Buy locally grown covers horticulture products too

A few weeks ago the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) and other agricultural organizations encouraged residents to take the $10 Buy Local Challenge.

If each household in Virginia spent just $10 a week on locally grown agricultural products, consumers would invest an additional $1.65 billion back into the local economy annually, according to officials quoted in the “Interest surges in growing, buying and eating local food” article that appeared in recent editions of the Bull Run Observer, the Old Bridge Observer and the Manassas Observer.

That’s an extra $1.65 added to the $55 billion agriculture already contributes to the state’s economy each year.

VDACS Commissioner Matthew J. Lohr was quoted in a news release as saying, “We did not limit the challenge to edible products. This week we are encouraging people to go their local nursery, greenhouse, co-op or farmers’ market and buy Virginia Grown products that will help them beautify their yards and enhance their gardens.”

Elaine Lidholm, VDACS spokesman, said local nurseries are bursting with Virginia Grown products right now. Many of them feature plants, shrubs, trees, grasses, bulbs, rhizomes and bushes grown within minutes of the point of sale. These plants already are acclimated to the micro-climate of the area, increasing the chance that they will thrive in consumers’ yards or gardens, she noted.

According to Lidholm, “Horticulture is a fast-growing segment of Virginia agriculture. It is now the state’s fifth highest ranked commodity and generated $262 million in revenue in 2010. Just over a decade ago it was not even ranked in the state’s Top 20 Commodities.”

Finding Virginia Grown products can be found online as well as many places around you. At VirginiaGrown.com, consumers can search by product or by venue. A search for “nursery” yields farms, nurseries, garden centers, farmers’ markets and others that sell fresh, seasonal products. Consumers should look for the Virginia Grown banner at these locations, as well as grocery stores and big box stores. They also can download a free Virginia Grown app for Windows Phone 7 at appsfuze.com/applications/windowsphone.foodanddining/virginia-grown-mobile,7888.

“I encourage every Virginian to look for and buy local nursery and landscaping products,” said Lohr. “They are proven winners in our diverse geographical areas. In addition to beautifying our neighborhoods, they provide additional benefits such as wildlife habitat, erosion control, biodiversity and oxygenation.”