ALBEMARLE COUNTY, VA (RealVirginia) — In Virginia, spring is bringing more than warmer weather.
Two family farms are turning fields of tulips into seasonal destinations, drawing visitors from across the region and creating a new way to connect agriculture with the community.
At Chiles Peach Orchard in Albemarle County, Henry Chiles and his sister, Ally Whitmer, are carrying on a family farming legacy that spans more than 100 years.
Just over the Blue Ridge Mountains in Augusta County, thousands of tulips are also helping continue the legacy of Bill Patterson’s family operation, Endless View Farms.
Their biggest weekend is expected to draw more than 1,500 visitors, all coming out to see the tulips in full bloom.
Both families say much of the work for this year’s festival began last fall, long before the first flowers opened in the spring.
UT Institute of Agriculture reporter Charles Denney visited a class at Ijams Nature Center in Knoxville, where students in the School of Natural Resources traded traditional classrooms for hands-on outdoor learning.
National Corn Growers First VP Matt Frostic joins us to discuss their 62nd annual yield contest, the new short-season corn pilot class, and what farmers can expect as the season gets underway.
The annual event brings together vintage equipment, live demos and thousands of visitors.
The behind-the-scenes role helps guide jump crews as they protect rural communities.
Each spring, students from across Crawford County visit Arnold Family Farm for an annual u-pick strawberry festival that connects kids with agriculture.
Favorable weather and hard work are leading to high strawberry yields and steady crowds at Green Acres Farm, a u-pick destination in Cochran, Georgia.
