Kyle Sturgis ’11
It’s no secret that farmers are used to a certain level of stress: crops are affected by too much heat, too much rain, insects, markets, and more. But Shore Breeze Farms in Northampton County, VA, which supplies hydroponic lettuce and other produce to local restaurants and schools, encountered a different kind of stress when COVID-19 closed area businesses.
Ferrum College alumnus Kyle Sturgis ’11 serves as the manager of Shore Breeze Farms, which was opened in 2019 by his father Steve, who has been professionally farming since 1979. At the time of the farm’s start-up, Sturgis was a location agronomist for a company that sold crop inputs (like fertilizer, seed, and chemicals) to local farmers.
“I was blessed to have that job since graduating from Ferrum in 2011. After eight years with that company, I decided I wanted to do something else with my life,” explained Sturgis. “I always had an interest in hydroponics and my father shared that same interest, so I came back to the family farm.”
Though mostly family-owned and operated, Shore Breeze does maintain a few employees and is offering a new intern program this season. Sturgis, who has a degree in horticulture and environmental science, oversees the hydroponic greenhouse facility, field crop operation, and the farm market.
“One of the challenges of my job is selling and marketing our products through social media, online, and through conventional sales techniques,” said Sturgis.
But when COVID-19 hit in spring 2020, the farm had to adopt some unconventional sales methods.
‘When COVID first started spreading in early spring, it was like someone put a brick wall up,” said Sturgis. “There were more questions than there were answers.”
When COVID-19 prevented local restaurants, schools, and farm markets from opening, Shore Breeze’s sales dramatically dropped off. So the farm got creative.
“We had to come up with another avenue to sell our lettuce, so we started online sales and curbside pickup. That sparked the idea of offering salad kits,” said Sturgis. “Now we offer a kit that has everything to make a delicious and fresh salad, including the croutons!”
This summer, Shore Breeze Farms received a $15,000 grant to continue expanding its hydroponic facility which will increase the farm’s production of leafy greens by thirty percent. This grant was Governor Ralph Northam’s first Governor’s Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development (AFID) Fund grant awarded to Northampton County.
“It is exciting to see homegrown companies like Shore Breeze Farms harnessing new agriculture technologies to bring fresh, local vegetables to their communities,” Northam said. “Shore Breeze Farms has long been known for innovative product offerings, and I am especially proud to see how they are branching into new markets during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis to offer pre-packaged salad kits to Virginians on the Eastern Shore.”
“I believe that it is so important to advocate for agriculture, as the average person is four generations removed from the family farm,” explained Sturgis. He stays active on several local and state boards and committees, serving as the chairman of the Virginia Farm Bureau’s State Young Farmers Committee which allows him to sit on the State Board of Directors for Virginia Farm Bureau; and as a director for the Virginia Soybean Association. He also won a seat as a director of the Eastern Shore Soil and Water Conservation District in 2019.
“The year 2020 has been a challenging year for everyone in the agricultural industry but farmers are resilient and will get through this,” he said. “But we’re looking forward to 2021!”
Sturgis and his wife Emily reside in Cape Charles, VA.
Read more about Shore Breeze Farms at their website here.
Learn more about the grant received by Shore Breeze Farms in this July 2020 Shore Daily News article.
Alumna Caitlin Menefee ’09 with her husband Earl and daughter Ella.
Alumna Caitlin Menefee ’09 owns and operates Forget Me Not Flowers, a quaint flower shop located in the small but bustling town of Somerville, VA. “It’s kind of a thoroughfare,” she explained in a Fauquier Times article. “From the beginning, people have seen our sign and stopped on their way home to pick up flowers.”
After graduating from Ferrum College in December 2009 with a Bachelor of Science in general agriculture and a minor in history, Menefee opened Forget Me Not Flowers in 2011 in Grove’s Store in Somerville. “I worked in flower shops throughout high school and college, and knew it was something I was good at,” said Menefee. “I learned a lot from my experiences at each flower shop and with a family background of small business, I decided to give it a try.” The store, originally established by her great-grandfather in 1908, has been continuously family owned and operated since opening. Menefee and her mother manage Grove’s Store in the historic building which now includes a small contract post office and a convenience store.
Forget Me Not Flowers has been very successful. After opening her first location in Somerville, she then expanded to include a Remington location in 2012. Running two shops was time consuming, but Menefee managed without trouble. “At the time, I had several employees and was able to maintain both locations. Over the years, not only has the flower industry changed, but so did my life. I married my husband Earl in 2016 and we had our baby girl Ella in 2018,” she said.
This past January, Menefee consolidated her two shops into just the Somerville location to provide a more streamlined service for her customers. She hires part-time help during the busy holiday and wedding seasons, but otherwise runs the shop herself. Ella accompanies her mother to work most days: “She’s 19 months old and the happiest baby you’ll ever meet. Everyone knows Ella’s sweet smile, and she’s the light of our life,” said Menefee.
Forget Me Not Flowers serves the entire southern Fauquier County area along with the towns of Warrenton and Culpeper. Visit Forget Me Not Flowers online at www.forgetmenotva.net.
Read more about Menefee and her flower shop in this Fauquier Times article.
The annual livestock show and plant sale event occurs this year on Saturday, April 13. Spring plants will be for sale at the Titmus Agricultural Center, 
Ferrum Ag students Sean Trollinger and Jody Jefferies work in new hydroponic greenhouse facility. Dr. Bob Pohlad photograph.
