>>The idea is the grow the produce we need for the restaurant.

We have been working here like five years and growing and growing.

>>I didn't have like, "I'm gonna grow up to be a farmer" attitude.

And then when I realized that we had this resource here on the farm, I felt that I needed to come back home to the farm to build this farm back up because my ancestors put a lot of work on here to obtain the farm and maintain the farm.

So I felt like, if they could do it, I could do it.

>>Production funding for "Virginia Home Grown" is made possible by.

(birds chirping) (upbeat music) >>Welcome to "Virginia Home Grown!"

We are truly in the Dog Days of Summer, typically the hottest days of the year.

The summer sun nurtures our gardens and today, we are highlighting food production, featuring two farms that take great pride in growing quality produce for different venues.

A little later, we'll be answering your gardening questions, so send them in on our website at vpm.org/vhg, we always enjoy hearing from you.

In the second half of our show, we will visit Browntown Farms in Warfield, a fifth-generation family farm whose motto is, "know your farmer, know your food."

But first, I toured the garden where La Milpa restaurant in Richmond grows fresh ingredients to use in their authentic Mexican cuisine.

Owners, Martin Gonzalez and Monica Chavez created a farm to kitchen program, not only for the fresh produce, but also to support sustainable agriculture and foodways.

Let's get going.

>>Monica, this is an absolutely amazing what I'll call mini farm here, for the restaurant.

And you've got so much growing, you know, I see tomatoes, but I also see tomatillos.

>>Yes, we use a lot of tomatillo at the restaurant.

We use for the salsas and it gives a really good flavor.

The funny things with this one is that the peel grows first and then the fruit.

So you can see the fruit growing- >>on the inside.

>>Yeah.

>>Interesting.

>>And then they will be this size and then this is really healthy fruit and we can use like just fried, like the Southern style and we use for salsa and to make these like acidics flavor, really characteristic of the green tomatillo.

So it is colorful in the plate.

So we like very much the green tomatillo.

>>Fantastic.

And then you have tomatoes, you've got two different types.

You've got your plums and your rounds and what are your different uses for those?

>>Yes.

The round tomato is perfect for take it raw.

And you can slice just for the sandwiches, for the salad.

So just take a- >>Yes.

Good old bite out of it.

>>Exactly right.

(both laugh) >>And the plum tomato is perfect for sauces.

The flavor is more sweet.

And so for the sauces it's just perfect.

>>I like 'em myself too.

I do.

And I see what else you have here.

You've got some cucumbers growing.

>>And zucchinis.

>>Yeah.

And I see the zucchinis got munched a little.

>>Yeah, the zucchinis.

We have, I think a groundhog as a neighbor and they love the zucchinis, so we put this fence wire to put it over there, the bed.

And that could be a good idea.

>>Yes.

Well hopefully that will work.

>>Yes, yes.

That is working.

>>But not many people know you can grow cucumbers and zucchini in a partial shade area.

>>Yes.

Actually this is the first thing we harvest in 1st of June, late of May, is the first thing we collect.

>>But the logs, the logs line everything.

I think that's a great idea.

What prompted that?

>>Yes.

We have the fallen trees over the woods and we bring here to make a bed so we can control the soil.

And for us it has been a real change to have the control of the soil and not directly in the ground.

We prepare the soil, the soil is more loose to help the roots to grow.

And the soil, We have soil from the woods.

>>Yeah, it's beautiful.

>>So it's really rich.

>>Very rich.

I noticed some peppers over here.

Let's come on over and take a look at these.

I'm amazed with all of these peppers and they're growing underneath basically a shade house.

So tell me about that.

>>Yes, we talked about the collecting the rainwater.

So we think it is really important to don't have the the county water for the plants.

Because these plants we grow is with free of chemicals.

>>So it's totally organic.

>>Totally organic.

I understand we don't have that certificate, but actually yeah, it is free of chemicals.

The soil we bring from the woods and we don't use any kind of fertilizer or thing like that.

>>Everything is natural because, I'll say the produce leftover from the restaurant you bring back and put into your soil as well.

>>Yes.

We make a compost with that.

Back in the woods we dug a big hole and put the the peels and mix with the soil and that's it, we bring here.

(laughs) >>That's fantastic.

And you grow very, very beautiful peppers.

>>Yes, yes.

Actually, yeah.

We have a habanero is the spiciest one.

Serrano and jalapeno and yes, habanero grows here until late October.

Very, very good.

And the jalapenos like this size and with the shelter we collect the water over there and take the water to the tank.

And then with the sprinklers and we put the water.

>>So you're able to irrigate everything here?

Using the rainwater that you collect.

>>Yes.

>>That's fantastic.

So many of us need to start using our rainwater and our other resources.

>>Yes, yes.

Its free!

>>But besides the peppers, what else are you growing?

>>In this side we have the peppers.

Over there we have the bell pepper there and we have the green tomatillo, the tomato, the idea is to grow the produce we need for the restaurant.

>>Right.

>>The flavor is so amazing.

It's so different to eat something that was never in the fridge.

>>Yes.

>>It's really different.

>>My favorite is corn, though.

I love eating field grown corn, you know?

Out in the garden grown corn.

So do you grow any here?

>>For us is the first time we grow corn.

Amazingly, but is the first time.

And this seed, we are really excited because we're given for a Cherokee chief that came here to bless the land.

So they give us their seeds.

>>Oh wonderful.

>>Yeah.

It's real corn.

So we are really, really expecting to take that.

>>Great flavorful, yummy corn.

>>That's exactly right.

And for us, the restaurant, the name of the restaurant La Milpa is cornfield, is the meaning of that.

>>Oh, I was wondering what La Milpa meant.

>>For us, the cornfield is really important in Mexico because it's a source of everything.

