Virginia

A Virginia food bank and a farmer cultivate an innovative alliance

Published

1 year ago

August 14, 2023

A Virginia food bank and a farmer cultivate an innovative alliance

Elisha Barnes leaned over the steering wheel of his blue 1961 Ford tractor as workers from the local food bank trudged through a muddy field and dumped baskets of sweet corn into the bucket. “The rain and the heat is pushing this corn real hard,” he said.

When he planted during the second week of May, Barnes worried that it was too late. Now, some of the corn was ready days before the scheduled harvest by food bank staffers.

On a recent stifling 90-degree morning, Bobby Woolard, director of logistics for the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore, showed his fellow workers how to look for ears with corn silk turned brown and shriveled, ready for harvest.

They slogged down row after row, bending, plucking and tossing corn into plastic crates. Annette Copeland, a truck driver, supplied the soundtrack from a portable speaker with Miles Jaye crooning “I’ve Been a Fool for You.”

“Anything that makes you move,” she said.

When the bucket of his tractor was full, Barnes ferried the corn to a refrigerator truck idling nearby.

He is 68, a fourth-generation farmer. This was the hottest and wettest July he could remember. The downside was that he couldn’t haul his trailer through the mud, slowing the harvest. The upside is this field would yield 27,500 pounds of corn.

That’s a sweet harvest for the food bank in the first year of a partnership with Barnes to grow produce for its 170 partner agencies and food hubs.

Some food banks have purchased fruits and vegetables directly from farmers. A Maryland program uses federal funds to pay competitive prices and grants for new crops and equipment to local farmers. A food bank in Massachusetts has purchased more than 200 acres and contracts with local farmers who share some of the harvests.

But the partnership with Barnes is different. He’s growing corn as part of a barter. The food bank leased 20 acres of land down the road from the state police station in Courtland, about 15 miles from the North Carolina border. Produce from half that land goes to the food bank. Barnes uses the other half as he desires.

Their collaboration is about more than supplying fresh food. Christopher Tan, who joined the food bank as chief executive officer and president last year, said he wanted to support a minority farmer and a way of life that has nearly disappeared. Black farmers are only 1.4 percent of the total in the United States, down from 14 percent in 1920, according to the Agriculture Department.

The partnership also is in line with the farm-to-table movement. “The whole point of the project was to hopefully help out a minority farmer in our local community, but also connect people with fresh produce grown by local citizens,” Tan said.

The idea germinated when Tan decided to learn about his new job by shopping with clients. One was a young mother who happened to be a farmer. “It struck me like, ‘Hey, wait a minute. These are people that are supplying our community’s food, and they need our assistance,’” he said.

His first idea was to buy produce from local small farmers. He soon learned that would be too expensive. Next, he tried to buy land. That also was beyond his reach. When the food bank opened a new facility in nearby Franklin, he connected with the Rev. Eric Majette of New Life Church Global, which had owned the land for years.

Marshall Rabil, director of marketing at the Hubbard Peanut Co. in Southampton County, had been encouraging Tan to learn more about local agriculture. He introduced Barnes.

Barnes, Tan learned, had stories to tell — oh, did he have stories. And he knew how to tell them.

Barnes, the son of a sharecropper, first got on a tractor when he was 6. Day after day, he’d hop off the school bus, change clothes, and head to the fields.

Barnes left home and his five siblings to attend auto and diesel mechanic school in Nashville. When he returned, he began working as a pipe fitter at the paper mill in Franklin and ran an auto repair business on the side.

The tractor he was driving on harvest day was testimony to that business — a hybrid vehicle with an engine, rear end and transmission all from other tractors. The canopy that kept the sun at bay was salvaged from a junkyard. Barnes welded it in place.

Those aren’t all his skills. On Sundays, he drives across the North Carolina border to pastor a church.

“My father said you got to have your hands in a lot of things just to make it,” he said in a commanding voice perfect for the pulpit. “And I do.”

When he married in 1976, he told his wife he intended to farm again. She wanted nothing to do with it. By 1989, he’d saved enough money to buy land. But it wasn’t easy.

