FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D., has outlined a number of immediate next steps in a comprehensive approach to ensuring successful implementation of the Produce Safety Rule established by the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).

In a speech in New Orleans at the annual conference of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA), Dr. Gottlieb announced that the agency has recognized a need for additional efforts to educate the produce industry and state regulatory partners on the new produce safety requirements, and will continue its focus on training, guidance development, and outreach over the next year. This is particularly important since the nation’s farming community has not previously been subject to this kind of oversight. Continue reading →

Farm Bureau and John Deere are excited to announce a new partnership that will give Farm Bureau members in participating states special access to John Deere’s GreenFleet Loyalty Rewards program, providing members with a free two-year Platinum membership. This new member discount program will strengthen the existing partnership between John Deere and Farm Bureau, and continue to grow John Deere’s dedication to strengthening their support of America’s farmers and ranchers.

Continue reading →

As a Virginia Farm Bureau member, you get deep discounts on all equipment and supplies from Grainger, PLUS get free standard ground shipping on all standard Grainger products*, including all the necessities in preparing for a hurricane from generators to batteries.

Grainger also has some helpful tips when preparing for a hurricane that may affect your area.

Safety First.

As hurricane season is upon you and your family make sure you take the necessary steps in order to protect them by preparing with Grainger. Continue reading →

We are pleased to announce that Stefanie Kitchen has joined the Governmental Relations Team.  Stefanie’s family has a farming operation and have been very involved in Southampton County Farm Bureau.  She interned with two Farm Bureau departments,  was a program coordinator with the VFBF Young Farmers Certified Farm Seekers program, worked as a legislative aide at the Virginia General Assembly and most recently served as the South Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture’s Office Director.

Welcome, Stefanie!

Texas Farm Bureau has established a relief fund to address the agricultural losses inflicted by Hurricane Harvey. The category four storm struck Texas with a vengeance, flooding Texas farm communities, small towns and major cities.

Those farm and ranch families are now left facing overwhelming odds following high winds and unprecedented rainfall.

“It’s an historic storm and a disaster for many farmers and ranchers. The torrential rainfall wreaked havoc on Texas agriculture at the worst possible time—harvest season,” Texas Farm Bureau President Russell Boening said. “Hurricane Harvey struck an area of the state known for cattle, cotton, rice and other row crops.”

Continue reading →

Rep. Dave Brat, R-7^th, told Virginia Farm Bureau Federation board members he would welcome their input on the debate over the 2018 Farm Bill, the nation’s most comprehensive farm legislation.

Brat spoke to representatives of the state’s largest farm group Aug. 24 in a wide-ranging discussion of federal issues facing farmers. He noted Congress will tackle tax reform this fall, which should help all small businesses.

Continue reading →

Iconic entertainer Reba McEntire will join AFBF President Zippy Duvall during the Closing General Session of the 2018 AFBF Annual Convention and IDEAg Trade Show on Monday, Jan. 8, 2018, for a Q&A keynote touching on her rural roots, family, career and, of course, country music.

Reba is no stranger to agriculture—she grew up in rural Oklahoma on her family’s 8,000-acre ranch. Now, this multimedia mogul and mom is a household name with a successful career that spans across music, television, film, theater and retail.

Registration opens Oct. 2, 2017, so mark your calendars for Music City!

Continue reading →

Virginia Farm Bureau Federation AgPAC, Farm Bureau’s political action committee, has announced its endorsement of 94 candidates for seats in the Virginia House of Delegates. The endorsements are based on recommendations of local committees of farmers.

“The mission of Virginia Farm Bureau Federation AgPAC is to support candidates who understand the value the agriculture industry brings to the commonwealth and the issues that surround it, whether through their platforms or their voting records in the General Assembly,” said Wayne F. Pryor, VFBF president and chairman of the VFBF AgPAC board of trustees. “We look forward to working with them to help support Virginia’s No. 1 industry.”

Continue reading →

Virginia Farm Bureau Federation AgPAC has announced its endorsement of Ed Gillespie, the Republican candidate for governor; Jill Vogel, the Republican candidate for lieutenant governor; and John Adams, the Republican candidate for attorney general.

“The individuals we endorsed have demonstrated their support for farmers through their commitments in their platforms on specific issues, or their experience while holding positions in the General Assembly,” said Wayne F. Pryor, VFBF president and chairman of the VFBF AgPAC board of trustees. “We believe we have endorsed three candidates who involved farmers in determining their policy platforms and have stronger commitments on how they will continue to help agriculture and forestry remain viable and Virginia’s largest industry.”

Continue reading →

Farmers taking a break from the heat can maximize their downtime with a visit to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s online questionnaire demonstration site for the 2017 Census of Agriculture.

The site and other census-related resources are available at agcensus.usda.gov. The updated census questionnaire will go live in late fall and will be accessible on desktop computers and mobile devices. New features can help save time by calculating totals automatically and skipping questions that do not pertain to a respondent’s farm.

Printed surveys for the 2017 Census of Agriculture will be mailed to farmers at the end of this year. The census is conducted every five years and is a complete count of all U.S. farms and ranches and the people who operate them. It highlights land use and ownership, operator characteristics, production practices, income and expenditures and other topics.