Grant Applications Open for Large Animal Veterinarians in Virginia

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Large animal veterinarians serving Virginia’s livestock, poultry and equine industries can now apply for grant funding designed to strengthen veterinary services across the commonwealth.

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) has opened the application period for its Large Animal Veterinary Grant Program. The program will award four grants of up to $110,000, distributed over three years, to veterinarians who provide care for large animals in Virginia.

In addition, the Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission is partnering with VDACS to expand incentives for veterinarians practicing in Southern and Southwest Virginia. Up to three applicants may receive Tobacco Commission grants of up to $150,000 over five years in eligible service areas.

Application Deadline

Applications for both grant opportunities are due Sept. 1, 2026.

How Grant Funds Can Be Used

Funding can help veterinarians address some of the challenges associated with large animal practice, including:

  • Equipment purchases
  • Staff salaries
  • Student loan repayment
  • Travel expenses
  • Practice growth and sustainability initiatives

Addressing a Critical Need

Large animal veterinarians play an essential role in maintaining animal health, supporting food production and helping farms remain productive. However, many rural communities continue to face limited access to veterinary services.

The grant program was created in 2025 following collaboration among agricultural, veterinary and educational organizations, including Virginia Farm Bureau Federation, to help address the shortage of large animal veterinarians across Virginia.

In its first year, the program provided funding to veterinarians practicing in Luray, Galax, Rockbridge Baths and Suffolk. Additional grants from the Tobacco Commission supported veterinarians in Scott County, Galax and Gretna.

State Veterinarian Dr. Charlie Broaddus said the program is already making a positive impact in rural communities and helping support veterinarians committed to serving Virginia agriculture.

Apply Today

Eligible large animal veterinarians are encouraged to apply before the Sept. 1 deadline.

Complete application details and eligibility requirements are available on the VDACS website:

More information

Dairy Can Use H-2A Program, Per DHS Memo

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Dairy operations can use the H-2A guest worker program if they can prove the work they need assistance with is temporary or seasonal in nature, according to June 17 guidance from the Department of Homeland Security and Labor Department.

A DHS policy memo reads that while dairy cows require year-round work, there are temporary and seasonal duties associated with dairying that H-2A workers may be hired to perform.

The memo states statute includes dairying in the definition of “agricultural labor or services” H-2A workers could perform under current law, demonstrating that Congress believed the dairy industry to be eligible for the program. The document also states the more relevant factor in determining eligibility for the H-2A program is whether the job’s nature is truly temporary or seasonal, rather than the kind of agricultural work the H-2A employee would be performing.

Prospective dairy employers would have to show, per current regulations, that their employment needs would generally last no longer than a year or would be tied to a certain time of year by an event or pattern.

DHS also writes dairy employers could file consecutive, back-to-back H-2A petitions, seeking the same or different workers, for subsequent jobs. They’d have to show they either need assistance with demonstrably different duties than the previous job or that they need assistance during a specific, subsequent season.

The memo gives the example of a dairy owner with distinct breeding and calving seasons filing H-2A petitions for dairy herdsmen for each season.

Petitions also may be approved if the employer establishes that H-2A workers would have different duties in the spring & summer than they do in the fall & winter, for example, even if some responsibilities, like milking, remain the same.

Requesting H-2A workers to perform the same dairying position and job duties for a consecutive period, without a meaningful break in employment, would indicate an ongoing permanent need and would generally lead to a petition’s denial, the memo reads.

American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall thanked the Trump administration for the guidance expanding H-2A access and called for a more long-term solution.

USDA Launches $1.6 Billion Specialty Crop Assistance Program

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Specialty crop farmers can begin applying to receive one-time payments under USDA’s Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers Program finalized June 1.

The program’s $1.625 billion price tag exceeds the $1 billion the Trump administration initially pledged for specialty crops late last year when announcing assistance payments for producers facing market disruptions and high input costs. The economic aid is designed to provide relief to farmers until provisions from Republicans’ July 2025 reconciliation law kick in this October.

Application Process and Eligibility Criteria

FSA will identify potential program participants and prepare a pre-filled form (Form CCC-556), which can be accessed through USDA’s online portal beginning June 1 for producers with a Login.gov account. Producers without an account, or who prefer to receive applications in person, can request their applications at their local FSA office beginning June 8.  Applications must be submitted by Aug. 7.

Producers must have planted listed specialty crops during crop year 2025 and filed a crop acreage report for those crops with FSA by April 24, 2026, to be eligible for a payment.