When he sought a loan, he said the bank officer told him they didn’t finance farms. But two friends — both White — had recently secured loans to buy farmland from the same place. Barnes confronted the loan officer, and that day he had the money to begin Pop Son Farm.

For 15 years, Barnes put in a full day at the paper mill and then went home and worked the fields, sometimes for four or five hours a night. In 2004, he had a knee replacement. The mill couldn’t find another suitable job while he recovered, so he left. A disability plan continued paying part of his base salary until he turned 65.

Now, he lives on and tends to the 35 acres he purchased in 1989 and another 35 acres 15 miles away that he bought with his brother in 2020. His father had farmed that land and put it in his grandmother’s name when he left to fight in World War II. Barnes is not clear how, but it eventually fell into other hands.

He has grown just about everything — watermelons, cabbage, collards, broccoli, cantaloupe, soybeans. But he’s best known for peanuts, the prized Virginia variety. Barnes revived the practice of shocking — hanging freshly harvested bunches on poles to cure naturally.

The modern drying and curing process created in the 1960s takes just hours, while his traditional method takes as long as six weeks. The reward is flavor. “They cure sweet as compared to heat-dried peanuts,” Barnes said.

Rabil saw a report about his method and partnered with Barnes to sell “Single Origin Redskins” online and at Hubs Vine, the company’s restaurant and store in Franklin. “It has been nothing short of a miracle and a blessing to have somebody to take a chance on you after all these years,” Barnes said.

Barnes’s equipment is nearly as old as he is. Some, like the seed spreader used in May, he designed and fabricated himself.

He has no interest in sitting back and letting GPS guide a modern tractor. “My dad said anybody can hold a steering wheel, but you need to learn how to drive,” he said, “seeing what’s ahead of you, knowing the changes in the topography and when to slow down and speed up.”

Barnes often works alone. In May, readying the field fallow for 25 years, Barnes went back and forth over several days plowing, the last time at 4:30 a.m. just before planting. That afternoon, he went home to retrieve a tank so he could spray an herbicide. The next day he made three trips an hour away to retrieve bags of fertilizer because his trailer couldn’t hold enough in a single trip.

“I don’t stop,” he said. “Stopping is not an option because there’s nobody to do what I’m doing. Once you get going, you get going.”

Tan said Barnes was hesitant at first, thinking the food bank offer was too good to be true. “He really went out on a limb with us,” Tan added. “We’re so appreciative. I think it couldn’t have worked out better.”

About 150 volunteers picked the rest of the corn over a couple of days earlier this month. Because of the late start, Barnes only planted 7.3 acres of corn for the food bank and 5.3 acres of peanuts for himself. He refused to wait until next year. “I just couldn’t see them go through a whole year and not have something viable to show for it,” he said.

Now that the picking has ended, Barnes will get back on his tractor and begin tilling under the stalks to prepare for a fall planting of cabbage, broccoli and collards. One crop follows another, year after year, as much a culture and a calling as it is a business.

“You gotta do what you do,” he said. “And then you gotta love what you do to keep on doing what you do.”

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Virginia

Virginia Tech Football: Three Keys to Victory for the Hokies on Saturday vs Virginia

Published

2 hours ago

November 28, 2024

Press Room

Virginia Tech Football: Three Keys to Victory for the Hokies on Saturday vs Virginia

The rivalry matchup between Virginia Tech and Virginia is nearly 48 hours away and it is a big matchup for both teams. The Hokies and the Cavaliers are both 5-6 and needing a win to make a bowl game. The loser will be getting a headstart on 2025 instead of playing in the postseason.

At the start of the year, Virginia Tech was being talked about as one of the biggest surprise teams not just in the ACC, but in the country. This team’s biggest goals have gone away, but they still have an opportunity to reach a bowl game for the second straight season. That should still be a big deal to the program, but on the other side, the Cavaliers are trying to make a bowl game for the first time under Tony Elliott. They are going to be fired up about playing in this game and having a chance to make a bowl game, so Virginia Tech can’t take it for granted, no matter their past success vs Virginia.

So what are the keys to a win for Virginia Tech on Saturday?

