ELLERBE — Richmond County farmers could soon have new growing options if a partnership between the Sandhills AGInnovation Center and God’s Garden comes to fruition, an effort the Cooperative Extension began more than three years ago to increase profits for local farmers.
Using the AGInnovation Center’s automatic pea sheller and storage capabilities in conjunction with God’s Garden’s mechanical harvester, farmers could overcome barriers to crops that are highly marketable, according to Paige Burns, interim extension director. The center is able to process, shell, package and store peas and green beans — among others — which are an under utilized crop in Richmond County, Burns said.
If the center and God’s Garden were to partner to allow local farmers to rotate use of the harvester and use the center for their other needs, it could create “a whole new market,” Burns said.
On Monday, the extension held an information session for farmers from Richmond and Robeson counties to learn how they would use the mechanical harvester to farm peas, as an example.
“The reason we’re starting with peas and green beans is that they’re relatively easy and economical crops to grow and with a mechanical harvester and pea sheller,” she said. “You reduce the labor requirements and create more of an opportunity for farmers who maybe aren’t all-in on produce to take advantage of it.”
These new crops, which could potentially include jalapeno and banana peppers, would be a “side gig” for established farmers Burns said.
David Clark, manager of God’s Garden, said peas are not commonly grown in Richmond County, but they could be, based on the quality of the ground and the market for them.
“We’ve been trying to do this for three years but there was no momentum,” Clark said. “Thanks to the (AGInnovation Center), its time may have arrived. All we need is farmers to commit to growing.”
Clark explained the key difference in farming with the harvester is that you plant all your crops at once rather than staggering them as you would harvesting by hand.
Lester Hines, who runs Hines Farm, was the only Richmond County farmer in attendance Monday. His farm focuses on producing grains, tobacco and cows, but came to the information session to explore a future in peas, Hines said. His farm is only a half-mile from God’s Garden, making it easy for him to share the mechanical harvester, but those from Robeson County would have to find their own as the harvester is too cumbersome to travel.
Burns said there are “a lot of kinks to work out” before getting this partnership up and running, such as getting local farmers acclimated to new regulations.
Clark said he thinks the partnership could begin by next year.
“If they have peas to pick, we’re going to try to pick them for (the farmers),” he said.
For more information, follow the Sandhills AGInnovation Center and the Richmond County Cooperative Extension on Facebook.