Producers also must have additional forms on file (Forms CCC-902, CCC-941, and AD-1026) or submit them by Aug. 9, 2027.

Payments will be capped at $250,000 per applicant and won’t be available to applicants with an adjusted gross income above $900,000.

Payments per crop also will vary, with crops sorted into a tier system based on the average annual revenue per acre for specialty crops as defined by USDA.

TierPayment rate
per acre		Examples of crops included (not comprehensive)
1$650Fresh grapes, strawberries, lettuce, onions, green bell peppers, arugula, carrots, mushrooms, garlic, freestone peaches, and okra
2$225
Apples, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, chili peppers, squash, and pumpkins
3$65
Pecans, sweet corn, cashew, and hazelnuts

Eligible beans and peas would receive $25 per acre. Bean and pea types eligible for payment under the Farmer Bridge Assistance program won’t be eligible for payments under the ASCF program. Additional crops may be added if USDA determines producers of those crops suffered similar economic challenges.

Commodities grown in a controlled environment, such as in greenhouses or hydroponic systems, would generally be ineligible for payments. An exception would be made for mushrooms.

The department expects approved applicants to begin receiving payments this month.

Farm Bureau makes a difference in agriculture legislation

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For almost 100 years, Virginia Farm Bureau has spoken on behalf of the state’s farmers. Our farmer members shape every policy position we take, and their relationships with lawmakers—both rural and urban—are key to moving agricultural issues forward.

These key policy positions include some of the legislative issues considered by the General Assembly that relate to Virginia Farm Bureau policy. While many of our priorities had positive outcomes, several issues remain unresolved because the legislature adjourned without passing the state budget. As of mid-May 2026, the Virginia General Assembly has not passed a new state budget, with negotiations stalling over a proposed biennial plan. A special session is underway to break the stalemate before the new fiscal year starts on July.

KEY POLICY POSITIONS ADOPTED

  • Protected the viability of Virginia farming operations by maintaining the farmworker exemption to overtime.
  • Maintained exemptions for H-2A and H-2B workers from minimum wage.
  • Strengthened truth in labeling rules by requiring that any product made from manufactured proteins cannot be labeled or marketed as an animal-based food.
  • Established a producer-first definition of agrivoltaics.
  • Granted local governments the authority to require the installation of solar canopies over parking lots to alleviate pressures imposed by solar development on farm and forest lands.
  • Gave localities the authority to consider how data centers (high energy use facilities) impact water, agriculture, parks, historic sites and forestland.
  • Protected the ability for farmers to utilize biosolids on their operations, while also creating testing protocols and protections from dangerous levels of PFAS.
  • Prevented efforts to ban farmers from using paraquat.
  • Streamlined the kill permit process for farmers addressing damage caused by deer on farmland.
  • Directed the Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry to develop an economic development plan for agriculture and forestry at the start of each new gubernatorial administration.

FARM BUREAU POLICY DID NOT PREVAIL

  • Failed to maintain the broad farmworker exemption from minimum wage.
  • Removed and limited the decision-making ability of local governments
  • when siting utility-scale solar facilities in the creation of state standards for ordinances.
  • Increased the number of mandates placed on employers with the establishment of an increased minimum wage, paid family medical leave and paid sick leave programs.
  • Failed to create a tax incentive program to attract a sustainable aviation fuel manufacturer to increase market opportunities for biomass from wood residuals or grain.

Don’t Miss Out: Apply by June 15 for Virginia’s Climate-Smart Agriculture Program

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Virginia Farm Bureau is encouraging members to take advantage of a valuable opportunity to get paid for improving their land while strengthening the future of agriculture. The application deadline for the Alliance to Advance Climate-Smart Agriculture program has been extended to June 15, giving producers extra time to enroll.

This statewide program offers financial incentives and technical support to farmers and ranchers who adopt conservation practices that benefit soil health, pasture productivity and long-term sustainability. Participants can receive $100 per acre for implementing practices such as nutrient management, grazing management or pasture and hay planting. For those interested in going even further, additional opportunities are available, including higher payments for specialized pasture renovation efforts.

Beyond direct payments, the program connects producers with technical assistance through local conservation partners and industry experts. This support helps ensure successful implementation and can open the door to new market opportunities that generate additional revenue.

Open to Virginia producers who meet eligibility requirements, the program allows enrollment of up to 120 acres and is designed to reward conservation practices that boost productivity while building resilience against changing environmental conditions.

Spots are limited, so interested members are encouraged to act quickly. This is a chance to invest in your operation, improve your land, and be part of a forward-looking effort that supports both farm profitability and environmental stewardship.

