Introduction & Dean's Column
Front Cover: (Clockwise) Irene Scott and Jennifer Alexander, Mojdeh Karimi, Dr. Reza Rafie and Rosa Nuñez
Farming is as different to each person who engages in it, as there are folks who farm. In Virginia, it is a microcosm of our nation’s agriculture industry—a vast variety of mostly small farms that form an intricate patchwork that comprises the commonwealth’s largest industry. We have one-acre farms producing organic vegetables and hydroponic indoor urban farms growing produce for innercity communities, as well as ranches with 200 head of cattle and off-shore oyster beds that grow arguably some of the finest tasting bivalves in the world. Some are first-generation farms, while many have been handed down through the family for centuries. And the diversity of today’s farmers has increased in recent years, as well. Today’s farmer can just as easily be female, Hispanic or African American or have a disability, compared to the national average farmer, who is male, white and 58 years old. Simply put, farms and farmers come in an infinite variety of shapes and sizes.
At Virginia State University, our Cooperative Extension and agricultural research focus is on assisting small, limited resource, minority and/or military veteran farmers become successful and sustainable. Our impacts are felt primarily within the commonwealth, though some of our programs reach far beyond our coast and mountains to have national and even international impacts.
This issue of Connection Magazine celebrates these different faces and diverse cultures of farming. On the following pages we hope you’ll enjoy, be inspired by and learn from the stories told by, through and about Virginia’s many faces of farming. You’ll also discover news from other program areas within the College of Agriculture, like 4-H. And if you like what you read, tell a friend, join us at an upcoming program or visit us online at www.ext.vsu.edu (Extension) or www.agriculture.vsu.edu (academic departments and the Agricultural Research Station) to discover more ways to learn, connect and enjoy.
Sincerely,
M. Ray McKinnie, Ph.D., Dean/1890 Extension Administrator, College of Agriculture
Wondi Mersie, Ph.D., Associate Dean and Director, Agricultural Research Station
Doris B. Heath, Interim Assistant, Administrator of Programs, Cooperative Extension
Connection is published by Virginia State University’s College of Agriculture. Special thanks to everyone who contributed content, photos, ideas and time to this edition.
Executive Editor: Michelle Olgers
Writers/Editors: Lorraine Blackwell and Tammy McCausland
Art Direction, Graphic Design: Brittany R. Hughes
Send address changes and circulation inquiries by email to molgers@vsu.edu. Editorial inquiries and other comments should be sent to Executive Editor, Connection, P.O. Box 9081, Virginia State University, VA 23806 or molgers@vsu.edu.
©2019 Virginia State University College of Agriculture
Dr. M. Ray McKinnie Dean/1890 Extension Administrator, Dr. Wondi Mersie Associate Dean/Director of Research, Doris B. Heath Interim Assistant Administrator of Programs Virginia Cooperative, Extension Dr. Michelle Corley Interim Chair, Associate Professor Department of Agriculture, Dr. Crystal Wynn Chair and Associate Professor Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, Dr. Berkita Bradford Chair and Associate Professor Department of Hospitality Management
Virginia State University College of Agriculture One Hayden Drive • P.O. Box 9081 Virginia State University, VA 23806 (804) 524-5961
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