And in the corn fields we grow zucchinis and beans.

So you have all the nutrients in one place.

So that's the thing we make there.

We put the corn, the zucchini, and the beans.

And everything is growing perfect.

>>Excellent.

You know there's nothing like plants helping each other to grow.

>>Exactly right, yes.

>>I try to follow that myself.

>>Yes.

It's excellent that.

And you can eat as well at the restaurant.

You can eat the pupusa, it's a Salvadorian dish and it has the corn with the beans.

And you can put the zucchini and dice it and it's delicious.

With tomato salsa that is not spicy at all, with bell pepper.

It's really yummy.

>>You're getting me hungry.

(both laugh) With all this talk about food.

Surely there's cilantro growing here somewhere.

>>Yes, Martin has this crazy idea to place here greenhouse where we can make this ancient technique that we use in Mexico.

It calls chinampas and the idea is to put like layers and we put water underneath.

Then we put a basket with hay and the soil and then the seed, so the seed can take the water for underneath.

>>That's fantastic.

It's got an endless water supply.

>>Exactly right.

>>Yes.

>>Yes, yes.

>>Are you able to grow the cilantro through our hot summer here with this technique?

>>Yes, it takes a little slower to grow, but for winter it's perfect.

>>I bet it is perfect.

>>Yes, so we have cilantro all all year round and we need a lot of cilantro.

>>I was gonna say.

(both laugh) Which leads me to the question how do you judge how much to grow for the restaurant?

What do you use as guides to say we need 40 plants or 100 plants of x, y, z vegetable?

>>It's has been like trying and error.

So we already have the right amount.

With the tomato, you don't know.

This years has been amazing the amount of tomatoes we have.

So Martin likes to canning, so we can the tomato with the juice at the moment.

So he makes the sauce primer at first and then canning.

And that's great.

>>So he is able to use it in the winter time too.

>>Yes, yes.

>>Absolutely wonderful.

Well, Monica, thank you so much for having us.

This has been an amazing experience for me to learn techniques that you've brought in and introduced to this farm here in Richmond, you know, from Mexico.

I thank you so much for sharing it with us.

>>Well thank you too for being here Peggy.

>>I was so impressed by the ancient floating gardens methods used by Monica and Martin to meet the multi-seasonal needs of the restaurant, and Monica's here with me now to show how to prepare cucumber salad and green tomatillo salsa, but before we get started, remember to send in your gardening questions on our website at vpm.org/vhg.

Well, Monica, you've got a table full of very delicious looking food, but unfortunately, I wish our viewers could just enjoy and inhale the fragrances that I'm having to enjoy right here.

>>(laughs) Yes.

>>So, we're gonna be making a salad to start with, a cucumber salad, and these are all the ingredients?

>>Yes, for the summertime, it's excellent.

The cucumber is so fresh and (clears throat) it take out the thirst, right?

So we have the cucumbers, the cilantro that is always so aromatic and you can mix with many kind of cookings.

>>Uh-huh.

>>This is the round tomato.

>>Yes, beautiful.

>>The serrano peppers, garlic cloves.

>>I think I'm smelling that the most (laughs).

>>Yes, yes, yes.

For us, they must go always with the onions, and these little guys is the green tomatillo, and they has the husk, and we just take out the husk and use the tomatillo.

>>And there it is right there.

>>Yes.

>>A cute little guy.

(Monica laughs) So many people don't know- >>And so flavorful.

>>Ah, yes.

But it's important to remove.

>>To remove the husk, yeah.

We use the husk for another kind of things.

Anything like to cook, it's for another kind of things, but the green tomatillo can be from this size or bigger.

>>Much like a golf ball.

>>Yes, like a golf ball, but this size, it's different, the taste go changing.

>>Okay.

>>And this is good for the salsas because it's not so acidic.

>>Okay, like the tomatoes are.

>>Yes, yes.

>>Wonderful.

Well, let's get starting with our cucumber salad.

So you've got the ingredients here.

>>I have the ingredients, is the cucumber diced already, all of them, the round tomato, the onions, and the cilantro, it can't be missed.

>>Well, how far in advance can you cut everything up?

Like if I was making this to go someplace and?

>>Yes, if you put this in the fridge, you are fine to make even the night before.

>>Okay.

>>It's better if you don't mix it.

You mix at the end.

>>Oh.

>>Because if you mix before, the juice of the tomato will make a mess with everything (laughs).

>>Ah, yes.

It will soften everything, yeah.

>>Yes, exactly right.

>>Yes.

>>So the cucumber it is just, they're in there like this, is crunchy.

>>Right.

>>But if you mix with the tomato will be soft.

>>Yeah.

>>So you can mix at the end but you can dice night before is okay.

>>Okay.

Sounds good.

So what's first?

Is there an order?

Does it just all get- >>No.

It's just mix everything.

>>Okay.

>>Combine everything.

So this is the cucumbers.

(plastic spoon taps) You can leave the seeds or not if as you like.

>>So it's personal preference?

>>Yes.

Some persons they don't like the seeds.

>>Okay.

>>And the round tomato.

(plastic spoon taps) >>Yes.

>>I note that if you put the pieces larger, the flavors don't mix as well as- >>Interesting.

>>If you cut in a small chunks.

>>Small.

Okay.

>>So you put more cucumber than tomato.

>>Yes.

>>And the- >>Good amount of- >>Onion is the same.

>>Yeah.

>>Is the amount as you want.

>>Okay.

(plastic spoon taps) >>So cilantro is- >>These are magic colors because it's the red, the white, and green, that's our flag (laughs).

>>(laughs) I was gonna say the Mexican flag.

>>Yeah (laughs).

(Peggy laughs) >>And finally the cilantro.

>>Finally the cilantro.