Before you could even blink on Saturday night, Virginia Tech was trailing Duke 14-0 thanks to two long touchdown plays and the Blue Devils have not been a very explosive offense this season. Virginia has found a way to put points on teams like Clemson and Louisville this season and has improved since last year. The Hokies’ pass rush was non-existent on Saturday vs Duke, finishing with no sacks and being unable to disrupt Duke quarterback Maalik Murphy. They will have to be able to play better on Saturday if they want to avoid the upset.

It is still up in the air who is going to play quarterback for the Hokies on Saturday night, but whoever it is would benefit from a big game from one of the nation’s best running backs. Tuten had 84 yards on 19 carries last week, but Virginia Tech might need more than that on Saturday when the face the Cavaliers.

Our own RJ Schafer wrote this about the quarterbavck situation heading into Saturday’s game:

“Brent Pry listed both Kyron Drones and Collin Schlee as questionable ahead of the historic matchup. He added that both will practice, although very limited, and they could “just be watching” from the sidelines.

Coach Pry also added that Virginia Tech is preparing four quarterbacks to be ready to play this weekend, including Davi Belfort, a freshman quarterback from Brazil, a country which could begin to be the future of American college football.

Whoever plays this weekend is going to have to have to manage the game and not turn the ball over. I think the offense is going rely on the run game heavily this weekend due to that.

Additional Links:

Virginia Tech Football Releases Depth Chart Ahead of Matchup Against Virginia

Virginia Tech Football: PFF Grades and Snap Counts For Every Player in Saturday’s Loss to Duke

Virginia Tech Football: Updated Bowl Projections For The Hokies Heading Into Final Game

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Virginia

Big Tests On The Horizon For Virginia Tech Wrestling – FloWrestling

Published

10 hours ago

November 28, 2024

Press Room

Big Tests On The Horizon For Virginia Tech Wrestling – FloWrestling

At 3-0 with marquee victories over #6 Missouri (23-10) and #21 Rutgers (26-11), as well as a second-place finish in the Keystone Open with just a handful of starters competing, Virginia Tech has swept through a tough November and is prepared for a difficult December.

The Hokies, #12 in Flo’s team tournament ratings but top 10 in various dual-meet rankings, are next scheduled for an annual trip to Las Vegas for the Cliff Keen Invitational, featuring 27 teams, of which 14 are among Flo’s top 25. And then it’s another trip west to Stillwater on Dec. 19 to challenge #5 Oklahoma State in a rare Thursday match.

The early key thus far for the Hokies has been the ability to win the bouts they’re supposed to win and grabbing a fair share of so-called toss-up bouts.

To wit, Tech’s #18 Sam Latona downing Missouri’s #13 Josh Edmond (4-2) at 141, or #25 Rafael Hipolito majoring the Tigers’ #32 James Conway (11-3) at 157 and #15 Jimmy Mullen stopping #20 Seth Nitzel (4-2) at heavyweight.

That trend continued at Tech’s Moss Arts Center match against #21 Rutgers when Latona used a late takedown to defeat Joey Olivieri 7-5, #4 Lennox Wolak pinned veteran Jackson Turley at 174 and #9 Andy Smith slipped past #17 John Poznanski 4-3 at 197.

Hokies coach Tony Robie only took a few regulars to the Keystone Open in Philadelphia and, led by championship efforts by #1-ranked Caleb Henson at 149 and heavyweight Hunter Catka, Tech placed second behind Lock Haven. Latona placed third at 141 and Sam Fisher did the same at 184.

Robie opted to use the Hokies’ roster as freshmen Dillon Campbell (125), Matt Henrich (157), Luke Robie (157) and Jack Bastarrika (133) competed as did redshirt juniors Jackson Spires (165) and Ty Finn (174). Spires placed second.

Who’s Ready For Change?

With legislation on the NCAA’s table affecting scholarship and roster limits — unlimited scholarships and a roster cap — as well as revenue sharing, some college wrestling programs likely have a serious dose of trepidation while others are confident they can deal with whatever happens.

Virginia Tech sits in the latter category.

“I have no concerns whatsoever about that,” Robie said earlier this month. “I think a lot of it probably will happen. It’s hard to say whether it’s good or bad for the sport; that’s not really for me to say. What I will say is you have to adjust with what the rules are and what the landscape of college athletics looks like, and that’s what we intend on doing.

