Block · one region of the page, as the scanner read it. It may hold a whole story, part of one, several, or an advertisement; stitching blocks into articles is the next step. Text is supplied OCR.
Page 1 · column 5 of 6 · from the scan, no model involved
next fall and many years thereafter. “I’m keeping the two farms back up close to the mountain (on the Shenandoah National Park side of Route 522).” In addition, he’s renting the orchard on the home place farm from the new owner-to-be, Alfred Kummli of The Plains.
“Herbert Foster is prioritizing,” said Rappahannock’s agricultural extension agent Thomas Williams of the veteran farmer’s decision to limit himself to orcharding.
Mr. Foster doesn’t put his move in quite so positive terms, however.
He cited statistics from several years ago that set the nationwide conversion of farmland to blacktop for new highways at over one million acres every year. “One million acres. And that’s just for roads. That doesn’t count subdivisions and shopping centers. How many millions in all go out of farming every year? We better be doing something ... It may be too late already!”
According to Mr. Foster, many farmers are selling because spiraling real estate taxes on top of depressed markets and higher production costs make it impossible to continue: “They can’t pay their tax bills.” Others see security and a comfortable retirement in the top dollar they’ll get from developers for their pastures and com fields, he conceded. But neither factor had a bearing on his decision, Mr. Foster emphasized. Pure and simple, he’s selling because farm hands are scarce in Rappahannock County.
He blames social service programs and unemployment compensation for the dearth in farm workers. “I see young people who are getting a check for a total disability, and there’s nothing in the world wrong with them that would keep them from working . . . This welfare thing has killed the local labor supply,” Mr. Foster maintained.
As to migrant workers, they’re increasingly undependable and increasingly expensive as a labor force, according to the former Wakefield District supervisor.
See FOSTER, p. 3
88.3%