Last week, Virginia Farm Bureau Federation hosted a Collegiate Farm-to-Table Agriculture Education event at Longwood University. The dinner and panel discussion focused on “Shaping the Future of Agriculture Together” in light of world population projections for 2050.

You can watch it in its entirety here:

Students from more than 20 high schools in the area are preparing entries in an essay contest based on ideas they gleaned from the discussion. A winner from each school will be given a cash award and will be invited to attend the nation’s only Vice Presidential Debate on Oct. 4 at Longwood.

Panelists were Matt Lohr, director of the Farm Credit Knowledge Center, past Virginia delegate and past state commissioner of agriculture and consumer services; Lindsey Reames, manager of animal care and sustainability for the Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Association; Dr. Megan Seibel, director of the Virginia Agriculture Leaders Obtaining Results program at Virginia Tech; and Chris Van Vlack, urban/ag conservationist for Loudoun County Soil and Water Conservation District and a Loudoun farmer. Dr. Martha Walker, community viability specialist for Virginia Cooperative Extension and a faculty member in Virginia Tech’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, served as moderator.