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Del. Margaret Ransone is no stranger to agriculture. Her district produces many different commodities, which she takes full advantage of! Learn more about her and the beautiful Northern Neck during this week’s Friend of the Farm Chat.

Seven delegates and two alternates from Virginia Farm Bureau Federation will join Farm Bureau producer members from across the nation in shaping policies important to farmers and ranchers during the 2021 American Farm Bureau Federation Virtual Convention.

The event, which will be AFBF’s 102^nd consecutive annual convention, will be held Jan. 10-13.

AFBF President Zippy Duval said the top priority in holding the virtual event is the safety of attendees and staff. “Although we are saddened not to meet in person for this convention, we are eager to bring this event safely to farm and ranch homes across the country.”

AFBF anticipates increased attendance because registration for the virtual event is free.

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The State Water Control Board adopted final amendments to the Virginia Pollution Abatement (VPA) Regulation and General Permit for Poultry Waste Management at its December 9^th meeting.

During the public comment period for the proposed regulatory changes, Virginia Farm Bureau issued an action alert opposing the proposed end-user reporting requirements and new reporting requirements for permitted poultry growers, as well as requesting that the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) continue to reject a reporting requirement for the use of litter amendments. Thank you all to all Farm Bureau members who submitted comments or responded to the action alert!

Based on feedback during the public comment period, DEQ staff recommendations related to poultry waste end-user reporting were revised to address concerns that the new requirements would hurt market demand for poultry litter and hinder the transfer of litter from growers to other farmers. The original proposal would have required the end-user to report poultry waste transfer records, land application records, and supporting documents, including soil test reports, field maps, and nutrient management plans. This was modified to instead require the end-user to report poultry waste transfer records, the method used to determine the land application rate, and the county where the waste is being utilized.

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Check out this week’s Merchandiser Minute!

From May through July 2021, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Animal Health Monitoring System, in collaboration with the National Agricultural Statistics Service, will conduct its third national study of U.S. small enterprise swine operations.

The voluntary and confidential study will examine operations with fewer than 1,000 pigs and those operations’ animal health and management practices, as well as their alternative marketing strategies. Approximately 5,000 swine operations from 38 states, Virginia included, will be asked to participate.

In May, selected producers will receive a letter describing the study, along with a questionnaire to be returned by mail or online.

Participating in the study will benefit the U.S. swine industry by:

• Providing credible information on industry practices that will help counter misinformation.
• Benchmarking current production practices.
• Assisting the industry in understanding disease preparedness and vulnerabilities.
• Helping policymakers and industry stakeholders make science-based decisions.
• Providing data that will be used by academia, pharmaceutical researchers and others to identify and focus on vital issues related to swine health and reproductivity on small enterprises.
• Identifying educational needs related to health and production on small enterprise operations.

Details are available at aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/monitoring-and-surveillance/nahms/nahms_swine_studies

Near the conclusion of each two-year legislative session, Virginia Farm Bureau presents the Friend of Farm Bureau Award to members of Congress. Virginia senators and representatives are nominated for the award by Virginia Farm Bureau Federation (VFBF) and approved by the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) Board of Directors.

We are proud to announce that eight members of Virginia’s congressional delegation have been recognized with the Friend of Farm Bureau Award for supporting agriculture-related policies in the 116th Congress.

To be eligible for nomination, members of Congress must consistently vote in support of Farm Bureau’s policy positions. The voting records are based on AFBF priority issues, as determined by its Board of Directors. The Friend of Farm Bureau Award is not a political endorsement but rather a recognition of the member’s support for agriculture as demonstrated over the past two years.

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Sen. Emmett Hanger has served on the Senate Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Committee for many years. We shared a lot of laughs during his Friend of the Farm Chat, especially regarding his favorite Virginia products! Check out the video below.

Fourteen Virginia counties and contiguous localities have been designated as natural disaster areas, and farmers in those areas may be eligible for U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency emergency loans.

Farmers in the following localities who suffered losses caused by drought and excessive heat during the summer can apply for the loans: Accomack, Amelia, Brunswick, Caroline, Chesterfield, Culpeper, Dinwiddie, Essex, Fauquier, Gloucester, Goochland, Greensville, Hanover, Henrico, Isle of Wight, King and Queen, King George, King William, Lancaster, Louisa, Middlesex, New Kent, Northampton, Nottoway, Orange, Prince George, Prince William, Richmond, Southampton, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Surry and Sussex counties, and the cities of Emporia, Franklin, Fredericksburg, Newport News, Petersburg and Suffolk.

The natural disaster designations allow FSA to extend emergency credit to farmers recovering from natural disasters. The loans can be used to replace equipment or livestock, reorganize a farming operation or refinance debt. Contact a local USDA service center for eligibility requirements and application instructions, or visit farmers.gov/recover.

Winners of four Virginia Farm Bureau Federation Young Farmers competitions will compete against their peers from across the nation.

Matthew Heldreth of Wythe County, winner of the VFBF Young Farmers Achievement Award; Jonathan and Kelsey Grimes of Wythe County, winners of the VFBF Young Farmers Excellence in Agriculture Award; and Jacob Gilley of Orange County, winner of the VFBF Young Farmers Discussion Meet will compete for the national titles during the 2021 American Farm Bureau Federation Virtual Convention in January.

Díaz Tompkins, a student at Southside Virginia Community College, winner of the VFBF Collegiate Young Farmers Discussion Meet, will compete in the AFBF Young Farmers & Ranchers Collegiate Discussion Meet, to be held virtually during the Farm Bureau FUSION Conference in March.

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