This is so really aromatic, and when you chop it, it's the smell and the flavor on it, and so healthy and a lot of benefits.

If you can identify the cilantro, it's different from parsley because the leaves are like rounded.

>>Okay.

>>And the flavor is soft than parsley.

>>Okay, well Monica, we're gonna move along 'cause we've got one more dish and we don't have a lot of time.

>>Okay.

>>So we just mix that, we store it in the refrigerator?

>>Yes, and you store in the refrigerator.

>>Okay.

>>And the options you have is the avocado.

(plastic spoon taps) You can dice avocado and put on them the same size.

>>Okay.

>>The avocado is the last, last thing you dice because it gets black.

>>Oh, okay.

>>Because they are oxygenate.

>>Right, much like an much like an apple.

>>Yes.

Something like that.

>>Well, let's- >>So that's the last one.

>>I'm not gonna hurry you, but I'm hurrying you (Monica laughs) because we want to get to this one.

>>Yes, this one is a special thing for us.

This is a mortar.

>>Yeah.

>>Make from stone and we grind with this, and in Mexico is really helpful in the kitchens of every Mexican people, and you grind the everything, it can be seeds, it can be the vegetable like this.

We are making with this, the green salsa, and we just put there, these are already roasted.

>>Okay.

>>So we just grind with this.

So when you do this, you mix the flavors.

>>Oh, wonderful.

And grinding it together actually forces those flavors together?

>>Yes.

(stone pestle smacks) >>So you get it down to a pulverized.

>>Yes.

>>Consistency?

So this is salsa verde?

>>And integrate everything.

>>Yes.

>>So when you roast, you make another kind of flavor.

>>Yes.

>>It's like smokey.

>>Yes, you add that wonderful flavor.

>>It's different to boil it or to just put raw.

>>So, we've only got a little bit left, truly, and so how far would we grind this down to?

Just basically a pulp, almost.

I don't wanna use a pulp.

>>Yes.

>>But a liquid?

>>Yes, like a pulp, and you can add a little bit of water to make the texture you want.

>>Mm-hm.

And how typically long, typically, how long does this take to pulverize together?

>>Oh, it can be like three minutes.

>>Okay.

>>It depends on the amount of, look.

>>There we go.

>>So you are mixing there, the juices and the.

>>Sounds great.

Do we have a little segment we can show that shows the final product?

Do you have just a little bit that we could show?

>>Okay.

Yes, I can take some.

>>Yeah, just a teeny tiny bit 'cause yeah, I know we've got a lot of big pieces in there, but we have to move along, my dear.

>>Yes, the time is- >>Yes.

>>Difficult here.

>>Yeah.

(glass clangs) Okay, well that's looking like it's gonna grind a little faster having less in there.

>>Yes.

>>Once it's ground up, how long does it take?

How long can you store it?

Is my question.

>>Oh, in the fridge?

Like a week.

>>A week?

Okay.

>>Yes.

>>Can you freeze this at all?

>>Yes, but the flavor is less and- >>Ah, because it's not so fresh.

>>You lose flavor.

Yes.

>>Yes, yes, yes.

Well this is really interesting.

You know, I've always had a mortar and pestle and I thought of it for herbs and other things but never to make salsa.

This is a great method to be able to use.

>>Yes.

And we grind the seeds as well to make the corndof.

>>Okay.

>>It's a different kind of mortar but is the same idea to grind and mix and integrate everything.

>>Well, that's looking delicious.

That's looking absolutely delicious.

Do you put any other seasonings in with it?

>>Yes.

A little pinch of salt.

Oh, okay, I go like this, and grind it until you want, and if you want you can take out the peel or just leave it.

>>Okay.

>>Add a pinch of salt.

>>Well, as you put that pepper in and the salt and the, I'm gonna have to say goodbye.

>>Okay.

>>Okay (laughs)?

>>Thank you.

>>Thank you.

This has been wonderful.

Nice to see what goes on behind the scenes, (Monica laughs) so, thank you.

>>Thank you.

>>And now we're going to get ready to answer your questions, but first, Amyrose Foll shares tips for maximizing space and increasing productivity in your garden by growing vertically on a fence, vining plants typically grown on the ground.

(playful music) >>Your harvest is one of the most enjoyable aspects of your summer garden, especially if you have a produce garden.

If you have a small space or you just wanna maximize your square footage, vertical gardening and planting up a fence is a really great way to do that.

Right here we have, these are Sunset runner beans.

They're a pole variety bean.

They're beautiful.

The bees love them.

We have a lot of mason bees and native pollinators, or this bumblebee right here.

And what we do along our fence lines is actually plant all of our pole beans, cucumbers, squash, and gourds all around the side so they can grow up and create a nice hedgerow around our garden.

And then that way we can maximize what's inside the garden with more upright varieties, such as okra, peppers, tomatoes, and eggplants.

We do this to really save space.

They love to climb and grow, and you can get a lot more bang for your buck throughout the course of the season and maximize your space inside your garden.

You can see here the flowers will naturally find their way up, and it's really an enjoyable thing to look at throughout the course of the season, once this starts to grow all the way around and create a little bit of a shade barrier and a little hedge around your garden.

It's really beautiful and it's very productive.

It's gonna give you tons and tons of beans and cucumbers.

It gets those cucumbers up off the ground, which is fantastic, and it also has an added benefit.

This is pest deterrent as well.

Towards the bottom of the fence, we have much smaller wire openings.

That's gonna keep out your rabbits and your squirrels.

Towards the top, it's a little bit more open.

I think these are four by four squares.

This is gonna deter the deer a little bit, but to keep them out a little bit more, we've got wire up here.

It's not just for the beans.

The deer can jump pretty high, and if they're just coming up to browse at your garden, they'll actually be deterred by this or get startled by it.

