Illustration by Sam Gray
Rows of farmland across the commonwealth brim with crops such as corn, soybeans and tomatoes, making for one of the most varied agricultural landscapes in the country. Scientists at Virginia State University and other land grant institutions are studying crops like pawpaw, ginger, turmeric and hemp in hopes of adding to Virginia’s agricultural wealth — a whopping $70 billion industry, according to the Virginia Department of Agriculture — and jump-starting a more diverse farming future.
Pawpaw
In late summer, oblong fruits with greenish skin dangle from trees along the banks of the James River. Pawpaw’s squishy ochre flesh, riddled with flat, brown seeds, is custardy and sweet, tasting like ripe bananas with hints of mango. Once a favorite of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, this tropical fruit is experiencing an overdue moment in the sun thanks to local chefs like Walter Bundy (Shagbark) and Joe Sparatta (Heritage and Southbound), who are interested in its seasonal culinary potential, and beverage makers like Blue Bee Cider and Courthouse Creek Cider; the latter released a small-batch pawpaw cider in collaboration with Slow Food RVA and WCVE last summer.
Pawpaw trees take three years to bear fruit, and Reza Rafie of the Special Crops department at VSU has been patiently waiting. Overseeing several acres of land planted with a variety of pawpaws, Rafie works to identify cultivars with commercial potential — a higher ratio of fruit to seed, different flavors, the ability to withstand travel, and better growing rates for our specific region. Rafie says the results have been promising.
Data proves that pawpaws need deep, rich soil; should be planted in a combination of varietals to ensure success; and may require some hand-pollination since the flower structure prohibits pollination by bees (beetles and flies do the work in the wild). But the big takeaway: Pawpaw is a viable fruit crop for the local market and one that excites consumers.
Ginger and Turmeric
Despite previously being considered unrealistic for the temperate climate of Virginia, ginger and turmeric are also of interest to Rafie and the Small Farm Outreach Program at VSU. Both crops possess tremendous health benefits, which Rafie knows is a major selling point. “Once the consumers realize that something is good and healthy for them, they become interested in it,” he says.
Matthew Powell of Mechanicsville’s Black Creek Farm grows both. But cultivating tropical plants in a new environment is risky.
“They take a very long time to grow, and the planting stock is expensive,” Powell explains.
Ginger in particular hosts several soil diseases with potentially devastating effects on other crops, and once in the soil, Powell says, “It’s there virtually forever.” Powell learned from Bill Cox of Casselmonte Farm to plant ginger in containers in the greenhouse, keeping his soil safe and the warm-weather-loving crops happy.
Rafie hopes to establish that ginger and turmeric crops are feasible sources of income for Virginia farmers. He says the market for value-added products that feature ginger or turmeric, like Hardywood Park Craft Brewery’s award-winning Gingerbread Stout, is growing.
Hemp
On another patch of VSU land, Ramesh Dhakal is cultivating a crop that until recently could have gotten him arrested. The passing of the 2014 Hemp Farm Bill opened doors for universities to study the crop, and since then, Dhakal’s pilot program has been evaluating different strains of hemp to identify the best plants for producing fibers, seeds for hemp oil, and dual-purpose crops — information that is highly sought by Virginia farmers and entrepreneurs.
“Hemp is a miracle crop because all of the parts of the plant are used,” Dhakal explains. “Once the seed is used for oil, the remaining seed can be used for livestock feed. The plant itself is useful for its fiber, and the hard stem can be used for animal bedding.”
However, Dhakal says there are still difficulties with growing and researching this crop, owing to its newly legal status, but he hopes this trial will help to pinpoint specificities regarding its growing season, soil quality and identity. The results of these studies have the potential to help farmers yield the most economic impact from the crops they grow.
“As a land grant university, whatever results we obtain from our research are disseminated quickly through the cooperative extension,” Dhakal says. “We have to share what we learn, and we are always ready to help the farming or scientific community, or whoever is interested.”
