Mountain State Art and Craft Fair

Bluegrass music, wafting smells of delicious food, and numerous hospitable people all gathered in one place...it must be fair time in West Virginia! The Mountain State Art and Craft Fair was held at the Cedar Lakes on June 29-July 1. This was an exciting and educational event for all who attended. The West Virginia Department of Agriculture set up a small scale farmers market to provide fair goers with fresh produce. The fresh picked corn and the juicy peaches were a highlight for many customers! Not only was the Department busy with their farmers market, but they also had other duties presenting education workshops. Melissa Beller, Marketing Specialist-Marketing and Development, presented the workshop, "Cooking with Herbs." All participants received great advice about how to use fresh herbs in their recipes and enjoyed delicious samples. I, Danielle Kisamore, Marketing Specialist-Marketing and Development, also presented a workshop on "Container Gardening." I would have to say that the "pineapple pot" was definitely a big hit! Other department staff members, Cindy Martel and Debra Gard, both Marketing Specialist-Marketing and Development, co-chaired the chili cook-off. Luke Lively (SUSTA Intern) was fortunate to be a judge for this event and enjoyed chili from some of West Virginia's finest cooks! Luke also helped with the fishing derby, which was a big hit with the kids! Many other staff members were on hand to assist with the farmers market, as well as various other activities at the fair. Between the exhibitors and the food, this fair is truly one of a kind. I encourage everyone to take in a little piece of West Virginia's rich culture and attend a fair or festival this summer. While you're there...have a funnel cake for me!

Orchard Manor

On Thursday of last week, the West Virginia Department of Agriculture had the opportunity to do something good for one community garden. Commissioner Gus R. Douglass presented residents of Orchard Manor with approximately $1,000 worth of supplies. These supplies included 12 raised bed gardening kits and 74 bags of Miracle Grow potting soil. This equipment will allow the residents of Orchard Manor to restore their community garden and begin producing fresh vegetables. The commissioner expressed to the group the many  advantages of being able to grow your own produce and passing on this tradition to the next generation. Residents using and volunteering in the garden will be responsible for keeping track of their hours, working toward sustainability. The WVDA is also pleased to partner with the Kanawha Valley Growers Association to assist with the revitalization of this garden. This project was funded through the Specialty Crops Block Grant Program. This grant allows for education, outreach, and the promotion of specialty crops. Since the project began, the West Virginia Department of Agriculture has awarded approximately $950,000 to 134 projects across the state to promote specialty crops.

Stop and Smell the Daylilies! - Hillbilly Daylilies

Surfing through the channels the other day I found one of my favorite childhood shows, "The Wizard of Oz." Do you remember when Dorothy first stepped into Munchkinland? Fields full of beautiful flowers of every size and color! Last Wednesday, Melissa and I made another site visit. Although we had tennis shoes instead of ruby slippers, we definitely saw a site that would have made Dorothy herself wish that she didn't have to go home! With over 350 varieties and thousands of plants, Hillbilly Daylilies, in Bunker Hill, West Virginia has an incredibly impressive display of daylilies! Visitors come to the field, and with check-list in hand, they choose daylilies to take home. Guest relax and enjoy the scenery while their plants are dug up and bagged. These colorful blooms make a beautiful display for any home! Hillbilly Daylilies also holds an annual event that is both fun and educational! The "Bloomin Bash" is scheduled for July 9th from 9:00AM-5:00PM. The event will include fun garden projects for kids, workshops for adults, a live bluegrass band, food, and so much more! I encourage everyone to support West Virginia agriculture and attend the event. It promises to be a rewarding experience. For more information visit Hillbilly Daylilies on their Facebook page or visit http://www.hillbillydaylilies.com/index2.php#/info4/1/.

West Virginia Agriculture-Still "Growing" Strong- Mock's Greenhouse

I was recently asked to help a student preparing for the FFA Creed competition. For those of you unfamiliar with the FFA Creed, the five paragraph promise begins with the words, "I believe in the future of agriculture." One of the most popular questions judges ask, "Is there a future for agriculture?" After my recent visit to the easter panhandle, the answer is, YES...West Virginia Agriculture is still "growing" strong! On Monday, I had the priviledge of visiting Mock Greenhouse to shadow Derek Richard, WVDA-Marketing & Development, while doing his GAP audit take place. Mock's Greenhouse currently produces lettuces, water cress, herbs, tomatoes, and other products. The most impressive part...this is a hydroponic operation. Mock's Greenhouse markets to many retailers, as well as farmer's markets. Paul Mock is also a big promoter of the local foods movement. In fact, he is actually expanding to add 8 more greenhouses and a high tunnel to his operation. With this new expansion, it will be adding to his list of crops. He plans to grow cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes, and red raspberries. If all goes as planned, his high tunnel raspberries will be Certified Organic. He is also experimenting with growing Certified Organic ginger. This is an impressive operation, and I encourage everyone to buy locally and watch for the Mock's Greenhouse label!

