Virginia and Tennessee Growers Work Together
- By Karen Gentry
Associate Editor
- Tobacco growers in Southwest Virginia and Eastern Tennessee who are facing quota cuts have turned to vegetable production to supplement their loss of income.
Where there once was close to none, there are now 300 acres of vegetables grown in four counties in Southeast Virginia and eastern Tennessee, due to more than 50 growers who joined Clinch Mountain Farmers, Inc. in Weber City, Va. The growers’ acreage varies from 1/4 acre to 30 acres.
“We’re kind of like a co-op. We sell wholesale for the farmer,” said Curtis Laney, floor manager for Clinch Mountain Farmers. Anyone in Scott and Lee counties in Southwest Virginia and Hawkins and Sullivan counties in Tennessee are welcome to join the group for a small fee, according to Laney.
Fresh market tomatoes are the biggest crop, followed by pumpkins and melons, according to Mike Cassell, Scott County’s agriculture Extension agent. Squash, green beans and cucumbers are also grown. Cassell said Clinch Mountain Farmers started in 1998 after many years of discussion.
“Most wanted to grow and not sell,” said Cassell. So they turned to Clinch Mountain Farmers to do the selling for them. Although tobacco is still the area’s biggest crop, vegetable growers are making progress. Sales have more than doubled each year with $175,000 the first year, $398,000 the second year and an anticipated $750,000 to $1 million in sales anticipated for this year, according to Cassell. The majority of their vegetables are delivered to a distribution center in Abingdon, Va. before being sold in 88 Food City stores in the Southwest.
“We could probably go $2.5 to $3 million with pretty much what we’ve got now,” said Cassell. He said many growers have had to face a learning curve when switching from tobacco to growing vegetables. Most use trickle irrigation for vegetables that they didn’t have before and face many harvests with vegetables compared to one-time harvest with tobacco. With vegetables, growers can improve their cash flow throughout the year, he said.
Dale Berry, from Clinchport, Va. retired from Eastman Chemical in Kingsford, Tenn. and grew vegetables a number of years ago. He decided to become involved in Clinch Mountain Farmers in 1999 and now grows zucchini, pumpkins, pole beans, cabbage and cucumbers on five to six acres. He plans to grow up to four acres of pumpkins this year, mostly the Howden variety.
Berry said he’s been satisfied with the prices received from Clinch Mountain Farmers.
“It’s an outlet for farmers to change their old farming habits and go to new techniques to grow vegetables,” said Berry. “I grow tobacco just a little bit but I enjoy vegetables more,” he said.
He said some farmers are reluctant to change as they have to follow Clinch Mountain’s guidelines of what varieties need to be planted to be sold commercially. Once growers follow the guidelines they know they have a market for their vegetables before they are grown, according to Berry.
Like other growers, Berry had to learn how to use an irrigation system for his acreage that is on mountainous terrain. He uses some drip and some overhead irrigation.
Clinch Mountain Farmers is busy during the tomato harvest season from the last week of June through August. Clinch Mountain is open to handle cabbage in mid-May through the pumpkin season in November.
“We offer a good opportunity for farmers to supplement their income,” said Laney. Clinch Mountain recently moved from Duffield, Va. to a larger facility in Weber City that they sub-lease from Food City for $1 a year. They are trying to get a grant to build their own building, according to Laney. A special label for Clinch Mountain has been designed and a web site is being developed. Their new Clinch Mountain logo helps market their vegetables regionally as locally produced. In the past, outlets like Food City had to rely on vegetables from places like California and Florida.
“Growers are encouraged,” said Cassell. He said he recommends that first-time vegetable growers start out real small.
The Clinch Mountain facility started out with a tomato and pepper line and recently added a cucumber line for this season that will be able to handle peppers and small gourds and be able to wax as well, according to Cassell. “It will be a wonderful addition,” he said about the new cucumber line.
The vegetables are graded, packaged and cooled until they are ready to ship. Last year Clinch Mountain Farmers also purchased a refrigerated delivery truck, forklift, a no-till pumpkin seeder and a pre-cooler.