It works wonders.

I've been doing it for several years.

If you're willing to share a little bit from the outside and let them browse out here, they won't cause as much destruction inside your garden.

When you get to the end of the season, another added benefit from having beans that are pole varieties along your fencing is that when you're coming to clean this up, all you need to do, don't pull those beans out by the roots, just clip them off at the bottoms.

And you can actually pull all of those vines right out so it's all clean for next year.

Let the bean roots break down naturally over the course of the wintertime, because what's going to happen is when those roots break down, there's nodes on there that throughout the season have gathered nitrogen, atmospheric nitrogen.

It's going to break down naturally, and through the mycorrhizal network, it will make that nitrogen bioavailable to your subsequent years' plants.

So I would suggest planting a variety like squash or cucumbers, where the beans were the previous year, and rotating your varieties around so that you get multiple seasons out of this.

And it naturally enhances your soil quality.

Without having to spend a lot of money on amendments.

So I encourage you to try vertical gardening.

Its really easy to do.

And you actually get a ton of benefits.

Including more produce.

Good luck!

>>Amyrose and other members of our team are on Facebook right now answering questions, so please connect with us there or visit our website vpm.org/vhg to submit questions.

And while you're there, remember to sign up for our monthly newsletter.

You will get timely gardening advice from the team and me and reminders about upcoming episodes.

And Randy Battle has joined us here in the studio to help answer questions.

I wanna say welcome, Randy.

>>Thank you, thank you.

I'm so glad to be back again.

>>Well, we love having you.

>>I missed you guys.

>>Yep, it's so fun.

>>Yeah, always, always a good time.

>>So what do we have?

>>Oh, we have some good questions actually.

The first one is, "This is the first year growing corn, what other suggestions do you have for future planting this season?"

So I always like to grow two sets of corn.

I put one on one side of the yard and I put one all the way on the other and then I do it again three months later.

Once they grow 90 to 100 days, short growing corn.

But you can also start your fall garden.

>>I was gonna say, I'm gonna be sowing my corn 'cause I've just finished up with mine.

So I'm gonna be sowing mine in a week and I've got a 82-day corn I'm gonna be growing >>Awesome.

>>A short season, which is a shorter plant.

Doesn't get as many ears, but it's more corn.

>>Exactly.

>>However, she could plant beans in that bed after removing the corn because the beans of course will add the nitrogen back into the soil because corn eats up a lot of nitrogen.

It's a nitrogen-greedy plant.

>>Right, right.

>>Monica.

>>I like to throw some squash in there as well because it keeps it shaded and it keeps that moisture in there, and that corn loves that moisture, so... >>Monica, after your corn is harvested, what will you be putting in, if anything, in your field there?

Will you let it go fallow for the winter?

>>Well, it's the first year for us as well with the corn.

We want to experiment with more winter plants.

Maybe a strawberry or... We know that some onions can grow in winter so we want to make experiments this year with that.

>>Love the experimenting, love it, love it, love it.

>>Yes.

>>Yes.

>>All right, next question.

"What makes some peppers of the same variety hotter than others?"

>>Oh, mixed with the soil.

>>Okay.

>>And even the weather, if it is more hot or not, yes.

>>I actually have a- >>Like the Habaneros, sorry, is so different.

If the color is the red one is really hot.

A difference with the yellow.

>>I was just gonna say that.

I have some banana peppers growing on the exact same plant that came out yellow, and then I have bright red on the same plant.

>>Interesting.

>>And I can't figure out how that happened.

>>I don't know either, maybe is one more over ripe than the other?

>>They're actually like cherry peppers, and then the banana peppers are long.

>>Are you sure that there's not two seeds right in there?

>>On one stem, one stem.

>>That's amazing.

Well, you'll have to take a picture and send it to me.

>>I definitely will, I will share it.

>>I'm curious about that.

(everyone laughing) >>Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Okay, are we moving on?

>>Yeah, let's move on.

>>We have David from Staunton, Virginia.

What happened to all the crickets I used to hear on these summer nights?

>>Yes, that's right.

We were talking about that, that every year is different.

The animals there is different.

>>Absolutely.

>>This year we have a lot of slugs in our garden.

I don't know, and last year don't, so yeah, it's a mystery.

(everyone laughing) >>I have a lot of the little June bugs.

>>Yes, I have a lot of June bugs.

>>I mean, they are everywhere.

>>Everywhere.

>>Yeah.

>>But the crickets again, remember with our warming seasons and our super cold season that we had in the spring, and we've also ended up with some unique summer weather.

It was very, very chilly for a very long time.

And that might've prolonged their life cycle a little.

So we might still get them later in the season.

I'm not an entomologist, but that would be my guess.

Let's just wait and see.

>>Yeah, hope so.

>>Yeah, we'll have to wait and see.

>>Yes.

>>All right, let's go.

Mary from North Chesterfield.

This is a good question for you.

That cucumber salad look delicious.

>>And it's the one that worked in North Chesterfield.

>>When you make cucumber salad, does it matter what type of onion you use?

>>We like the white onion.

>>The white?

>>Yes.

>>Okay.

>>The flavor is different from the yellow and it's a perfect match for me.

And it's juicy, that's why I like the white one.

>>I like the sweet onion, or either the red.

I could go with both, yeah.

>>Yes, the red onion is really good with any kind of salad.

>>And I think people really need to realize there are white onions, there's yellow onions, there's sweet vidalias, there's the reds.

And so that when they're choosing onions for their garden, not only do they have to think about the day length.

And get a day length-neutral here in Central Virginia so that they have a nice bulb, but they also think of the different flavors.

>>Yeah.

>>Yes.

>>I try to grow three or four.

>>We got the long day and the short day.

>>Right.

