Author: VFB Governmental Relations

Governor McAuliffe to Co-Host 7th Annual Conference on Agricultural Trade March 9-10 in Richmond

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Governor Terry McAuliffe will co-host the 7th Annual Governor’s Conference on Agricultural Trade on March 9-10, 2015 at the Richmond Marriot Hotel.  The two-day conference, entitled Facilitating New Opportunities in the Global Marketplace, is co-hosted by Virginia Tech’s Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS), Virginia Farm Bureau Federation, and the Virginia Port Authority (VPA).  The event will bring together producers, agribusinesses, entrepreneurs, exporters, foreign ambassadors, embassy ministers, land-grant university leadership, state and federal government officials, and others to discuss challenges and opportunities for global exports.  A moderated panel discussion and private meetings regarding the international trade of agricultural goods will be held as well. 

Governor McAuliffe will deliver the co-keynote address at the conference on Monday, March 9 at 12:00 PM, followed by United States Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack.  The Governor will discuss how exports of agriculture and forestry products are playing key roles in his efforts to build a new Virginia economy and his work to make Virginia the East Coast capital for agricultural and forestry exports.  The Governor also will announce final figures for agricultural and forestry exports from Virginia for 2014.  During his State of the Commonwealth address in mid-January, McAuliffe announced that agricultural and forestry exports from Virginia would reach at least $3 billion, a new record high.  In 2013, the Commonwealth totaled more than $2.85 billion in agricultural and forestry exports. 
In his remarks, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Vilsack will discuss the importance of agriculture exports from a national perspective through his work to strengthen the American agricultural economy, build vibrant rural communities and create new markets for the tremendous innovation of rural America.
Speaking about the conference, Governor McAuliffe said, “I am pleased to announce the 7th Annual Governor’s Agricultural Trade Conference, an important event highlighting how agriculture and forestry exports are playing a key role in my efforts to build a new Virginia economy.  Building the new Virginia economy will mean helping existing businesses expand, attracting new businesses to the Commonwealth, and assisting businesses promote and sell more of their outstanding products in the global marketplace.  That diversity is vital and this year¹s conference, which will include my longtime friend, Tom Vilsack, will show how critical agricultural and forestry exports are to the nation¹s economy and the economy right here in Virginia.”
In addition to Governor McAuliffe and Secretary Vilsack, the conference is scheduled to feature presentations from His Excellency Gary Doer, Canadian Ambassador to the U.S., His Excellency Budi Bowoleksono, Indonesian Ambassador to the U.S., and His Excellency José Ramón Cabañas, Chief of Mission for the Cuban Interests Section in Washington, D.C.  Canada has been a long-standing top market for Virginia agricultural and forestry exports; sales exceeded $259 million in 2013.  As Virginia¹s 5th largest export market with more than $110 million in 2013 sales, Indonesia has emerged as a key market in the last few years.  Virginia has worked closely with Cuban officials in Washington, D.C. and Havana over the last decade to build the Commonwealth¹s business relationship with Cuba.  In 2013, Virginia was the nation’s third largest exporting state to Cuba with sales of just under $40 million.
Other conference speakers include: Ambassador Darci Vetter, Chief Agriculture Negotiator in the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR); Richard Willey, President of Perdue Agribusiness; John Reinhart, Chief Executive Officer of VPA; Dr. Timothy Sands, President of Virginia Tech; Clarence Gooden, Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing and Chief Commercial Officer of CSX; Jim Borel, Executive Vice President of DuPont-Pioneer; and Todd Haymore, Virginia Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry. 
A panel focused on farm, U.S., and global economic trends will feature Bob Young, Chief Economist at American Farm Bureau Federation, and Michael Swanson, Senior Vice President, Consultant, and Agricultural Economist at Wells Fargo.  The panel will be moderated by Ambassador Richard Crowder, former USTR Chief Agricultural Negotiator.
Individuals, groups, and companies interested in participating in the conference may register online at https://www.signup4.net/Public/ap.aspx?EID=GOVE77Eor call event coordinator, Christie Young, at 804.516.2396.

Farm Bureau Governmental Relations Offers Summer Internship Opportunities for College Students

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Former GR Intern Stefanie Kitchen with
Del. Peter Farrell

Know a college student interested in agriculture and Governmental Relations? 


Virginia Farm Bureau is organized as a federation. This structure means that when a farmer member joins a county Farm Bureau, he or she is considered a member of Virginia Farm Bureau as well as American Farm Bureau. There are 88 county Farm Bureaus in Virginia. The strength of the organization is its grassroots activities.

Virginia Farm Bureau Federation staff’s primary responsibility is to serve volunteer leaders. The Governmental Relations Department’s primary responsibility during the summer is working with farmer members on researching, developing or pulling background information on local, state and national issues to help them formulate ideas for issues on which county Farm Bureau would like Virginia Farm Bureau to take a position.

In addition, we attend appropriate legislative and regulatory meetings and study committees to represent our members’ adopted policy positions. When requested, we make presentations on policy issues and work on surfacing ideas for news stories on Farm Bureau priority issues. In odd-numbered years, we work with the volunteer leaders participating in our political action committee to coordinate interviews with candidates running for public office and develop background information on the candidates’ positions and/or voting records.

In general, the intern will be required to perform some duties including clerical, to synthesize and summarize information, and to observe a broad array of issues that our organization represents, from national issues to tax issues to land issues to commodity issues.