Don’t wait—apply by June 15 and make your land work even harder for you.

Learn more and apply.

Deadline Nears: Farmers Must Submit Data by May 15 to Qualify for Additional Base Acres

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Farm owners have until May 15 to submit data needed to notify them about their eligibility to receive additional base acres under Republicans’ July 2025 reconciliation law, according to an April 20 Agriculture Department directive. 

Reconciliation (Public Law 119-21), commonly referred to as the One Big Beautiful Bill, provides an additional 30 million base acres to be allocated to farms based on their 2019-2023 cropping history. The law also requires all owners be notified of their eligibility to receive additional base acres. Base acres will automatically be assigned to farms unless owners opt out.  

Base acres are used to determine payments under federal farm programs such as Agricultural Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage, and more base acres typically translate to larger payments. Providing USDA with updated planting information also provides producers the opportunity to receive payments that more accurately reflect the needs of their farm. 

Corn, soybeans, and wheat are expected to receive the largest allocations of base acres, according to analysis from the University of Missouri’s Rural & Farm Finance Policy Analysis Center. The center projects Virginia could receive as many as 268,000 additional base acres across those three commodities, but most base acre gains are forecast to be concentrated in the Midwest and plains states. 

If data collected results in more than 30 million base acres added, acres allotted will be prorated. 

State and county Farm Service Agency offices must work together to ensure acreage history dig data is completed and loaded into the CRM Farm Records database and Acreage History and Base Allocation software by 6 p.m. EDT on May 15. Farm records updates for base reductions and restorations, producer associations, and cropland indicators also must be completed by the same deadline. All data will be pulled by that deadline. 

Information for farms that need to be copied back to 2019 must be submitted to the state FSA office by May 4. State offices also must submit any requests for newly created farms to the Farm Records Remediation site by May 8 if national FSA office assistance is needed. 

Incomplete or outdated records could result in inaccurate eligibility determinations. 

Farmers must have planted at least one currently covered commodity or had to have been blocked from planting because of a natural disaster during 2019-2023 to qualify. Additionally, producers’ updated base acreage, calculated in part using their historical acreage for 2019-2023, must exceed their current base acreage. 

Covered commodities include corn, soybeans, wheat, grain sorghum, peanuts, seed cotton and more. 

Farmers Asked to Submit Recommendations for Virginia Ag Cost‑Share Program Updates

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The Department of Conservation and Recreation will convene a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) again this year to consider and recommend changes to the Virginia Agricultural Cost-Share Program (VACS). Farm Bureau is a member of the full TAC and several of the subcommittees to advocate for changes on behalf of farmers. Please share any suggested changes for the VACS program that we can submit to DCR for consideration using the form below or email Jake Tabor, Virginia Farm Bureau legislative specialist, (jake.tabor@vafb.com) by Wednesday, April 29th. 

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Virginia Poultry Growers Cooperative Announces $113.9 Million Expansion in Rockingham County

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Governor Abigail Spanberger has announced a $113.9 million investment by the Virginia Poultry Growers Cooperative, Inc. (VPGC) to expand operations in Rockingham County—a project expected to create 146 new jobs and strengthen Virginia’s agricultural economy.

At the center of the multi‑phase expansion is the construction of a state‑of‑the‑art feed mill and grain processing facility, featuring nearly two million cubic feet of storage—the largest feed mill capacity on the East Coast. The investment will allow VPGC to process 4.5 million additional turkeys and purchase 2.4 million more bushels of corn and wheat from Virginia farmers over the next three years.

Additional project components include a new rail spur at the Linville facility, water treatment upgrades at the Hinton facility, increased turkey processing capacity, and expanded opportunities for family farms across the region.

Founded and fully owned by its growers, VPGC returns 100% of its profits to Virginia farmers, keeping agricultural dollars working locally. Since 2004, the cooperative has grown into one of the nation’s leading commercial turkey processors, known for antibiotic‑free and organic products supplied to domestic and global markets.

The project was supported through a public‑private partnership involving state, regional, and local organizations. Governor Spanberger approved $2.25 million in grants, including performance‑based and agriculture‑focused funding, as well as rail infrastructure support.

This historic investment underscores agriculture’s role as a powerful economic driver—creating jobs, strengthening farm viability, and supporting long‑term growth in rural Virginia.

EPA Announces New Action to Address Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) System Failures

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On March 27, 2026, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced new federal guidance aimed at addressing widespread Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) system failures impacting farmers, truckers, and other diesel equipment operators across the country. The announcement was made during the White House Great American Agriculture Celebration and represents the latest step by the EPA to respond to long‑standing operational and safety concerns tied to DEF systems.