>>Yeah, I had to learn that.

>>Right, we want daylight, we want a neutral day here.

>>Yeah, yeah, do we have time for some more?

>>One more, yeah.

>>All right.

Okay, Dwayne asked, I recently bought three walking iris plants not knowing anything about them.

I know they are hardy in zones nine through 11.

But can I leave them outside in zone 7B and expect them to live?

Anything I can do short of lifting them up to ensure that they survive?

>>Funny you should ask, 'cause I was just given a walking iris plant as a gift and I was told by this person in zone eight 'cause I'm in zone 7B to enjoy it outside of my garden, but in the wintertime, definitely bring it in to a nice sunny window.

So I'm gonna plant it in a beautiful pot and put it outside of my garden and then transition it back into the house for the wintertime.

'Cause it is a very tender plant.

So it's not going to make it through our winter, particularly if we had some crazy cold weather like we had last year.

>>Exactly, exactly, so there you go, Dwayne.

Bring her in in the winter.

Are we moving on?

>>I think we can move on.

No, I think we've got enough as we are.

>>Okay.

>>Okay.

Well that's all the time we have right now, but we look forward to answering more questions later in the show, so please keep them coming.

And thanks for being with us tonight, Monica and sharing all your knowledge on gardening.

And your cooking authentic Mexican food and all of that.

Oh, it's wonderful, so we appreciate it.

>>Thank you, thank you.

>>Can't wait to taste it.

>>Yeah.

>>Yes.

>>And now Shana Williams takes us to Browntown Farms in Warfield to learn about the produce they grow and their commitment to connecting with the community.

>>Working with my dad is always an adventure.

He has a lot of wisdom, he has a lot of knowledge that I've learned, and picked up from, and learned every day, so I'm very fortunate and blessed to still have my dad around to be able to be, you know, the leader and the legacy provider here on the farm.

Me, I'm more innovative and more focused on the marketing, and how we're gonna go to the next level, and really, it takes both of us to make this operation work, and that's been a real key to our success.

>>He's that foundation for you, and you're that future to allow y'all to branch out and grow.

>>Exactly, exactly, and I have a one-year-old son.

I'm hoping he would love to continue it on as well.

That would make me super happy for all the hard work that we've put down >>Definitely, definitely.

>>here on the farm.

>>It started when my grandparents bought this place in 1908.

It was in June, 1908, and they purchased 348 acres of land here for $1,000.

And I think the tax on that was, like, 56 cents or something like that, so.

It's been a long time ago.

I guess it's in my blood, and I'm just so happy a lot of people come by and buy their fresh vegetables, and they know what I put on it, you know?

It's just like, you know your farmer, you know your food, you know what you're eating.

It's a big difference in the food that you raise here and the food that come from Mexico, and I'm not saying it's bad, but they have to pick it half-green in order to get it here.

>>We're walking amongst some peppers, and what are you doing with some of these peppers?

>>Yeah, so these are bell peppers here.

We'll be utilizing these and dispersing 'em to the local markets.

We sell here off of the farm, and then, we have some wholesale markets in Richmond and in the Tri-Cities that we distribute to.

And we sell products all the way, anywhere traditionally from Raleigh, to Richmond, to D.C, or even Baltimore, Maryland.

The main thing that we produce and that we're known for is strawberries.

That's our main crop.

That's our spring crop.

And in the summertime, we kinda transition into grape tomatoes, peppers, and other summer crops, and then, in the fall, we get into kinda like the greens.

Collard greens, kales, and things of that nature.

>>Wonderful.

And I see that you have some habanero peppers over there.

>>Yeah, these are habanero peppers.

We love growing habanero peppers because they really produce well.

We normally get a pretty big yield off of habanero peppers.

And the great thing about these peppers is that we utilize these in our jam line.

So, when we grow strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and all these crops, we create a value-added product, which is our strawberry and other fruit jams, and we utilize this for one of our jams, and a lot of people love that variety, that strawberry habanero variety to cook with.

>>And you've mentioned other crops as well.

So, you have your blueberries, you have your strawberries there for production, but do you also have tomatoes?

>>Yes, yes.

We grow tomatoes, we grow slicing tomatoes, and also, we do a lot of wholesale grape tomatoes.

So, we are able to ship those to our regional markets that's further away as well.

>>Okay, wonderful.

Now, please explain to me a little bit further of how are you going to really connect and expand this?

I understand that you are building a larger facility.

>>Yeah, so we just laid the foundation for our new multipurpose facility that will be constructed before the end of this year, and the goal of that facility is to allow us to move more produce, retail and wholesale.

It also will provide a place for customers to come to the farm, not only to purchase, but have a community space where we can teach people about farming, educate them, have different events and activities going on to get people acclimated with farm life.

>>And once again, know your farmer, know your food.

>>That's it.

>>Wonderful.

I see that you have a lot of open space here.

How do you plan on tapping into that space as you grow in the future?

>>Yeah, so a lot of open space we have here at the farm, it can be used to expand our operation.

So, as we grow along with our demand and our customer base, we hoping to open more land up so we can grow more produce to supply more retail customers and more wholesale customers.

Also, some of the open space that we have here on the farm, we hoping to utilize it for agritourism, so we can bring people to the farm for different activities, like camping or farm-to-table dinners, and things of that nature.

So, our goal really is to use every inch of this farm to make it useful and accessible to the public.

>>You have a beautiful facility here.

What does it mean to you to be, to have a century-old farm?

>>Oh wow, that's an amazing question.

You know, to be a Black century farm, it's very rare.

Black farmers make up 2% of the total farming population in the U.S, so for me to be in this space is very special to me, and that's one of the reasons why I invest all of my time and energy, and I'm all about all things agriculture, because I know that I'm making a difference, and I'm creating something for the future generation to see, because this very well could be lost.

