In Patrick County, family roots are important. So is the land. And nothing is quite as good as setting down new roots on land which has served your father and grandfather well. So it goes with John Ayers, Jr. He is a third generation fruit grower living just south of Stuart, Virginia. He and his wife Carolyn, along with their two energetic sons, Scott and Chris, have combined a solid family tradition of growing apples with an expanded array of fruit and vegetable crops bound for new markets.

When he graduated from Tech in 1970, he immediately went to work at the Winchester Fruit Research Lab for two years before coming back and earning his master's degree working with Dr. John Barden. Then it was time to go back to the family farm. Gradually taking the reins from his dad Carl, John has added pumpkins and fresh market tomatoes along with peaches, plums, and cherries for the Farmers Market in Greensboro. He also grows vinifera grapes, which are sold to nearby Morrisette Winery.

Living in a county where everybody knows just about everybody else, John gives back to the local community. He has held various offices in the Jaycees and has twice served on the hospital board in Stuart. He also finds time to coach his son's baseball team.

He gives back to the industry as well. He plays a leadership role among the Patrick and Carroll County fruit growers and has been active in the Virginia State Horticultural Society, serving two terms on the Board of Directors. Obviously a supporter of Virginia Tech, he has been an outstanding grower-cooperator with several faculty members in the Horticulture Department who all have had research and demonstration plots on his farm. As an avid outdoorsman, John has also led many trips "into the wilds" in search of the elusive trout, turkey, deer and rabbits with the likes of Charlie O'Dell, John Barden, and Robert Wright.