George Washington Carver Agriculture Research Cent

To Sustain Strengthen and Enhance Agriculture and the Environment in Virginia's Northern Piedmont.

Things we're doing in your community

• Commercial Horticulture - Our number one source of farm income is generated by these intensive operations growing green roof crops, ornamental and bedding plants, cut flowers, turf and Christmas trees. We support these producers water use efficiencies, governmental and labor relations, and pesticide safety and use training.

• Agronomic Systems - We are growing large grain crop plots with cooperating farmers who provide land, labor and equipment needed to support our grain crop plot work feeding into on farm trails results from across Virginia. Forage work conducted in the same manner with cooperating producers generates results needed by grazing livestock producers seeking nitrogen efficiency, grazing season extension and economic efficiency.  

• Commercial Kitchen - We're building a Food Enterprise Center and with a construction grant secured, construction has commenced and first phase completion nearing its end. It will be a shared use facility that provides entrepreneurs an opportunity to develop and expand food and catering businesses; it will develop into a food-based economic engine that will produce jobs, retain local farmland and promote value-added production; it will promote sustainable agriculture, job skills training, and technical assistance; it will form strategic alliances with like-minded organizations to increase access to nutritious food to all.

• Alternative Agriculture - Support the Minority and Veteran Farmers of the Piedmont working with Virginia State University Small Farm Outreach Program.  These educational efforts demonstrate and evaluate food production systems while providing hands on learning opportunities for all ages. 

   
• Workforce Training - We're conducting classes such as ServSafe- the national industry standard for best practices in commercial kitchens; Our Stone Soup Project helps low-income individuals and persons with physical, intellectual and developmental disabilities to improve their quality of life by participating in food service workforce training.  The commercial kitchen will serve as a learning lab for these classes.  

• Historic Preservation - We're maintaining the historical features of the George Washington Carver Regional High School by supporting the efforts of the George Washington Regional High School Alumni Association- prior to its construction, there were very few options for African Americans in Culpeper, Madison, Orange and Rappahannock counties to acquire secondary education. This building represents an important part of our local history.  The 4-county museum operating since 2019 with regular exhibits, tours and a professional curator.  

Testimonials

Volunteer Roger Williams says he moved here to Culpeper County because of the opportunity to work with The Carver Center and its agriculture programs.