Test crop of early peas goes well for Chowan County, N.C., farmers

By Connie Sage

Correspondent

Even though a late spring frost and heavy rains resulted in lower yields, 10 Chowan County farmers' first commercial venture with May peas was enough of a success that most plan to grow them again next year.

A New Jersey frozen vegetable packager for the first time contracted with farmers south of Delaware to grow the green sweet or English peas because the crop could be planted and harvested here earlier.

"We'll be a little below our budget expectations," said Andrew Carpenter, agricultural field manager for Seabrook Bro s. and Sons, a family-owned and operated business in southern New Jersey.

Seabrook processes 150 million pounds of frozen vegetables, according to the company's Web site, markets its own brand and supplies products around the country and in South America, the Middle East and Canada.

"We're pleased overall," Carpenter said after the last of the peas were harvested at the end of May. "You have to deal with the weather that's brought on you; that's something you can't change."

The Edenton-area farmers grew 600 acres of the peas, said Mike Williams, the county's agricultural extension agent. In the past, farmers might have grown only 3 to 5 acres, he said.

"It went fairly decent," said West Small, who with his two brothers owns Virginia Fork Produce Co. in Edenton.

Despite bad spring weather, he said, enough growers are interested in trying to plant May peas again next year.

Seabrook singled out Edenton, in part, because the Smalls have a hydro-cooling system that uses a cold-water rinse that chills and lowers the temperature of the peas for transport to Seabrook's processing facility.

A.J. Smith and Sons grew 50 acres of the spring peas and had pretty good luck, said Doris Smith, whose four sons are farmers.

The peas were harvested early enough so traditional crops such as soybeans, cotton or peanuts could still be planted on schedule.

"I think there's a good opportunity" for farmers here, Carpenter said when the peas were planted in March. "They're taking a chance."

"We want to do it again next season," he said later. "We'll review the project with the growers and evaluate how we can improve."