Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed HB 1563 and SB 1240, highlighting the Commonwealth’s continued commitment to Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA). The bills expand the agricultural sales tax exemption to include items used to produce agricultural products for market in a CEA commercial facility. Following the signing at Virginia Tech’s Shenandoah Valley Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Raphine, Va., Youngkin announced that the “Great Indoors” Virginia symposium to address global food security through innovation is scheduled for September 25-26.

“Targeted investments and support for advanced training in cutting-edge agricultural technology training is vital in making Virginia the number one destination in the nation for controlled environment agriculture,” said Youngkin.“Innovation is critical to creating a resilient food system that prevents a rapidly growing world population from suffering food insecurity, while responding to consumer demand for healthier, more sustainable food options.

Under current law, CEA facilities may receive sales tax exemptions for some, but not all, of the purchases they make. The agricultural technology tax exemption legislation, supported by Sen. Mark D. Obenshain and Del. Hyland F. “Buddy” Fowler, Jr., expands the exemption to include tangible personal property items that are used in construction of a CEA facility.

The planned “Great Indoors” symposium will bring together leading innovators to explore CEA’s role in helping address global food safety and security concerns. The conference will bring senior leadership across the public and private sectors together to discuss how to scale new technologies to address food insecurities, while also addressing challenges often faced in outdoor farming, including extreme weather, labor costs and availability, soil erosion, water availability and pesticide resistance.

“Virginia is quickly becoming the destination of choice for CEA operations to locate and expand, due to the state’s strategic access to domestic consumer markets, plentiful and competitively priced resources, skilled workforce pipeline and the availability of public and private partnerships,” said Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Matthew Lohr. “The Governor’s budget amendments seek to capitalize on these advantages and solidify Virginia’s position as the best state for CEA business in the nation.”

Youngkin’s 2023 budget amendments provide $1.250 million more in both FY2023 and FY2024 for agricultural technology grants or loans to advance the industry, assist in the development of agricultural products and improve infrastructure growth, productivity or efficiency. From the Governor’s Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development (AFID) program, $1 million is provided in FY2024 to fund agricultural technology research projects over the biennium.

Katelyn Jordan is our newest legislative specialist on Virginia Farm Bureau’s Governmental Relations team. Her focus is on local affairs and local government authority issues, property rights and taxes. Prior to this position, she worked for three members of the Virginia General Assembly, the Office of the Lieutenant Governor and a Virginia state agency.

Katelyn is a first-generation college student and a 2019 Summa Cum Laude graduate from Randolph-Macon College. Holding a B.A. in Political Science, she also completed minors in Spanish and Communication Studies. Katelyn likes to say that she grew up “five minutes from the corn fields, five minutes from the beach” in Pungo, Virginia. She now resides in Richmond with her cat, Mr. Brightside. 

Owners and operators of small farms throughout the state can discover ways to improve soil and animal health and gain information on major funding opportunities at four field days this month.  

The field days will take place in May on privately-owned small farms in Fauquier, Louisa, Franklin and Surry counties. These free events are sponsored by the Virginia State University Small Farm Outreach Program. 

Attendees will participate in farmer-led tours and demonstrations highlighting conservation best management practices such as nutrient management, cover crops, grazing-land management, continuous no-till and split nitrogen applications. These practices help reduce the cost of inputs and improve farm productivity while also safeguarding Virginia’s stream and river water quality.   

Specialists from the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation and Soil and Water Conservation Districts will be on hand to share information about programs that offer farmers free technical assistance and up to $300,000 per year in cost-share to implement best management practices on their farms. They will also highlight programs and resources available only to small farms. 

Farmers may register for one or more of the following at https://www.ext.vsu.edu/sfop-events: 

• Saturday, May 13, from 9 a.m.–noon  
  Joe Gray’s Farm, Remington, Va. 
  For more information, contact Michael Carter Sr. at mcarter@vsu.edu. 
  Lunch will be served. 

• Tuesday, May 16, from 9 a.m.–noon  
  Albert McGee’s Farm, Louisa, Va.  
  For more information, contact Roland Terrell at rterrell@vsu.edu. 

• Wednesday, May 24, from noon–3 p.m.  
  Anthony and Tonja Martin’s Farm, Penhook, Va.  
  For more information, contact Clifford Somerville at csomerville@vsu.edu. 
  Lunch will be served.  

• Thursday, May 25, from 10 a.m.–1 p.m. 
  Glenn Slade’s Farm, Surry, Va. 
  For more information, contact Derrick Cladd at dcladd@vsu.edu. 
  Lunch will be served. 

On April 25, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released the results of the May 2022 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates (OEWS). This is important because under the new Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR) final rule that went into effect on March 30, the OEWS data is now the basis for the single-Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) H-2A AEWRs, which are the wage rates paid to H2-A visa holders with specific jobs outside the primary farm occupations, unless the six SOC code AEWR is higher and then it must be paid. In accordance with the final rule, the single-SOC AEWRs based on the newly released OEWS data will be announced in a Federal Register notice and become effective on or about July 1. The single-SOC OEWS-based AEWRs will apply from July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024.

A new, free digital tool can give local leaders access to the information they need to make wise decisions regarding land use and development throughout Virginia.

The Virginia Land & Energy Navigator incorporates layers of geographic information data related to farmland, forests, utility infrastructure, conservation easements, disturbed lands and more, to support land use planning and decision making at the local level. The tool is now live, allowing users to see the precise locations of various resources and infrastructure through an intuitive interface.

The Virginia General Assembly recognized the need for data resources to help localities make informed land use planning decisions. Section 3 of HB 894 required a report detailing the cost and potential location for a map or repository of prime farmland, intended to further assist in siting determinations for projects like solar energy collection. An HB 894 work group exceeded that directive by creating VaLEN—a functional resource.

There is concern among the agricultural community that large-scale solar buildouts may permanently hinder future use of prime farmlands and forever alter Virginia’s rural landscape. VaLEN could help local leaders make the best siting decisions for those utility-scale solar projects.

“This project will increase every locality’s ability to make complex land use decisions with access to some groundbreaking information all under one source that has been practically impossible to compare before the impressive work done by Virginia Cooperative Extension and stakeholders,” said HB 894 work group member Zach Jacobs, a legislative specialist for Virginia Farm Bureau Federation.

Led by Extension and funded by Dominion Energy, VaLEN represents a collaborative effort of state and federal agencies, nonprofit organizations and local government and industry working to balance renewable energy goals in the context of broader conservation and economic development interests.

“I personally find that interdisciplinary, collaborative teams bring different perspectives and result in higher-quality, more holistic solutions to complex issues,” said Dan Goerlich, Extension associate director of economy, communities and food. “This resource can support local decision making based on local needs and goals, rather than prescribe outcomes per se. The work group members also felt like providing access to the highest quality information available, in a manner that is easy to access and understand, would lead to enhanced decision making and associated outcomes.”

For example, he added, local leadership could use VaLEN to confirm the location of their highest-quality farm and forest land, so those areas are more likely to remain in food and fiber production.

“Down the road, our hope is that VaLEN helps contribute to that balance between economic development and natural resource conservation that we all seek,” Goerlich said.

Visit valen.ext.vt.edu to use the tool and learn more.