[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 40 (Thursday, March 18, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E411]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   OLDE DOMINION AGRICULTURAL COMPLEX

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                      HON. THOMAS S. P. PERRIELLO

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 18, 2010

  Mr. PERRIELLO. Madam Speaker, today, I want to celebrate a vision of 
the future that is deeply rooted in our past.
  It is fitting that the vision is being realized in Pittsylvania 
County, Virginia, which for centuries served as an economic engine for 
the Commonwealth of Virginia. That economic engine was fueled by 
farmers.
  Agriculture remains the largest industry in Pittsylvania County and 
the largest industry in the commonwealth. And today, we break ground on 
the Olde Dominion Agricultural Complex, located just outside Chatham, 
Virginia. What will be built on this broken ground, however, will not 
just be the facilities, but a future for agriculture in this region. It 
will be a future built on innovation and education, recreation and 
community connection.
  The Olde Dominion Agricultural Complex will house a number of 
professional agricultural leadership organizations and will offer the 
local agricultural industry a centralized location in which to learn 
best practices in operations, equipment, crops, soils, animals, 
forestry, and renewable systems. The complex will also serve as an 
opportunity for local producers to enter and grow new markets. These 
anticipated areas of growth include aquaculture, bioenergy production, 
and cattle markets.
  I am particularly bullish on the opportunities our farmers can seize 
in the area of domestic energy production. Until now, this region has 
been locked out of the energy market. Farmers were forced simply to be 
consumers of energy. We are coming to understand, however, that farmers 
can be producers of energy--that agricultural regions can be energy 
regions. Crops we grow above ground can be just as valuable as fuel 
buried below. In Gretna, Virginia, Piedmont BioProducts has built a 
refinery that turns crops into oil. And in Chatham, the Van Der Hydes 
are turning waste into electricity, turning a liability into an income 
stream that may help them survive low dairy prices.
  The complex will not only serve agriculturalists, but will engage the 
entire local and regional community. The resources and information 
offered through programs will be designed to meet a variety of 
interests ranging from those of homeowners to backyard gardeners to 
children interested in attending 4-H camp. Its arena will ensure that 
the complex becomes a regular gathering place for the community where 
citizens can enjoy a vast array of shows and concerts. Whether 
showcasing farm equipment and livestock or entertaining with country 
music, the Olde Dominion Agricultural Complex will be a unique asset in 
Pittsylvania County. It will offer the local community endless 
opportunities to prosper the local economy through advances in its 
agriculture industry and increased tourism to the region.
  Of course, the complex is not just sprouting from the earth 
uncultivated. It is the carefully tended fruit of the labor and vision 
of the Olde Dominion Agricultural Foundation. The foundation deserves 
great credit for making this a reality. The facility will allow the 
foundation to further its goal ``to provide extensive educational 
opportunities to area agricultural producers and individuals involved 
in agricultural-related activities'' and will help the foundation 
realize its vision ``in establishing an environment of excellence in 
the integration of agricultural, economic, and social systems.''
  It is only fitting that this complex be built in the county that 
ranked first in Virginia for flue-cured tobacco sales. However, the 
county's agricultural contributions do not stop there. Pittsylvania 
County has also been ranked fifth in Virginia for both corn silage and 
all hay production. Cattle, beef cows, and milk cows have placed 
Pittsylvania County in the top six producers in the commonwealth. 
Equine, swine, sheep, goats, horticulture, and viticulture groups are 
also growing industries. Additionally, Pittsylvania County benefits 
from the support of the surrounding counties of Bedford, Henry, 
Franklin, Halifax, and Campbell, which also have a high percentage of 
land invested in agriculture.
  The Commonwealth of Virginia and Pittsylvania County first prospered 
because of tobacco farming. Agriculture continues to play a vital role 
by contributing billions of dollars to our local economy, providing 
fresh and wholesome products that are part of a healthy diet, and 
ensuring continued protection of our open spaces. I take great pride in 
the farming traditions of southern Virginia and believe that our 
farmers, supported by the community and invested with the latest 
innovations, can and will take a leading role in a new economic 
revival. Within our community we have the entrepreneurs, the 
innovators, the farmers. This complex will harness each of these 
components to open new markets and spur economic growth. This economic 
revival will not only keep wealth in our community, but more 
importantly may help keep our children in our community.
  Southern Virginia is fortunate to have the vision of the Olde 
Dominion Agricultural Foundation and the future promise of the Olde 
Dominion Agricultural Complex.
  Let me close by quoting from one of Virginia's most famous farmers, 
Thomas Jefferson: ``Cultivators of the earth are the most valuable 
citizens. They are the most vigorous, the most independent, the most 
virtuous, and they are tied to their country and wedded to its liberty 
and interests by the most lasting bands.'' The Olde Dominion 
Agricultural Complex will help strengthen those bands.

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