LOOKING FOR MOCK'S GREENHOUSE PRODUCTS? VISIT THE INWOOD FARMER'S MARKET! MENTION THIS BLOG AND SAVE 10% OF YOUR MOCK'S GREENHOUSE PRODUCTS AT THE INWOOD MARKET!

Smiles & Giggles- Chattaroy Head Start visits Logan Farmers Market

Smiles and giggles filled the Logan Farmers Market on March 24, 2011, as some very special guests came to learn about agriculture. Children from the Chattaroy Head Start, along with their teachers and families, visited the market and took part in the planting activities. Market Manager, Joy Vance, along with other staff members planned a fun-filled visit for the children. Marketing Specialists Melissa Beller and Danielle Kisamore, from the West Virginia Department of Agriculture, conducted an activity, which allowed each child to decorate a sock with a face and then plant a flower to resemble the hair. With permanent markers and creativity, each child produced their own special creations. It is important that children get excited about agriculture and learn the importance of the industry. Activities such as these help them to better understand where their food comes from. After all, brown cows do not give chocolate milk and hamburger does not just come from the grocery store! Staff members enjoyed working with this great group and are always happy to teach children about the agriculture industry!

Food Business Workshop-Opportunities for $$$

Marketing Specialists from the West Virginia Department of Agriculture, Marketing & Development Division, have spent the past two days sharing their knowledge with existing and aspiring entrepreneurs. It is very exciting to see individuals with such a passion for West Virginia's agricultural products.

Yesterday, Melissa (Hudson) Beller presented a presentation on the Specialty Crops Block Grant Program. She informed participants about how they can receive money to fund projects involving specialty crops. These projects must have a significant educational, research, outreach or program component. This is a competitive grant program and the grants are scored. Anyone interested in learning more about this program should contact Melissa Beller at mhudson@wvda.us or 304-558-2210 or Cindy Martel at cmartel@wvda.us or 304-541-9756. You can also visit the WVDA website for the complete grant manual!

I, Danielle Kisamore, presented this morning regarding GAP audits and the Organic Certification Cost Share Program. The GAP's (Good Agricultural Practices) are recommendations at the production level and beyond, and are designed to help improve the quality and safety of produce. This is becoming increasingly important to producers, as wholesalers and restaurants are requiring the Food Safety Plans. This certification requires a third party audit of your Food Safety Plan and facilities. I would highly recommend anyone interested in receiving GAP certification attend one of GAP trainings. We are hoping to schedule the next program in October 2011. Also, if you attend the training and decide to have the audit, the WVDA is requesting funding in order to reimburse our producers 50% of the cost of becoming certified. This is well worth your time!

The Organic Certification Cost Share Program reimburses 90% (75% USDA & 15% WVDA) of the cost of becoming certified. This is a non-competitive grant program. This means that the first individuals to submit the proper paperwork (your certificate, the application, invoices, DUNs number, and W-9 Form) will receive the funding. If you have been considering organic certification and have been putting it off due to cost, please consider this program. If you have questions about GAP audits or the Organic Certification Cost Share Program please feel free to contact me at dkisamore@wvda.us or 304-558-2210.

Teresa Halloran presented numerous programs during today's workshops. Teresa is the WVDA Marketing Specialist for Foods. She spoke with participants about certifications needed when starting a food business. Some of these programs included HACCP, Standard Operating Procedures, Sanitation Standards, and many more. Teresa also spoke about food emergencies. She presented information on Mock Recalls and Traceability. If you have specific questions about any of  the topics listed above, please contact Teresa Halloran at thalloran@wvda.us or 304-558-2210.

Teresa then paired with Cindy Martel, Marketing Specialist, to discuss labeling requirements and marketing of products. Teresa and Cindy often work with West Virginia producers to assist them with creating their food labels, as well as listing the nutritional facts. If you have a new product and need assistance with your labels, feel free to contact one of these marketing specialists for assistance. Teresa and Cindy then spoke regarding how to market your products. They addressed potential marketing tactics, such as Direct Store Delivery, National Food Shows, and International Marketing Opportunities. Cindy is the WVDA International Marketing Specialist. Each year she travels to different countries, as well as throughout the United States, marketing West Virginia's products. This year she will going to Australia! These ladies have a lot of experience and can offer valuable assistance. Please feel free to contact them at their information listed above.

Debra Gard was the department's final presenter. Debra presented about "Unique Opportunities, Ideas, Product Placing and Sales at Special Events in West Virginia. Debra is the Marketing Specialist for Special Promotion in West Virginia. She works very closely with the fairs and festivals in the state to promote West Virginia agriculture and products. If you have any questions regarding a fair, festival, or special event or how to market your products at these events, please feel free to contact Debra at dgard@wvda.us or 304-932-7588.

