Melody Kinser
Sherry McCarthy was joined by her granddaughter Madison on Thursday at the Save Our Food press conference at the Pole Green Produce Stand. McCarthy said Madison suffers from alopecia, and fresh fruits and vegetables she eats during the summer months have prompted her hair to grow.
Published: August 20, 2008
By Melody Kinser .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Sherry McCarthy tousled the hair on her granddaughter’s head as she talked about the benefits of fresh produce.
Madison suffers from alopecia, a condition which causes hair loss.
Due to “the fresh fruits and vegetables she has had all summer long,” McCarthy said the youngster’s hair has been growing.
“We use produce from here as the centerpiece of a meal,” she added, while shoppers milled around the Pole Green Produce Stand behind her, checking out tomatoes and green beans, among other products available.
Her comments focused on “Why Buying Local Is Important to Me.”
A Mechanicsville resident, McCarthy said she keeps a close eye on the calendar, eager for fresh produce season.
As a loyal customer of the Pole Green Road business, she shared her story Thursday morning during a press conference sponsored by the Virginia Farm Bureau.
She said she marks time and is “happy when the produce stand opens and sad, bittersweet when it closes.”
“It warms my heart (to come to the produce stand),” she added. “I’ve known the people that run this stand a long, long time.”
Anne Geyer, who operates farms in Hanover and Westmoreland counties, discussed “How the Farm Bureau Has Helped My Business.”
She has started Agriberry CSA (Com-munity Suppo-rted Agriculture), anew business prototype in Studley. The project involves berries and fruits and supplying them throughout the Richmond area.
When she formed the CSA, memberships sold out in two days.
Greg Hicks, director of communications for the Virginia Farm Bureau, noted the sunshiny morning, saying “diverse weather helps what we grow in Virginia.”
He also said there are “positive benefits of buying locally” and encouraged membership in the Farm Bureau.
Matt Benson, community viability specialist with the Virginia Cooperative Extension Service, addressed “How Buying Local Food Can Boost Virginia’s Economy.”
He said there are “134 known farmers’ markets in Virginia,” with Fairfax County having the most with 17. Hanover County has the one on Pole Green Road. In 2005, there were only 88 farmers’ markets in the state.
Within 300 square miles, he said, there is one farmers’ market. He said Iowa and West Virginia have studied the demographics of farmers’ markets, finding 51 to 65 to be the typical age of a shopper.
In West Virginia, vendors have generated $1.725 million from 40 farmers’ markets.
Benson said the farmers’ markets can have a catapulting effect, creating jobs and economic impacts.
He added “$16.8 million is sold directly through outlets like the Pole Green Produce Stand.”
In discussing “Can We Afford Cheap Food?,” Jonah Bowles, Virginia Farm Bureau agriculture risk management coordinator, said Virginia agriculture contributed more to Virginia than tourism or the federal government.
“Agriculture is the only necessary industry in the world,” he said.
“The Health Benefits of Buying Local” was presented by Kim Edmonds, an extension agent with Family and Consumer Services.
“There are a variety of health benefits to all of us,” she said, pointing to the vitamins associated with products such as pears, peaches, broccoli and carrots. “They will keep us healthy much longer.”
Edmonds said vitamins and foods rich in fiber will counter conditions such as cholesterol, heart disease, coronary disease and blood pressure.
Melody Kinser
Anne Geyer, who runs a prototype berries and fruits business in Hanover County, offered the perspective of a vendor.
