Existing comment:
Fruits and Vegetables:
Fruit and vegetable farming became important to the Eastern Shore and Norfolk area in the late 1800s. Crops there ripened earlier in the season than in Maryland or New Jersey, which gave Virginia farmers an advantage.
Trains and steamships provided fast and reliable service to northern markets such as Philadelphia and New York.
The apple industry has been important to the Shenandoah Valley since the late 1800s. Some of the most famous Virginia orchards were owned by Harry Flood Byrd, Sr., Virginia's one-time governor and longtime senator. His 1,500-acre orchard with 65,000 apple trees was one of the largest in the eastern United States owned by an individual. In 2005, Virginia ranked sixth in national apple production. |