Farmers and direct marketers interested in selling their products online will be able to do so more easily thanks to a U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development grant.

The grant allows the Virginia Foundation for Agriculture, Innovation and Rural Sustainability, also known as VA FAIRS, to market Lulus Local Food, an innovative sales and marketing tool for farmers and food hubs. Using the secure, cloud-based software, farmers can make sales directly to individuals or through local food hubs.

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Stacey Brayboy will join the Northam administration as Deputy Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry. She previously served as Chief of Staff to the Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO) in the U.S. Department of Agriculture where she has had a number of leadership roles in the areas of Economic & Community Development as well as Food and Nutrition Services. Ms. Brayboy’s prior service in Virginia includes a role as Deputy Director for the Council on Human Rights during the Kaine Administration.

From American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall:

“The tax reform package passed by Congress this week will result in lower taxes for the vast majority of farmers. This tax overhaul includes many changes to the tax code, most notably lower individual tax rates, that will benefit farmers. Ninety-four percent of farmers pay taxes as individuals, and those rates are coming down. The bill also maintains all of the important deductions and credits that farmers rely on. So, thanks to a lot of hard work by Congress and the administration, farmers will have both lower rates and all the tools they’ve always had to manage their businesses.

“Starting next year, farmers will also be able to take a 20 percent deduction off their business income. That’s new, and it will reduce the taxes farmers owe. The bill also doubles the estate tax exemption to $11 million per person, which will provide relief to the vast majority of farmers. We look forward to President Trump signing this bill. Most of the provisions in this tax bill are temporary, lasting for only seven years, so Farm Bureau will now focus our work on making those important tax deductions, lower rates and the estate tax exemption permanent.”

“The American Farm Bureau Federation is honored to host our nation’s president,” said AFBF President Zippy Duvall, a beef and poultry farmer from Georgia. “President Trump has said all along that he would make sure agriculture has a seat at the table when it comes to the top issues facing America’s farmers and ranchers. Now, it is our privilege to reserve a spot for him at our podium.”

Duvall considers President Trump’s announced speech as a sign of the high regard in which the nation’s chief executive holds America’s farm and ranch families.

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The Department of Transportation has released details on the initial 90-day waiver from the requirement for agricultural and livestock haulers to obtain electronic logging devices. The 90-day waiver began Monday and allows the agency time to further examine an exemption request while developing additional guidance for agricultural haulers.

In September, Farm Bureau, National Pork Producers Council, National Cattleman’s Beef Association and five other livestock, aquaculture and beekeeping organizations petitioned DOT for a waiver and limited exemption from the ELD mandate for drivers who haul livestock, live fish and insects. On Monday, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s ELD mandate went into effect except for those transporting agricultural commodities and livestock. Those haulers were granted an initial 90-day waiver from compliance.

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Farm Credit of the Virginias (FCV) announced today that Bette Brand, Chief External Affairs Officer, will be retiring after 35 years with Farm Credit to accept a position as Administrator of United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development’s Rural Business-Cooperative Service.

Brand’s career has encompassed a wide range of roles, including credit, finance, marketing and sales. For many years, she supported the entire lending team in business development of a $1.8 billion credit portfolio and directly supervised the Commercial Agriculture and Agribusiness Lending teams. Most recently, her role included collaborating with ag industry organizations and agencies to develop programs to support farmers, advocating for agriculture on the state and national level, and educating policymakers and consumers about agriculture. Brand also oversaw the development and management of the FCV Knowledge Center, which provides education and training to farmers, ranchers and rural residents.

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From our friends at On the Farm Radio:

The results have been published and David Hula of Charles City, Virginia, has not only held onto the current world record for corn yield, but has raised the bar by ten bushels.

The National Corn Growers Association Annual Yield Contest results were released on December 18 and indicate that Hula brought in a certified yield of 542.2740 bushels per acre from his farm near the Chesapeake Bay. He planted Pioneer variety P1197AM and competed in the No-till/Strip-till/Irrigated class. The previous world record for corn yield was set by Hula in 2015 when he harvested 532.0271 bushels per acre in the same competitive class.

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As talk of revisions to the North American Free Trade Agreement continue, concern from the U.S. agricultural community over a potential NAFTA withdrawal has intensified.

A report released in November by the American Farm Bureau Federation notes that Mexico and Canada represent 30 percent of all U.S. agricultural exports and are two of the nation’s top three export markets.

Total withdrawal from NAFTA, the report notes, “would make U.S. farmers and ranchers less competitive in our top export markets—and could result in billions of dollars of agricultural products accumulating in inventories—further weakening the U.S. farm economy. The integration of the North American agricultural market that has occurred over the last quarter-century is at risk.”

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The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) announced that Northampton County is forecast to be the number one locality in Virginia in wheat production this year. Shenandoah County had the highest yield (amount produced per acre). Amelia is the leading barley-producing county with Rockingham projected to have the highest barley yield.

The county estimates for winter wheat and barley are based on farmer-reported information from the Small Grains County Agricultural Production Survey and the September Agricultural Survey.

Northampton County is the leading wheat producing county in Virginia for 2017, with production totaling 660,000 bushels, harvested from 9,700 acres. The top five counties include:

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Governor-elect Ralph Northam today announced his selections for Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry and Secretary of Natural Resources.

Bettina Ring will become Virginia’s next Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry.

“Agriculture and forestry make up two of Virginia’s largest industries, and as a native of the Eastern Shore I am keenly aware of the unique challenges facing those Virginians who proudly make it their livelihoods,” said Governor-elect Ralph Northam. “If we want to ensure the responsible stewardship of our historic and natural resources and continue our economic growth, we need leaders who are understanding of the necessary balance between both. I am confident the team I am naming today will do just that.”

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