Ed. — From the Sunday, July 23, print edition.
BLACKWATER — Virginia Beach will host farmers and agricultural professionals from across Virginia and North Carolina during the Virginia Ag Expo on Thursday, Aug. 3, at Land of Promise Farms in Blackwater.
Virginia Secretary of Agriculture Matt Lohr is scheduled to speak during the event, and about 64 exhibitors will display their equipment, products and services, according to Roy Flanagan, the agriculture extension agent for Virginia Beach, and Jeffrey Whitaker, who manages the expo.
It is the largest such event in the commonwealth.
Representatives from agricultural businesses will be available to speak to attendees about products such as crop insurance and large farm equipment, including drones. Trial crops will also be exhibited, and farmers will have a chance to learn more about newer varieties of grain that are being developed.
“It’s just a big trade show and field show,” said Don Horsley of Land of Promise Farms. “We plant different kinds of corn and soybeans that will be on display. … There’s education involved, as well as people looking at the latest products and equipment.”
He said hosting the event is an honor – and an opportunity to showcase local agriculture.
“A lot of people just don’t realize the magnitude of agriculture in this area,” he said. “They don’t associate Virginia Beach with agriculture, but we’ve got some of the best land in the state. I think it’s very important that we have preserved some of it, and it will be agricultural for many, many years.”
Ryan Horsley, Don Horsley’s son and a member of the family partnership that owns Land of Promise Farms, said he expects 2,000 to 2,500 people will attend.
This annual event usually draws 1,000 to 1,500 attendees, Whitaker said, “but we expect a larger crowd here because this is down in the southeast.” The farm’s proximity to North Carolina will probably attract some farmers, from there he added.
The focus will be on grain farming, including corn, soybeans and small grains, and farmers will see trial crops that were grown from these seeds. Land of Promise Farms is growing about 50 acres of variety trials with different varieties of corn and soybeans so that farmers can compare the results.
“These are different brands, just like a Ford, Chevrolet and Dodge,” Ryan Horsley said. “You can see the difference and what would work best for you on your land.”
Because of the corn’s short stature, farmers wouldn’t need overhead spraying and could instead spray with ground equipment, Horsley said. The corn’s compact size would also reduce wind damage from hurricanes. Flanagan cautions, however, that its success depends on whether the yield will be as great as it is with the taller varieties.
By early August, the corn will have matured, and farmers will be better able to judge its success.
“It’s definitely very innovative if the yield potential is there,” Flanagan said.
Later, after the fall’s harvest, data will be compiled to allow farmers and researchers to better determine the variety’s success, although final decisions usually aren’t made based on one season’s data, Flanagan said.
Representatives from John Deere and other equipment manufacturers will display their latest products, and attendees will have a chance to see cutting-edge equipment. Among the latest equipment is a drone that can apply fertilizer and spray crops.
This is the second time Land of Promise Farms has hosted the expo, which also was held at that farm in 2013. Hosting takes a good deal of preparation, Ryan Horsley said. In addition to growing trial varieties, the hosting farmers have to consider parking and other amenities for attendees. The farms must be set up to handle a large number of people and exhibits, and food vendors will also be present at the event.
The host farm is chosen by board members of the Virginia Soybean Association and the Virginia Grain Producers Association with input from Virginia Cooperative Extension, Whitaker said. Board members also try to highlight different types of crops and different regions of Virginia each year, so the decision is based partly on geography.
“We try to showcase the diversity of agriculture in Virginia,” Whitaker said.
“It’s pretty cool to have it come to Virginia Beach,” said Flanagan, adding he expects young and future farmers will be among its most enthusiastic attendees because they’re interested in cutting-edge equipment and new methods. [Ed. – Flanagan is kin to John Doucette, editor of The Independent News.]
“It’s a celebration of agriculture in the state of Virginia,” Ryan Horsley said, “and it’s a good way to learn and gain information.”
“We encourage everyone to come out,” Whitaker said.
Ed. — With reporting by John Doucette.
The Virginia Ag Expo is from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 3, at Land of Promise Farms, 3169 Land of Promise Road in southern Virginia Beach. For more information, find the expo on Facebook by searching VA AG EXPO or learn more online via vasoybean.com/ag-expo/.
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Wish you would do a people profile on David LaClair. Lots of info out there. Realtor Greg Garrett knows him. Ed Young of Paramount Builders orchestrated the deal; Ed lived in IRP and sold his house just before the golf course sale.
People need to know who LaClair is.