“Is it good for the overall health of the sport of wrestling? The kid that’s the 35th kid on your roster? Probably not. But I think definitely there were probably some things that needed to change; the pendulum was starting to swing significantly the other way. At some point, it’ll probably start to go back to the middle.”

Robie said all anyone can do is wait for the final decisions.

“We have some contingency plans based on what we think is going to happen and we’ll move forward with our plan and try to execute it,” he said.

A Pretty Good Gig

Robie, in his eighth year as head coach, has been at Tech since 2006 and as each season passes, the commitment and enthusiasm remain the same.

“Well, you get to do what you like to do. And it’s a pretty cool thing to be able to coach wrestling for a living and be a part of a pretty good program, and work with some great people and try to affect the lives of the kids in your program,” he said.

“I think anybody would want to do that. For me, I’m not young anymore. I turned 50 … who knows how long I’m going to do it, but I’m going to give it the best I can while I’m doing it and hopefully continue to improve as a program and try to try to help these guys as much as possible. But it’s good, Virginia Tech’s a great place to work, it’s a great place to live. I’ve got a great staff and it makes my life pretty easy.”

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VIDEO: UVA Football Players Preview the Virginia Tech Game

Published

17 hours ago

November 27, 2024

Press Room

VIDEO: UVA Football Players Preview the Virginia Tech Game

With the game of year looming this weekend, members of the Virginia football team were made available to to the media after practice on Tuesday morning to talk about the regular season finale against Virginia Tech in the Commonwealth Clash on Saturday night in Blacksburg. Watch the video below to hear what UVA senior safety Jonas Sanker, graduate tight ends Tyler Neville and Sackett Wood Jr., and graduate defensive tackle Jahmeer Carter had to say ahead of the Virginia Tech game:

Sanker is the team’s leader in tackles with 89 total tackles and also leads the ACC in solo stops with 60 unassisted tackles. He has racked up 8.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, four pass breakups, two fumble recoveries, and an interception as part of a strong senior campaign that should earn Sanker some serious consideration for a First-Team All-ACC selection.

A transfer from Harvard, Tyler Neville is Virginia’s second-leading receiver with 35 catches for 387 yards and two touchdowns. Sackett Wood Jr., meanwhile, has recorded three receptions for 18 yards and a touchdown this season. Between the two of them, Neville and Wood have combined to appear in 83 college football games and make 48 starts.

Saturday will be the 55th game in the five-year career of Jahmeer Carter, who has started nearly every game for the last four seasons at Virginia. This season, Carter has 30 total tackles, including nine solo stops, two tackles for loss, one sack, and a pass defender. For his career, Carter is up to 131 total tackles, 2.5 sacks, and 7.5 tackles for loss.

Saturday night will be the first time Virginia plays at Lane Stadium in front of fans since the 2018 season, as the 2020 edition of the Commonwealth Clash was played in front of only 250 fans due to COVID-19 restrictions and then the 2022 Virginia vs. Virginia Tech game was canceled due to the shooting tragedy at UVA.

Virginia is seeking its first road victory at Virginia Tech since 1998, as the Hokies have won the last 11 Commonwealth Clash games played at Lane Stadium. Virginia Tech has won 17 of the last 18 overall games against Virginia and leads UVA 61-38-5 in the all-time series that dates back to 1895.

Both Virginia and Virginia Tech bring a 5-6 overall record into the regular season finale and both need to win the game in order to reach the six-win threshold required for bowl eligibility. There is only one other game this weekend between FBS teams who are battling for bowl eligibility (Eastern Michigan vs. Western Michigan). Virginia and Virginia Tech played each other for bowl eligibility at the end of the 2014 season.

UVA Football: Players to Watch in Virginia vs. Virginia Tech

UVA Football Week 14 Injury Report: Kobe Pace, Kempton Shine, Trell Harris

Virginia Football Depth Chart vs. Virginia Tech | Takeaways, Analysis

Virginia Football Opens as Touchdown Underdogs at Virginia Tech

UVA Football Report Card: Handing Out Grades for Virginia vs. SMU

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