I mean, it's not a lot of Black farmers, and we need the next generation to come in and continue to farm.

So, for me, it's all about legacy, but it's more importantly about showing everyone else what's possible and Black farmers do exist, because when I travel out, and I go out and I tell people I'm a farmer, and they say, "Well, you don't look like a farmer," and I ask them, I say, "Well, what is a farmer supposed to look like?"

So, it's all about changing the narrative, and giving people a realistic vision of what we're doing here in Warfield, Virginia.

So, it's very important to me to carry on that legacy and that Black farmer history, 'cause Black farmers have a lot of rich history here in Virginia and throughout the nation, so it's up to us who's still on the farm to keep it going and spread the word that we do exist.

>>As the future of this farm, as the leader here, and you've shared some of the innovative ideas, what additional things are you going to do to continue to grow this farm?

>>Being innovative in agriculture now, on this farm is critical.

I wanna grow that value-added product line.

I wanna bring people to the farm so they can have that experience.

You know, one of the examples that I use when I see kids, and I hold up a jar of jam and I say, "Hey, what is this," and they say, they're reading.

They say, "This is jam," and I said, "This is agriculture, this is farming."

And I also wanna let everybody know that you don't have to be a farmer to be a part of agriculture.

Most of the jobs and the value of that food-dollar comes from non or off-farm businesses.

So, you can be a part of agriculture in a variety of ways.

You can go to school, you can work in an industry that involves agriculture, and work that career every day of your life, and you don't necessarily have to be actually on the farm.

And we need, as farmers, we need that form of support of businesses in the future generation of leaders to lead these businesses and lead these organizations, so as farmers, we can have all of the resources that we need.

So, I definitely encourage anybody who looking to get into agriculture, if you wanna be a farmer, great.

I love it.

But if farming is not for you, I would love for everybody to look at a option, how you can support agriculture by choosing a career in the agriculture industry.

>>Yeah, and actually, like you say, you can have a business and connect with farmers such as yourself, and continue to grow it.

>>That's it.

>>But you just mentioned a lot of the hard work and stuff that this actually has to do, but it evidently fulfills you.

So, tell me some of the things that are connected to all the hard work that you put in and what it means to you.

>>Yeah.

So, you know, agriculture is a culture itself, and years ago, I fell in love with the culture.

And in short, agriculture is food, shelter, and clothing, and as we have people come here to the farm, that's how I explain agriculture in short.

Food, clothing, and shelter.

And as we move forward, that's what we wanna do here at Browntown Farms.

We wanna expose people to what agriculture is all about so they can understand, they can come here and just get a dose of nature, and just be a part of the land, so they can understand exactly where their food comes from.

>>I love it, and I wish the Browntown Farm much success.

>>Did you know that like blueberries, tomatoes are botanically classified as a berry, while strawberries are not?

The tiny black seeds on the strawberry are actually the fruit.

So regardless of their botanical classification, these uniquely different fruits enrich our food palates with their textures and their flavors.

And now, I'm joined by Blanche Smith, the owner of Lady Jamz, to learn about making blueberry jam.

And it's a favorite of mine.

But before we begin, remember to send in your questions through our website, vpm.org/vhg or through Facebook.

Blanche, we are about to embark on showing people how to make blueberry jam.

>>Oh, that's a great thing.

It's a wonderful opportunity to enjoy one of the gifts.

>>Yes.

Yes.

And I know your business, Lady Jamz, makes a lot of different ones, but I particularly love blueberries, so.

>>Well, okay >>Let's get started.

Where do we begin?

>>Let's get started.

Well, first of all, you always get your fresh strawberries.

Make sure that you clean them, take out the little twigs and just make sure everything is great.

And then you have to follow directions.

>>Right.

>>Okay?

>>And you gotta read (laughs).

>>And you got to read.

That is for sure.

Well, we have a different variety of pectin to use, which is the agent that causes the fruit to gel together.

And also, you gotta use your tops because that's very important- >>To seal it.

>>In keeping... That's right.

>>Yes.

Do we use any sugar in this process?

>>Yes, indeed.

And it depends on the recipe, okay?

Right now, I have four cups of sugar.

That's what we've used for this recipe, which is a small one.

>>So how many cups of blueberries do you have with those sugar?

>>Well, right now, I have four complete cups of blueberries.

>>With the four cups of sugar?

>>With the four cups of sugar.

>>It's very sweet (laughs).

>>Okay, and then, but it isn't, because you gotta remember not all of the fruit have come to the full sugar ripe stage.

>>Yes.

>>And then we also add in lemon juice has also been added.

And that helps for the acidity and everything.

You're gonna find out it's not that sweet.

>>Okay.

>>Okay.

>>So when do we add in the pectin?

>>Well, it depends.

Now, you have a choice.

If you are using powder, and I use this method to remember: Powder for the pectin comes before the sugar.

So you put your pectin in first.

>>Right.

>>After you've gotten your berries into the pot, you put it in.

Mix it quite well.

Bring it to a nice continuous boil.

Be gentle with it though 'cause you don't want it to scorch and burn at the bottom.

>>Yes.

>>So you have to pay attention.

There's no running back and forth.

And then you have the liquid.

>>Okay.

>>So the liquid is that you put your sugar in first- >>And then the liquid.

>>And then the liquid.

So liquid is L, so it comes in last.

>>Last.

I love it.

The liquid pectin.

That's a great way to remember.

>>Yeah, it's just a little- >>Brain, memory aide.

>>That's all.

>>Yep.

>>That's about it.

And it's very important to boil, to make sure that it does reach its point.

Let me show you right now.

>>Sure.

I can't wait to see.

>>Okay.

And as you can see- >>We can take this.