All of the Marketing Specialist here at the West Virginia Department of Agriculture are anxious to help West Virginia producers better sell their product. We have a passion for agriculture and a great respect for the men and women in this industry. Please utilize our services to better market your products!

I Remember When...Tips for Caring for Your Easter Lillies

The crisp breezes of spring and the smell of fresh flowers in the air brings back many fond memories of the joy of Easter as a little girl. With sleep still in my eyes, I remember standing on the dew covered grass and watching the sun slide up over the beautiful West Virginia mountains at the morning sunrise service. Once the sunrise service was complete, we piled in the car and headed back to the church with the promise of a hot breakfast waiting to greet us. The church was beautiful when the light glowed through the stained class window and painted the walls with a rainbow of colors, but on Easter there was something special that added to the beauty of the old church. The bright white flowers of Easter lilies filled the building, and their sweet smell welcomed each smiling person as they walked through the door. At the end of the service, people walked through the wooden doors carefully carryring their pots. Now, if these people are like my mom, this would be the beginning of the end for that beautiful Easter lily. Unfortunately, mom was not blessed with a green thumb! Fortunately, I am hear to help! Below you will find a list of tips I have found for caring for your Easter lilies.

• Display your plant in bright, but indirect sunlight.
• Protect your Easter Lily from drafts and heat sources, such as fireplaces, heaters and appliances.
• Remove the yellow anthers from the flower centers. This helps prolong the life of the blossoms and prevents the pollen on the anthers from staining the flowers, your hands, clothing, tablecloths, rugs and anything else it can find its way to.
• Cool daytime temperatures in the 60 - 65 degree F. range will prolong the life of the blooms. The temperature can be even cooler at night.
• Water the Easter Lily only when the soil becomes dry to the touch and don’t leave it dry for an extended period of time.
• If the lily’s pot is in a decorative foil wrapper, be sure water is not accumulating under the pot. More plants die from over watering than under watering.
• Remove flowers has they fade and wither. 

As Easter draws nearer, I hope each of you are enjoying your time with your families and looking forward to creating memories of those beautiful flowers with the next generation.

From the Backyard to the Back Porch: Container Gardening

As we watch the snowy, cold days of winter melt into the warm, crisp days of Spring, many gardeners have one thing on their mind, pulling out the gardening boots and gloves and digging in to that freshly tilled soil. Although this luxury is one many West Virginians still enjoy, for some this is not an option. So, what if you can’t grow a traditional garden, but you still want the fresh taste of homegrown produce? The answer is container gardening!  Container gardening allows gardeners to produce vegetables in pots, boxes, barrels, baskets, or anything you choose. The biggest advantage to container gardening is it can be done with very limited space and much less effort than traditional gardening.

Tips for Container Gardening:

1.       Almost anything you can grow in your backyard garden, you can grow in your container garden. Consider the variety of the plant when container gardening. Read packaging to assure the plant will have ample space, light, and temperature to grow in your space.

2.       Ideally, if your container garden will be outside, you should plant your container garden at the same time you would plant your backyard garden. Plants can be grown indoors throughout the year, but require additional care.

3.       Compost, synthetic, or soilless media are ideal growing media for producing vegetables in your container garden. They provide a light-weight porous soil, which creates ideal growing conditions.

4.       Choosing the right container is essential. Almost any container can be used. However, it is important that the container is the right size for the plant. If the pot is too large, it will hold excess water, and if it is too small, the plant may become root bound and stop growing. Also, always be sure the container allows for proper drainage.

5.       Transplants are ideal for container gardening. These transplants may be purchased at nurseries or garden centers, or they can be grown at home. Seeds can be germinated by filling a container (tray, baking pan, pot, etc.) with the media, spreading the seed over the media, and then covering the seed with ¼-½” of media.

6.       As with your back yard garden, fertilizer is also important to your container garden. Carefully ready fertilizer labels to assure you are applying proper amounts to your plants.

7.       For container gardens, one watering per day is usually sufficient. However, make sure plants are properly drained, so excessive amounts of water are not held in the container. Apply water to the plant until it begins running through the drainage holes. Size of pot, temperature, plant type, and humidity will all influence the amount of water required.

8.       Inspect plant regularly for insects and disease.

It does not matter if you are growing in your back yard or on your back porch, harvesting your own fresh produce is a rewarding experience. With these few helpful tips for container gardening, even with limited space, you will be well on your way to fresh produce and herbs. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact me, Danielle Kisamore, at dkisamore@ag.state.wv.us. We, at the West Virginia Department of Agriculture, are happy to answer any of your gardening questions! Please contact us by phone at 304-558-2210.