United States: Randolph Farm is fertile ground for research and support

Pawpaw, ginger, turmeric and muscadine might sound like musicians in a whimsical 1960s folk quartet, but they're part of a wide-ranging ensemble with deep roots – literally – in the Richmond region. At Virginia State University, just off Interstate 95 in Chesterfield County's Ettrick area, Randolph Farm has been a central element of the historically Black college's commitment to agriculture and education. The school was founded in 1882, and its 416-acre farm encompasses extensive operations. Crops are tested in greenhouses and on 130 acres of irrigated cropland. Students, scientists, farmers, and ranchers have access to agricultural research, the resources to conduct it – and instruction on how to grow, raise and market farm products. “Growing things is costly. We don’t want farmers to grow things they can’t sell,” said Reza Rafie, horticulture extension specialist at VSU. That's why niche crops such as pawpaw, the muscadine grape and their partners are put to the test at Randolph ...