agriculture

Hampton Roads has experiences it's rainiest year since 2003, acording to the Virginian Pilot.

The increase in rainfall will hopefully have a great impact on the area's agriculture.

"Hampton Roads officially broke into the top 10 wettest years on record with the recent heavy rainfall.

The region's 2009 rainfall total moved into the No. 6 spot, overtaking the 1937 amount of 59.7 inches, said Craig Moeller, meteorologist for WVEC-TV.

At 5 p.m. Wednesday, 60.75 inches of rain had been measured for the year in Norfolk, according to the National Weather Service in Wakefield.

'This is the most rain we’ve had since 2003,' Moeller said. That year, the National Weather Service measured 61.76 inches of rain at the Norfolk airport and ranked it the fifth wettest year."

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Virginia farms saw an increase in crops and cash last year, according to the Daily Press.

This might be fueled by changes in our culture to buy local foods, and is great for support local farms that are continually faced with increasing costs. If the farming industry in Virginia can be strengthened, it will benefit all residents.

"A report says Virginia farms saw increased crop yields and cash receipts last year.

The report is compiled by the state office of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service.

According to the report, corn surpassed soybeans as Virginia's No. 1 cash crop in 2008.

Crops that saw increases in production were corn, winter wheat, barley, soybeans, cotton, peanuts, hay and summer potatoes. Oats, tobacco and sweet potatoes saw a decrease in production.

Last year, farmers continued to face high input costs, specifically the costs of fuel, fertilizer and other farm supplies."

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