>>Would you please?

>>Yep.

>>Thank you.

>>Mm hm.

>>It's starting to boil.

And that's because it's getting ready to go into the gel stage.

>>Okay.

>>And that's usually 220 degrees.

But there's another way of checking it as well.

I put it on the spoon- >>Uh huh.

And if it sheets off?

>>Then we know we've reached the gel stage.

>>And people have to understand the sheeting off, it really is, it sheets off, it doesn't drip.

>>That's it.

>>It kind of slides off.

>>That's it.

See?

>>I would equate it to mud coming off my trowl.

But anyway.

(both laughing) >>That's true.

So therefore, if you have that, and now in the process while the jam was getting to the gel stage- >>Right.

>>I had prepared the jars.

>>Right.

>>It's very important to check your jars to make sure that there's no chips.

>>Right, that used to be my job.

>>Yes.

>>I would take my finger and run it around the rim.

>>Just to make sure.

>>To make sure that there was no chips on these jars.

>>So you wash them, rinse them, and then you bring them back into the boiling water state- >>Boiling water bath?

>>And I throw the tops in in the last five minutes so that they can, I've washed them as well.

>>Right.

>>But I throw 'em in there because we want them to hug the top.

>>Mm hm.

>>Okay?

>>Should I take one out so we can fill it?

>>Yes, that's what I say.

Let's get ready.

That's one of my favorite tools too.

>>Yes, I agree.

>>Yes, indeed.

>>Here we go.

Here's this one.

>>Okay.

And definitely you need a funnel.

>>Yes.

>>And you put that in.

>>And you have a wonderful little gizmo here.

>>Yes.

>>This has a magnet on it and you just pull the top out like this.

>>Okay, so here we go.

And make sure that they're hot.

>>Mm hm.

We're just gonna leave it.

>>Have this, okay.

And gently.

>>Very gently >>Be careful 'cause it is hot.

Now it's also important that you bring it up to about a half an inch from the top.

>>Okay.

>>Okay?

Did I forget my paper towels?

>>Yes, I think you did.

>>Okay.

>>I'll tell you what.

I hate to say this, but- >>We have it here.

>>Yeah.

>>Because it's important even though that was the first jar, this is the first jar.

>>Mm hm, we've got some coming in from the side 'cause it is the first jar.

>>Thank you.

Oops.

Thank you.

So we are gonna discard the first one.

Okay and here we go.

And always check to make sure that you did not leave any type of residue because that's important when you want to seal the jars.

Place on your top and then gently.

>>Yep.

>>Okay.

Just put it on there nice and snug.

Don't tighten it too much.

>>Just a little bit.

>>You see how?

>>Yep.

Mm hm.

>>And then it goes right back.

>>And very quickly, how long do we boil it?

>>10 minutes.

>>Okay.

>>10 minutes.

>>And then we take it out and wait for it to go, pop!

>>No, we wait for it.

First of all, place it on a covered top of your table.

And then, after you've got your jars completely out of the water and you need to wait at least five minutes after you've taken the top off, you sit them here, take another towel to drape it.

You don't want the cold temperature of the room.

>>Ah, to alter the sealant.

>>Right.

>>That's a very good tip.

But Blanche, we've gotta get going.

So I thank you so much for showing us these steps on making blueberry jam.

I appreciate it.

>>Well, you are so welcome.

>>Yes.

>>Thank you so much for having us here.

>>Yes.

And next, we're going to answer more of your questions.

But first, Jen Naylor explains how she grows sesame leaves and uses them in the kitchen to make traditional Korean dishes.

While green sesame leaves are tasty and delicious, this tasty mint family relative, Perilla fruticans, is considered a tier three invasive on the Virginia Invasive Species list.

If you grow sesame, please help protect the environment by continually removing the flowers to prevent seed formation, and distribution.

(lively rattling music) >>I love having a productive garden to feed my family, share with my friends.

It is just perfect way of providing healthy nutritional food for everyone.

These are sesame leaves or perilla leaves.

Now there's so many different things that you can do with these, that you can wrap, you can pickle, you can do so many things, and it adds so much flavor to any of the dishes that you can create.

These are just packed with healthy nutrition.

When I was growing up, my grandparents used to tell me, "Eat these because these are just a superfood."

And they are.

They're absolutely wonderful, taste absolutely amazing.

Now, the sesame leaves, they do best when they're directly sowed into the ground.

The timing is around mid to late April or you can go ahead and start to seed in the greenhouse and when there are seedlings, you can go and transplant them in the garden where you want them to grow.

Now they can grow up to my height.

I'm like 5'4".

The growing season is anywhere from like June to October, beginning of October.

I look forward to harvesting them every year because it's just so tasty and it's so nutritional.

So what you do is you basically pick right at the stem.

You don't wanna go ahead and pick that are too big because they are pretty fibrous.

So what I do is I pick about medium size that are, you know, slightly smaller, and that way when you wrap, it's soft and flavorful.

I hope you'll be able to grow some sesame leaves or perilla leaves in your garden.

It doesn't take a whole lot.

You can just go ahead and put one or two plants in and you'll have plenty to harvest.

These are the sesame leaves that we harvested earlier and there are so many things you can do with the sesame leaves.

Now, there's one that I made pickles out of them.

It's made using soy sauce and vinegar and sugar.

Now, the fresh leaves, I love using these as a wrap instead of using flour tortilla or anything like that.

Now, I'm gonna make a quick sauce basically using the sea salt and black pepper and toasted sesame oil, and just let it sit there and get all happy.

So the flavor of the sesame leaf has slight anise, basil, and mint flavor.

So it's just absolutely amazing.

So I put rice on here, and you take this pork belly, beautiful Berkshire pork belly, and you dip it into the sauce and just put it on like this, and you wrap it just like a taco and be happy.