What Are DEF Systems—and Why Have They Been a Problem?

Diesel Exhaust Fluid systems are a core component of modern diesel engines, designed to reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions through selective catalytic reduction. While effective for emissions compliance, DEF systems—particularly DEF quality sensors—have been linked to frequent malfunctions.

Operators have reported that faulty sensors can cause unexpected power reductions, speed limitations, or complete shutdowns, even when the engine is otherwise functional. These failures have led to safety risks, lost productivity, missed planting or harvest windows, and costly repairs for farmers and transportation operators nationwide.

What the New EPA Guidance Does

Under the new guidance, the EPA removes the federal requirement for DEF quality sensors on diesel equipment. Manufacturers may now rely on NOx sensors as an alternative compliance pathway for meeting emissions standards.

According to the EPA, eliminating the DEF sensor requirement provides immediate flexibility to manufacturers and relief to equipment operators, while still maintaining emissions compliance through other monitoring systems.

Economic Impact and Industry Relief

The EPA estimates substantial cost savings as a result of the updated guidance:

  • $4.4 billion annually in savings for farmers, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration
  • $13.79 billion in total annual savings nationwide, driven by reduced repair costs and less downtime from equipment failures

Industry groups and equipment operators have welcomed the change, noting that DEF sensor failures represented a major source of warranty claims and operational interruptions, particularly during critical work periods.

Additional Actions Underway

The March 27 guidance follows earlier EPA actions to address DEF-related problems:

  • In August 2025, EPA encouraged manufacturers to revise DEF software to reduce sudden derating events.
  • In February 2026, EPA demanded detailed failure data from 14 major manufacturers representing more than 80% of DEF system components on the market.
  • The agency has also reaffirmed equipment operators’ Right to Repair, including repairs related to DEF systems.

The EPA has indicated that further regulatory proposals may follow, including potential rulemaking to address DEF-related deratements in newly manufactured engines.

What This Means for Farmers and Diesel Operators

For producers, truckers, and equipment owners, this guidance may:

  • Reduce unexpected equipment shutdowns
  • Lower repair and maintenance costs
  • Increase operational reliability during peak seasons
  • Offer manufacturers greater flexibility in compliance design

Operators should note that this guidance applies to federal emissions requirements and does not eliminate all emissions controls—rather, it allows alternate compliance mechanisms that may be more reliable in real‑world conditions.

Looking Ahead

The EPA’s action signals a shift toward balancing emissions compliance with practical reliability concerns raised by the agricultural and transportation communities. As additional data is reviewed and further rulemaking is considered, equipment owners and manufacturers are encouraged to stay informed of ongoing regulatory updates.

For full details, the original EPA announcement can be found on the agency’s website: U.S. EPA News Release – March 27, 2026

USDA launches campaign to promote strengthened ‘Product of USA’ label

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U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced a national campaign to promote the updated “Product of USA” voluntary labeling standard for meat, poultry and egg products. The standard, which took effect Jan. 1, requires that animals be born, raised, harvested and processed in the United States for a product to carry the label.

Rollins said the change is designed to provide transparency for consumers and ensure that farmers committed to a fully domestic supply chain can compete fairly.

Administration officials noted that the update comes as the U.S. continues to lose family farms and faces a 75-year-low national cattle herd, even as consumer demand for beef has grown.

The updated definition ends the previous practice of allowing imported meat to qualify as domestic after minimal processing. Companies choosing to use the label must meet the fully U.S.-sourced requirement.

Virginia agriculture leaders say the shift aligns closely with state efforts to strengthen local beef production. The Virginia Verified Meat program, launched in 2025, certifies beef born, raised and processed within the commonwealth. Created through 2024 legislation, the program aims to support local producers, ensure truth in labeling, and increase consumer trust in Virginia-sourced meat. It also complements recent state legislation requiring lab grown or cell-cultivated proteins to be clearly labeled to prevent misleading marketing.

Jake Tabor, Virginia Farm Bureau legislative specialist for livestock issues, said the federal and state standards work hand in hand.

“Virginia’s livestock producers take pride in raising a high-quality product from start to finish, and both the ‘Product of USA’ and Virginia Verified Meat standards help ensure that commitment is recognized,” Tabor said. “Clear labeling gives Virginia farmers the fairness they deserve and gives consumers confidence that choosing local truly supports our communities.”

The announcement is part of USDA’s broader effort to strengthen domestic processing capacity and support American farmers.