Gov. Glenn Youngkin has appointed two farmers to represent the state on a newly established Chesapeake Bay Program Agricultural Advisory Committee. The committee aims to incorporate agricultural expertise into conservation efforts across the Chesapeake Bay watershed as officials work to accelerate progress toward water quality goals.

Kevin Craun and Robert “Bob” Waring will serve as Virginia’s representatives on the committee. Each jurisdiction in the watershed will appoint two representatives.

The committee’s formation follows a December 10 meeting of the Chesapeake Executive Council, where members formally approved its establishment. The initiative came at the request of agriculture secretaries from states within the Bay watershed and aligns with plans to revise the existing Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement by the end of 2025.

“Since day one, I have consistently said that we must work with Virginia’s farmers, not against them, in order to achieve our goals,” Youngkin said in a statement. “Under my administration, we have fully funded the Virginia Agricultural-Cost Share Program for the first time ever.”

Agriculture Secretary Matthew Lohr called the committee’s creation “a game-changer for ensuring that farmers’ voices are front and center in shaping the future of the Chesapeake Bay.”

Craun co-owns a 900-acre operation in the Shenandoah Valley, managing 190 dairy cows and 100 cow/calf pairs. He serves on multiple agricultural boards, including as chairman of the Shenandoah Valley Soil and Water Conservation District and as a commissioner of the Virginia State Milk Commission.

Waring co-manages Brandon Farms, a third-generation row crop farm in Essex County recognized by the American Farmland Trust for its conservation practices. He serves on the executive board of the Southern Cover Crops Council and works at Colonial Soil and Water Conservation District.

The Chesapeake Executive Council includes governors from Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia, along with the mayor of Washington, D.C., the chair of the Chesapeake Bay Commission and the EPA administrator.

Agriculture is the largest non-forest land use in the watershed and will play a critical role in creating solutions for a healthier Chesapeake Bay, officials said.