(wrap crunches) Mm.

Oh my goodness.

I hope you all get to go ahead and grow some sesame leaves in your garden and experience this just amazingness.

Delicious.

>>We've learned a lot about growing and preparing food from our gardens today and I hope it's given you some ideas to try at home.

So now let's do some more of those questions, okay?

Blanche, the first one I have though is how long can those sealed jars keep in the pantry and where's the best place to store them?

>>Well, okay.

The best place to store them would be in an area that's free from sun and sort of like cool, not right next to the furnace or to the stove and everything.

And basically using the hot water method, you can let this stay up to 18 months.

>>Okay.

>>Mm-hm.

>>Wow.

>>So it seals it very well.

>>Yes.

>>Oh, that's good.

>>So that's a very important step when you're doing canning, the hot water method.

>>Sounds good and we have a question here is what's the difference between jelly and jam?

>>Okay, that's fine.

Well, jelly, basically it's the juice of a fruit, like apple jelly, it's the juice and it does not contain fruit.

Whereas jam does have fruit at different levels and different mixtures too.

>>So, jelly is where you have to squeeze the fruit out to just get the liquid?

>>Yes.

That's it.

And let it drip and drip and everything else, like that.

>>Yes.

But Jeff asked if I'm, you know, making strawberry jam, do I make it with four cups of strawberries and four cups of sugar or like you just did with the blueberry recipe?

>>Well, there are different recipes for the amount that you're making.

So my best thing would be to follow the directions.

>>Yes, always.

>>Always check your resources first.

>>Yes.

Well, I have another question too.

And we were talking about this earlier is what happens if, you know, there's some rainy springs and not so rainy springs and summers, so the fruit sometimes has more water in it and sometimes has less water in it.

So how do you adjust for that, if you end up with sort of a runny batch?

>>Yeah, that will happen and that has happened to me too.

Basically what you do is that if there's about a cup or let's say a half a cup of pectin, I would add a quarter of a cup to it.

So in other words, it would be three fourths of a cup.

>>Okay.

>>So you'll have to judge as you're cooking, make sure that it's starting to thicken a bit and you do the sheeting test.

>>Right.

>>Everything.

'Cause you can sprinkle it in a little bit.

It's best to start off with a little bit, than to empty two or three cups and there you're basically gonna have a brick before you know what's going on.

(all laugh) >>Kind of like adding flour to a gravy.

>>Yes.

>>Yes, absolutely.

(all laugh) >>Yes, I know what you mean.

(laughs) I know that you make jellies and jams, but you've also at one point, grown fruit and I think Randy's grown some too.

And the question we have is what's the best soil in sunlight conditions for growing blueberries?

>>Well, basically I would like to have it everything planted in the area where they'll get at least six to eight hours of direct sun.

>>Mm-hm.

>>Okay?

>>Yes.

>>That's important.

>>And what about the soil itself?

Do you have any recommendations?

>>Different areas, which I have noticed have different types of soil, so you can get plants that can adapt to the soil that's sandy or the soil that is more organic and like a forest area where it has a lot of decayed leaves and everything.

>>Very rich.

>>Very rich, right.

Blackened soil.

>>Randy, have you grown any fruits that you could add any input on to- >>I grow strawberries.

I've never grown the blueberries.

And like she said, I love using compost, a lot of organic material.

>>Yes.

>>Let it decompose and mix it in with my ground soil and they do great.

I love growing my strawberries in containers.

>>I do too.

>>Hanging baskets.

And yeah, love it.

>>They'll take over.

>>Yeah, they will take over, they will take over, so I do the hanging basket method.

>>I feel like singing the strawberries go marching two by two.

>>Yeah, yeah, they sure do.

(all laugh) They sure do, Very quickly.

>>Very quickly, yes.

(laughs) Well, here's a quick question and I know it's not about berries or anything.

>>Okay.

>>But it's growing parsnips in the fall in Virginia.

And has anybody had any experience with growing parsnips?

>>I have not grown any parsnips.

>>Okay.

Well, of course parsnips is a root- >>It's a root.

>>Vegetable.

>>Right.

>>And it actually grows better in cooler climates than here in zone seven.

More of zone six and a five, yeah, even four.

And you can sow them typically in the late summer.

I actually sow mine more in the beginning of the summer so they can grow all season, but you need to leave them in the ground because all of those starches need to turn to sugar and that's done when the soil gets cold enough, not when the air gets cold enough.

So it's more of a colder, cooler climate.

In here in Richmond, I try growing it in partial shade.

I would say give it a try.

>>Yeah, I would too.

>>And very fryable soil and see how it goes.

>>So does the first frost affect it at all or would you recommend growing it after the- >>Far after the frost.

You need that ground cold.

>>Far after the, okay.

Far after, yeah.

>>Well, we're out of time and Blanche, I thank you for being with us.

It's been a joy.

Thank you.

Thank you.

>>Yes.

>>Thank you for having me here.

>>The self-sufficiency of enjoying dishes made fresh from produce you grow is self-empowering, while food products purchased from a farmer you've come to know connects us as a community.

Before we go, I wanna remind you to visit the Virginia Home Grown Facebook page for upcoming opportunities, including tours, classes, and my speaking engagements.

If you're not watching on Facebook already, then switch over to catch Randy Battle "Take What You Have and Make It Work."

This month, he explains how to germinate seeds before planting them in your garden.

Thanks again to all of our guests and thank you for watching.

I look forward to being with you again next month.

We will see a unique ecosystem and learn about rare plants as we explore conservation in Virginia.

Remember, gardening is for everyone and we are all growing and learning together.

>>Production funding for "Virginia Home Grown" is made possible by.

(birds chirping) (gentle music) (bright music)