By Stewart Truelsen- http://www.fb.org/newsroom/focus/266/
It’s been almost 150 years since two men who had farmed squared off against each other in a presidential election, and it may never happen again. But candidates don’t need firsthand experience to understand the needs of farmers and ranchers or to appreciate the work they do. As President Eisenhower said, “You know, farming looks mighty easy when your plow is a pencil, and you’re a thousand miles from the corn field.”
What do the 2016 presidential candidates know about agriculture? Democrat Hillary Clinton attended school in Park Ridge, Illinois, where the general headquarters of the American Farm Bureau Federation once was located. Chances are she wasn’t aware of Farm Bureau or farm issues as a young person. Continue reading
“You ask, ‘What keeps you going during the tough times?’ I reckon what keeps me going is working towards something that the next generation will hopefully have in order to be able to provide for their families. Because it’s a great life. It’s like any other business that has its struggles, its ups and downs. You just keep on and look for better days ahead.”
On Thursday, the House of Representatives approved bipartisan national legislation on the disclosure of genetically engineered (GE) ingredients in food. The bill, which the House approved on a 306-117 vote, now goes to President Barack Obama for signing. It was approved 63-30 by the Senate the prior week.
The Southern Piedmont AREC 2016 Annual Forage Field Day is scheduled for Thursday, July 28, 2016. The topics for field day are listed below.
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Are you seeing fewer and fewer Virginia Farm Bureau posts in your news feed? That’s because a recent Facebook change is further limiting the reach of brand pages like ours. (It’s an effort to make sure people don’t miss posts from friends and family.) But there’s a way to ensure you don’t miss a single thing from FB… including breaking news, farm photos, member benefits, and MORE content that’s not always featured on Plows and Politics! Here’s how… On your computer, visit 
The U.S. Senate last night voted 63-30 to pass Chairman Senator Pat Roberts and Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow’s bipartisan agriculture biotechnology disclosure solution. “Tonight’s vote is the most important vote for agriculture in the last 20 years. We worked hard to ensure the marketplace works for everyone. I mean everyone. Our legislation allows farmers to continue using sound science to produce more food with less resources, gives flexibility to food manufacturers in disclosing information, and gives access to more food information that consumers demand,” said Roberts. Read more here: 
Governor Terry McAuliffe released the following statement announcing the appointment of Dr. Basil I. Gooden as the next Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry in Virginia, succeeding current Secretary Todd Haymore, who will become Secretary of Commerce and Trade in September:
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