The facility was funded through a Tobacco Commission grant, with matching funds provided by Ferrum College. The goal of the grant program is to identify profitable, alternative revenue streams for farmers to transition out of tobacco. Off-season lettuce production has the potential to be very lucrative for farmers interested in supplying public schools and other organizations.
Now that the new hydroponic facility is in operation at the Titmus Agricultural Center, Ferrum College Assistant Professor of Agronomy and Agricultural Science Tim Durham will be providing educational programming to farmers in the immediate five county service area to demystify the technology to potential “converts”.
“It’s definitely unconventional. No soil is used. Instead, the facility uses nutrient film technique. As the name implies, a thin film of nutrient rich solution is trickled through channels resembling gutters,” explained Dr. Durham. “Lids on the tops of these channels have small spaces to seat plants. The roots dangle down, where they wick up their liquid feed. It’s like an IV for plants.”
The facility is a centerpiece of the Agriculture Program’s continued effort to develop the Titmus Agricultural Center as a hands-on learning hub, as well as a recruitment and retention tool for students.
After planning, siting, and construction, the first growing cycle began at the start of the Fall 2017 semester. Two Agriculture Program students, Sean Trollinger, a junior studying Agronomy and Agribusiness, and Jody Jefferies, a senior studying Animal Science, volunteered for course credit. They were responsible for seeding, planting, nutrition, and general upkeep – all while gaining real-world experience to add to their resumes.
As part of Ferrum’s “Farm to Table” initiative, the first crop of romaine and bibb lettuce was sold to the campus dining hall. Extra heads were given to faculty and staff, with 200 pounds (along with 600 pounds of field grown cabbage) donated to Stepping Stones Mission in Rocky Mount.
“The goal is for Ferrum College to supply most of its lettuce needs in-house. Since we’re a demo/teaching facility, we’re also considering diversifying with cucumbers and tomatoes. I hope we can serve as a model for other colleges to engage their farmer community, students, and focus on homegrown sustainability,” said Dr. Durham.
See additional photographs here.
Read The Franklin News-Post story by reporter Julissa Hill here.
Watch the WSLS TV10 news story by reporter Erin Brookshier here.
FERRUM, VA. (August 10, 2016) – Dr. Tim Durham, assistant professor of agronomy and agricultural science and agriculture program coordinator at Ferrum College, recently graduated from Virginia Agriculture Leaders Obtaining Results (VALOR), the state’s premier agricultural leadership training program, which celebrated the graduation of its second class of leadership fellows at the Hotel Roanoke on July 16, 2016, according to a Virginia Tech press release.
The two-year VALOR program included course-based learning; hands-on agriculture production experience throughout the state; understanding of agricultural policy and communication through visits to the state and nation’s capitals; and a trip to Vietnam to gain a global perspective on agriculture.
“As a newcomer to Ferrum College, it was critical to get immersed in statewide ag circles as soon as possible. VALOR provided that outlet, helping me build a Rolodex of contacts to leverage in and out of the classroom. At the same time, I was afforded the opportunity to evaluate and hone my leadership style (as ag program coordinator), and received valuable media and governmental relations training,” said Durham.
In addition to Durham, who lives in Callaway, Va., graduating fellows include Marilyn Adams, a Farm Credit branch manager from Purcellville, Va.; Lauren Arbogast, a digital learning designer and poultry producer from Harrisonburg, Va.; Shelley Barlow, a cotton and row crop farmer from Chuckatuck, Va.; Basil Gooden, state director of Rural Development (USDA) and Virginia’s incoming secretary of agriculture and forestry from Buckingham, Va.; M. James Faison, president, Milton’s Local from Hopewell, Va.; Jennifer Leech, a dairy herdsperson from Lexington, Va.; Albert Reid, a Virginia State University 4-H specialist from Ettrick, Va.; Adam Shiflett, Farm Credit lending team leader from Staunton, Va.; Josh Stephens, a petroleum sales manager from Quicksburg, Va.; Joe Wilkerson, landscaping business owner from South Boston, Va.; and Cliff Williamson, regulatory affairs with the American Horse Council from Culpeper, Va.
“This class brought a new level of diverse backgrounds and ideas to VALOR,” said Director Megan Seibel. “As a collective voice, representing individual strengths and interests, they join the alumni in gaining recognition for the profound potential of our program and its fellows.”
According to the release, VALOR is one program of about 40 active agricultural leadership programs in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Australia that promotes culturally appropriate agricultural leadership training that uses a research-based experiential learning approach to build professional leadership skills. The program is housed in Virginia Tech’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences in the Department of Agricultural, Leadership, and Community Education. Support for VALOR comes from the Farm Credit of the Virginias and the Virginia Farm Bureau, small businesses, foundations, and generous individuals.
About the photograph: Front row from left: Marilyn Adams, of Purcellville, Virginia; Shelley Barlow, of Chuckatuck, Virginia; Director Megan Seibel; Jennifer Leech, of Lexington, Virginia; and Lauren Arbogast, of Harrisonburg, Virginia. Back row from left: Cliff Williamson, of Culpeper, Virginia; M. James Faison, of Hopewell, Virginia; Adam Shiflett, of Staunton, Virginia; Josh Stephens, of Quicksburg, Virginia; Timothy Durham, of Callaway, Virginia; Basil Gooden, of Buckingham, Virginia; and Joe Wilkerson, of South Boston, Virginia. Not pictured: Albert Reid, of Ettrick, Virginia. Photo courtesy of Amber Stephens.
