Growing It Green

AND HIGH TECH, TOO

>Shenandoah Growers produces fresh, organic herbs with a technological edge.

BY TONI MEHLING

“It feels a bit sticky in here. I’m going to adjust the computer. I like to keep it under 80 percent relative humidity.”

Bob Hoffman is the vice president of agriculture for Shenandoah Growers, Inc., a provider of fresh herbs located midway between New Market and Harrisonburg. The computer he references is located in a large room adjacent to the greenhouse where hundreds of thousands of pots of basil, cilantro, dill, Italian parsley and oregano are growing. The temperature outside is about 40 degrees. Inside the greenhouse it’s a muggy 78 degrees.

“That’s why they’re not harvesting basil right now. It’s too wet,” says Hoffman, indicating several employees who are carefully examining the small green plants, removing any basil leaves that do not retain a lush, rich color and keeping an eye out for any pesty little critters that may have escaped the carefully crafted pest management system. Each harvester wears sterile plastic gloves and a plastic hair cover.

Once at the computerized weather station, he may start the Titanic (the employees’ pet name for the giant boom that sweeps across the rows of plants to simulate wind) or adjust the roof vents in the greenhouse; his decision is meticulously considered. Nothing is left to chance in this environment.

The enormous greenhouse, controlled by a computer, mimics nature’s hand. Sunlight pours through a glass-paneled ceiling. When the delicate, growing herbs need more ventilation, the computer opens the roof vents just the right amount. When Mother Nature provides too much sun and the tender leaves are in danger of burning, the computer opens a shade curtain over the plants, creating the effect of a cloudy day.

Nutrient enriched water flows through an irrigation system as the plants suck in nutrients and water. Hot water pipes lie just beneath the growing benches, heating the plants and soil to the ideal temperature for growing.

But a human mind oversees, and often overrides, the computerized brain. Hoffman has been nurturing plants for more than 30 years. His training in horticulture and the school of hard knocks, he says, contribute to his ability to sense the slightest disturbance in the greenhouse’s manufactured growing environment.
And what does he gain in return for his keen attention to environmental detail?
“It all goes toward producing a high quality product 365 days a year,” he says.

A Leading Producer Shenandoah Growers has made the transition in the last 10 years from a small, mom-and-pop agricultural business to one of the nation’s leading producers of fresh culinary herbs.
Using state-of-the-art processes to control quality and maintain a natural product, the company grows organic herbs—fresh cut and live in pots—by emulating nature’s elements: sun, wind and recycled water.
The company is committed to every aspect of growing a sustainable business, as well as a wholly organic product, says president and CEO Timothy Heydon. From integrated pest management to responsible environmental practices, Heydon says the company’s goal is to become as sustainable as possible.

A graduate of James Madison University’s Master of Business Administration (MBA) program, Heydon joined the company as a partner in 1998. “What I saw was a growing market for fresh herbs with an excellent distribution base here in the Mid-Atlantic region.”

Heydon and his partners took a systems approach, a philosophy in agricultural economics that in the broadest sense takes into consideration the individual farm and its processes, the local and global eco-system, and the effect on communities—in other words, the profit, the product and the people.

“It’s a closed growing system. All processes are contained in the greenhouse and doesn’t interfere with the adjoining eco-systems,” says Heydon.  But even the contained eco-system is eco-friendly.
Water is used to water plants and then recycled. Nutrients are added to the water daily. Sun and natural ventilation provide an ideal growing environment. Soil is recycled.
A flapper system supported by a long boom (the Titanic), sweeps across plants and simulates wind, creating strong, sturdy plants and trapping unwanted insects. Perhaps unsophisticated, but effective, sticky tape on the boom captures the unwanted insects. Other parasitic and predatory insects are introduced to the greenhouse to control insects that are harmful to the plants.
Plenty of ventilation and space is needed for producing strong, healthy leaves; but precisely measured distances also allow for the maximum number of plants to inhabit the greenhouse. As the plants move down the greenhouse, automatic spacing is used in this gutter moving system. By maximizing space, Hoffman says that he can grow more plants in the greenhouse, which in turn produces energy savings
The positive effects on the environment are achieved through numerous natural processes: natural water resource management, soil conservation management, energy efficiency, integrated natural pesticide management, and maximum space utilization.

More Than Saving Money While recycling water and soil certainly saves the company a penny or two, Shenandoah Growers is not growing green just to save a little green. Being a good neighbor is also part of the company’s philosophy.

Sometimes a tender plant needs a bit of extra sunshine, which may mean the greenhouse lights are on all night. The company’s eco-friendly greenhouse has a rather large cover that blankets the building at night, shielding neighbors from the the glare of the bright lights within the greenhouse.

At the 50-acre facility, the company employs more than 100 residents, from drivers to harvesters. A new program, implemented last year, adds the local farmer to the mix. During the outdoor growing season from May to October, local farmers grow herbs outdoors and sell to the company. Shenandoah Growers’ horticulturists work with the farmers to ensure organic, high quality products and a successful harvest. The company even sends in its own trucks to collect harvested herbs.

“We see ourselves as developing a local food system. Our local growers program helps the farmers we work with to diversify and in a small way contribute toward polyculture farming, back to the way farming started,” says Heydon.

Shenandoah Growers may be a contemporary model for an age-old tradition: a local food system, providing fresh foods in the very community where they are consumed.  v

SPICE IT UP
In Season is no longer part of the vernacular in organic live and fresh cut herbs. Since Shenandoah Growers has entered the live herb market, you can spice up your favorite tomato-y dish any time of year with fresh basil.
Vermicelli in Tomato Shells
Servings: Serves 6
A perfect first course in the summer when tomatoes and basil are at their peak. When tomatoes are out of season, serve the vermicelli by itself.
Ingredients:
1/2 pound of vermicelli
6 ripe tomatoes
1/2 cup pesto sauce (see recipe below)
4 ounces pine nuts (or chopped walnuts)
Grated Parmesan cheese
Fresh basil leaves for garnish (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
Pesto Sauce 2 cups fresh basil leaves
3 cloves garlic
About 1 cup grated Parmesan and Romano cheese
¾ cup olive oil
Hollow out tomatoes and drain well upside down. (Reserve tomato pulp for a cooked sauce, if desired) Cook vermicelli to al dente stage and drain well.  While pasta is cooking, make pesto sauce by whirling sauce ingredients in the blender until smooth.  Toss vermicelli and pine nuts with pesto sauce, season to taste with more grated cheese and salt and pepper. Fill tomatoes with pasta and garnish with optional basil leaves.
Source: Recipe from The Pasta Salad Book, Nina Graybill and Maxine Rapoport, Farragut Publishing Company, 1984.

Shenandoah Growers suggests
For extra flavor, try sprinkling chopped basil over tomatoes before filling. Place sliced or shredded mozzarella or provolone cheese on top of vermicelli. Melt under broiler while watching—one minute or so.
For more recipes using fresh herbs, visit the Shenandoah Growers Web site at www.freshherbs.com
—T.M.