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VMRC advisory committee reports 2026 replenishment totals; staff flags lower-than-historic planting
Summary
Staff reported roughly $900,000 spent in 2026 for shell and seed (about 150,000 bushels purchased) and a bushel-equivalent substrate planted near 350,000 this year; committee discussed historical averages (~700,000–800,000 bushels/year) and the implications of reduced replenishment capacity.
Andrew, a VMRC staff presenter, gave the committee a seasonal and historical snapshot of shell and seed plantings for 2026 and the prior decades. He told the committee that "in total on shell and seed combined, we spent, just shy $900,000, which bought us, close to 150,000 bushels of shell and seed," and that, including stone plantings converted to bushel equivalents, "we're right around 350,000 bushels or bushel equivalent of planting this year." He said the per-unit cost this year was "just under $6" per bushel on average.
The presentation included a long-term perspective: Andrew reported a roughly 30-year average of about 700,000–800,000 bushels planted per year, with annual variation that produced some years in the millions and others closer to current levels. He noted that private-ground harvest historically outpaces public-ground harvest and said staff compiled a 33-year harvest total near 9.7 million bushels. Committee members asked about the unspent general funds and whether surplus funding rolls into the replenishment account; Andrew replied that the budget language permits rollover into replenishment funds and that staff would confirm exact carryover amounts.