The intern’s primary project will be assisting with coordination of the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation AgPAC (political action committee) activities.
  • Work with district field services directors on setting up Local Evaluation Committee meetings (interviews between members and candidates running for office).
  • Follow up with candidates with written and verbal reminders regarding interviews.
  • Coordinate follow-up to questions or requests for information from candidates.
  • Coordinate putting custom interview packets together for volunteer leaders.

Send us your resume:

If interested, send an email and a copy of your resume to Victoria Johnson atvictoria.johnson@vafb.com, as well as to Andrew Smith at andrew.smith@vafb.com, by March 1, 2015. Interviews will be conducted in mid-March.

February Virginia Forest Landowner Update Now Available

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Andrew Smith
Senior Assistant Director
Governmental Relations

A majority of Virginia’s forestland is privately own, much in conjunction with farms. The Virginia Forest Landowner Education Program (VFLEP), develops a newsletter to inform landowners of information and opportunities to best manage their forest resources. We plan to begin sharing this newsletter as it’s available on Plows and Politics. You can read the latest issue here. 

2015 Legislative Day a Success!

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Thanks to legislators and Farm Bureau members for participating in Virginia Farm Bureau’s 2015 Legislative Day! As you can see, legislators like Del. David Bulova (pictured above) got to try their hand at milking a cow at Farm Bureau’s legislative reception last night. This morning, members made their way to the General Assembly to meet with legislators on important issues like Ag BMP funding and the coyote control program.

Connecting with your legislators makes a difference! If you are a Farm Bureau producer member interested in participating in our grassroots program, contact Kelly Pruitt at 804-290-1293 or kprui@vafb.com.

Flue-Cured Tobacco Co-op Certificate Redemption Deadline is Feb. 28

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The U.S. Tobacco Cooperative Inc. has issued an announcement to “tobacco farmers who delivered tobacco to Flue Cured Tobacco Cooperative Stabilization Corp. in 1967 through and including 1973.”
During those years Stabilization issued certificates of interest in capital reserve to its members who delivered tobacco. U.S. Tobacco Cooperative is offering to redeem those certificates. Growers may not need to have the actual certificates to accept the offer.
Anyone interested in applying to accept the offer, including certificate recipients, heirs, beneficiaries and estate administrators, can find an application form and offer details at tobaccocheck.com or call 877-277-7422 for more information. Interested parties can request an application by mail by sending a self-addressed, stamped envelope to Certificate Redemption, P.O. Box 12300, Raleigh, NC 27605.
The application deadline is Feb. 28.

Virginia Clean Cities to Host Biofuels Workshop Jan. 30

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Virginia Clean Cities will host a Biofuels Workshop at Virginia Farm Bureau’s West Creek Office on Friday, January 30, 2015, from 9am to 1 pm.  The workshop will present the benefits of biodiesel and ethanol in Virginia and hear from producers, fleets and retailers who are utilizing these renewable fuels.
Anyone interested in attending must register in advance online at http://www.vacleancities.org/events/. The workshop is being co-sponsored by Virginia Clean Cities, Virginia Farm Bureau Federation, Virginia Grain Producers Association, and Virginia Soybean Association. 

Five Counties, One City Receive Funds to Place Working Farmlands under Permanent Conservation Easements

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Governor Terry McAuliffe has announced the recipients of fiscal year 2015 farmland preservation grants.  Six localities have been awarded more than $1,581,000 from the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS).  Localities must use the grant monies to permanently preserve working farmland within their boundaries through local Purchase of Development Rights (PDR) programs.  PDR programs compensate landowners who work with localities to permanently preserve their land by voluntarily placing a perpetual conservation easement on it.

VDACS allocated $286,983 each to the counties of Albemarle, Fauquier, James City and Stafford, as well as the City of Virginia Beach.  Clarke County will receive a $146,778 grant.  These allocations total more than $1,581,000, bringing the total allocation of state matching funds to $9.7 million since 2008, when PDR funds were first distributed. 

Speaking about the farmland preservation grants, Governor McAuliffe said, “This announcement takes another step toward my administration’s goal of permanently conserving 400,000 acres of open space and working lands across Virginia.  Last year, we provided more than $1 million from this program to eight localities.  With this announcement of new recipients, we are providing more than $1.5 million to further our conservation goal.  Preserving our working farmland is a great way to help our largest private sector industry, agriculture, and work toward building the New Virginia Economy.”

“Virginia’s successful PDR program continues to play a key role in helping localities and landowners strategically preserve working farmlands, which are obviously vital to production agriculture,” said Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Todd Haymore. “This voluntary public-private partnership increases Virginia’s ability to produce high quality agricultural products that are marketed here and around the world, generate tax revenue, and protect our precious natural resources.  All of these are important components within the McAuliffe administration’s larger efforts to create new jobs and build a New Virginia Economy.”

Secretary of Natural Resources Molly Ward added, “The preservation of agriculture and forest land also supports our natural resource goals of healthy fish and wildlife populations, clean air, clean water and productive land.”

This is the eighth time that the Commonwealth has provided state matching funds for certified local PDR programs.  Of the 22 local PDR programs in Virginia, 18 have received local funding over the past few years.  To date, more than 8,015 acres on 59 farms in 15 localities have been permanently protected in part with $7 million of these funds.  Additional easements are expected to close using the remaining funds over the next two years. 

Localities interested in creating a PDR program or applying for future rounds of grant applications for PDR matching funds should contact the Office of Farmland Preservation at VDACS.  They may e-mail Andrew Sorrell, the Office of Farmland Preservation Coordinator, at andrew.sorrell@vdacs.virginia.gov or call 804.786.1906.