Virginia tree seedling nursery up for grabs

November 1, 2003

After 51 years raising tree seedlings for Virginia landowners, the New Kent Forestry Center, operated by the Virginia Department of Forestry, is refocusing. The New Kent nursery will cease its seedling production after the current crop is harvested this winter to become a full time research facility concentrating on the tree improvement program.
Seedlings will continue to be produced at the state’s two other nurseries; one in Sussex County and the other in Augusta County. But the fields at New Kent, and some of the facilities, will be made available to other agricultural or horticultural interests.
According to Nursery Manager Dennis Gaston, the state tree nurseries all operate solely on the sale of seedlings. No general funds go into the nursery budget. Gaston adds, “It’s simply a business decision to maximize efficiency and streamline the process.”
Gaston stressed that the New Kent Forestry Center is not closing. It will remain the focal point of Virginia’s tree improvement research. Since 1957, the Virginia Department of Forestry has been working on improving the quality of seedlings available for Virginia landowners, particularly loblolly pine. Work is well under way establishing the third generation loblolly pine seed orchard at New Kent. This represents a great improvement in the genetic quality of trees that are produced in the state. This third generation is expected to produce up to 35 percent more wood volume than wild seed.
Meanwhile, the irrigated fields and processing building with cold storage facilities at New Kent will be left dormant. Gaston says he hopes to spark some interest in the agricultural or horticultural industry to lease the fields and/or building. “We don’t want to limit ourselves in thinking what the land could be used for, so we are asking the industry to submit proposals.”
A Request for Proposals has been issued to solicit proposals from potential vendors to lease the facilities. Gaston said, “We feel this land still has a great deal of potential for other growers. We’ll entertain most any idea for the use of the property in question.” Anyone interested in finding out more about the property can contact Gaston at (804) 966-2201. The Request for Proposals is also available on the Web at www.vdof.org. Click on Business and Bids Notices.