The textile industry is nothing but a memory in Danville, Virginia. Dan River Inc., once an icon and at one time employed 15,000 workers is slowly being dismantled.

After being in business for nearly 126 years, the company filed for bankruptcy protection in March 2004, but gained ground in 2005 after paying off some of its debts.

On a dreadful day in January 2006, Indian Textile Giant GHCL purchased Dan River Inc. for $93 million. Hundreds of workers lost their jobs, but the community lost a century of tradition that will never be replaced.

People from all over the region raised their family by working long, hard days and nights at the mill. Some were guaranteed a job as soon as they completed high school, because a family member worked there.

Building Area:

The Schoolfield Mill sits on 93 acres of land where each building is now being salvaged for its material. Soon, all that’s going to be left is a vacant lot. A once vibrant part of our culture will disappear right before our eyes.

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I am proud to say I was a tobacco farmer for 18 years during my young adult life. This lifestyle isn’t for everyone. Working until sun-up to sun-down, and sometimes at night wasn’t an option. It is the hardest work you’ll ever do. Period. Preparing the plant beds, fields, and fixing flue cured barns was a common practice. From planting to pulling to selling, growing tobacco was a family tradition. Not only was it a part of my heritage – it was in my blood.

Like any other farming community we had family to feed, bills to pay, and an everlasting commitment to give our children the best education while they helped on the family farm. Unfortunately, tobacco farming as a business today is slowly fading away from our area. The dismantling of America’s industrial base and giving away our jobs to foreign companies is enough to make anyone feel helpless.

The end of tobacco farming is very noticeable in our community. Old historic farm houses that once occupied early settlers with mules and plows sit empty. Some are completely destroyed by weather or other man made causes. Old tobacco barns are falling down and look dark and lonely like weather-beaten shacks. Empty pack houses litter the landscape with rusty tin roofs swaying in the wind.

In August 2008, a disaster drought was declared by Governor Kaine for Pittsylvania County, Virginia. All major crops suffered while everything in agriculture was considered critical. A late rain finally arrived, but it was too late. The damage was already done. Farmers were qualified for low interest loans to help feed cattle, get fuel and fertilizer. But for those who switched over to soybeans as an alternate crop experienced, yet another back-to-back loss.

What?s more amazing, there’s so much land just sitting there going to waste. While traveling about, I’ve passed by the same old farmland that looked exactly as it did 10 years ago. Think about land like that all around our nation – doing nothing. No activity – just growing weeds. If we plan on saving what’s left of our dwindling farmland, shouldn’t we also plan for the sake of our younger generation?

The $10 billion Federal Government tobacco buyout ended 70 years of subsidies. Those tobacco growers still in operation can defer capital gains taxes. However, this transition from a government subsidy system to a free market system has shut down the small quota owner, thus providing farm equity sell outs. Poundage from small farm units was sold to larger farms, therefore, leaving many areas with an abundance of empty fields and workers.

Which direction are our farmers headed? With more farms being sold by the day and more land being developed for housing means less for growing worthwhile food crops, much less tobacco. Machinery and technology must be converted to accommodate alternate food crops. This not only should increase incentive, but should secure a job workforce more stable than we presently have.

We need to be thinking about an alternate use for our dormant farmland before it’s too late. Goodbye Tobacco!

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