Rockingham research station defended as valuable to region

By Miranda Baines

Published: May 15, 2008

Burley tobacco. Canola-oil plants for biodiesel production. Cattle research.
With 835 sprawling acres, the Upper Piedmont Research Station outside Reidsville near Chinqua Penn is the largest research station in the state, Dr. Joseph “Joe” French, station superintendent, said.
The fate of the agricultural station is up in the air, however.
A draft report from the Joint Legislative Program Evaluation Oversight of the General Assembly has recommended closing the Reidsville research station, as well as sites in Whiteville, Castle Hayne, Waynesville, Oxford, Butner and Laurel Springs. The changes would save the state as much as $55 million.
The report also recommended transferring ownership of all 18 research stations to N.C. State University. The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services operates 18 research stations across the state but owns only 12. N.C. State University owns the remaining six, including the Reidsville station.
“We’ve had this system since 1912, but we are the only state that has this system,” Johnny C. Wynne, dean and executive director for agricultural programs at N.C. State University, said.
The idea behind uniform management of the research stations was to promote strategic planning, efficiency and accountability. No matter what the General Assembly decides, Wynne said, changes to the current system are needed to achieve a modern, well-managed system for operating the sites.
N.C. Rep. Nelson Cole believes in the philosophy that “two heads are better than one,” so he thinks both N.C. State University and the Department of Agriculture should play a role in the Upper Piedmont Research Station. Cole said the bill has to go through the legislative process, but he predicts it won’t get past the oversight committee.
“Closing the station with the food prices going up at the rate they are I think would be a dereliction of our duty,” Cole said.
N.C. Sen. Phil Berger also opposes closing the research station.
“My personal preference is that we leave the oversight where it is now,” said Berger. “I do think it is a system that works well, and we don’t need to tinker with it.”
Berger said he would consider the legislative staff’s recommendations to find ways to cut costs at the research stations but thinks they should continue to operate under the direction of the Department of Agriculture, which has the expertise and a good relationship with farmers.
If the recommendations to close the research stations do pass, a 10-member committee would evaluate the stations and make a decision about closures. The committee would include representatives from N.C. State University, N.C. A&T State University and the state commissioner of agriculture, all of whom oppose the closure of the Upper Piedmont Research Station, according to Wynne.
“We’re all opposed, so I don’t see how Reidsville is in jeopardy,” said Wynne.
When the analysts evaluated the research stations, they looked at which sites had the most projects. According to Wynne, each project carried the same weight, regardless of whether it was a row of corn or the Upper Piedmont Research Station’s Black Angus heritage herd.
“It is not based on science but the number of projects,” said Wynne. “The criteria is not valid for closing the stations.”
The Black Angus herd is made up of direct descendants of the cattle purchased by Jeff Penn, original owner of the Chinqua Penn plantation. French said the American Angus Association recognizes the cattle as a historic herd. The station is conducting efficiency research to determine the proper amount of feed to give the cattle so they produce the best beef. The station measures the cows’ daily food intake and monitors their growth.
“They (the group of legislative staffers) didn’t look at the relevance or importance of what that project would mean for the agricultural community,” said French.
French said the Reidsville station is the only one in the state with a farmers market and a public walking trail. The historic plantation home and gardens are next door.
“If you look around, it’s not hard to see that this is a pretty special place,” said French.
French said the station’s projects complement Calvin Phelps’ agritourism efforts. Phelps owns Chinqua Penn.
“One of the visions Calvin has is to bring in some agritourism,” said French. “There’s nowhere else he can take people in the county that will be more agriculturally diverse than the research station.”
Chinqua Penn opened a wine-tasting room last year and sells a muscadine blush produced from grapes on the plantation’s property. Phelps has recently planted a vineyard consisting of 2,000 vines of Syrah, Viognier, Pannat and Barbera.
The site also grows burley tobacco, as well as canola plants for biodiesel.
The Piedmont region of North Carolina is known for its flue-cured tobacco. But state researchers have started trial runs to determine which regions will be the most economical for growing burly and flue-cured tobaccos. French said the burley is thriving.
“Flue-cured tobacco is put into a barn and dried. Burley tobacco is air-cured over a two-month period and doesn’t require any type of energy,” said French.
The research station recently planted its first crop of canola oil plants in rotation with the tobacco. The canola plants take the place of wheat, which farmers typically rotate with tobacco. He said the station has planted 56 varieties of canola with the goal of finding a “Piedmont-friendly” canola-oil plant.
If the canola crop fares well, the station plans to supply bio-diesel for Red Birch Energy of Martinsville, Va.
“There’s bio-diesel emphasis now,” French said. “Everybody’s looking for alternatives.”
Staff writer Miranda Baines can be reached at or 349-4331, ext. 35.