Bob Threewitts, a producer member in Rockingham County, delivers postcards to Sen. Mark Obenshain’s office on Legislative Day.

Thanks to everyone who attended Legislative Day! More than 150 producer members participated in the event, which included a training session by the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance on speaking effectively to the general public.

The training session was followed by lunch with Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, who motivated members with a rousing speech about the property rights constitutional amendment before their visits with legislators at the Capitol.

“There is no substitute to being present…emails don’t compare to a good, solid handshake,” Cuccinelli said.

After lunch, Farm Bureau leaders made their way to the Capitol to deliver more than 14,000 signed postcards in support of the property rights constitutional amendment to their senators. They also met with their representatives in the House of Delegates as well as their adopted urban legislators.

In addition to eminent domain reform, county leaders urged lawmakers to uphold the state’s ban on Sunday hunting.

Farm Bureau has opposed Sunday hunting for decades. When deliberating on the policy, representatives cited faith-based beliefs as well as the ability of horse riders and landowners to use the outdoors one day a week without worrying about hunters.

Other issues discussed with legislators included cost-share money to implement conservation practices to comply with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Watershed Implementation Plan in the Chesapeake Bay region and total maximum daily load requirements in the Southern Rivers region.

Del. Mark Keam of the 35th district in Northern Virginia met with members of Albemarle County Farm Bureau at the legislative reception.

That evening, the annual Farm Bureau legislative reception, hosted by the Virginia Farm Bureau Women’s Committee, was held at the Downtown Marriott. Along with county leaders, about 40 legislators attended the event, including Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest has proclaimed today “Food Day” to to raise awareness of raising food prices, world hunger the declining quality of the American diet. Unfortunately, the campaign downplays the importance of modern agriculture and unfairly criticizes the way of life of many food producers.

But the Animal Agriculture Alliance, a friend of Virginia Farm Bureau, recently released an op/ed piece from their chairman Chris Ashworth about celebrating “Food Day” every day and supporting American farmers and ranchers. Click to read the article:

 Real Farmers, Real Food

Celebrate Food Day – Every Day

You may have heard that October 24 has been designated Food Day. But the thing is, to farmers and ranchers, Food Day is every day. I feel honored to be among the less than two percent of Americans who help stock your local supermarket. I’m here to tell you that farming is not just a business; it is a way of life, no matter if you have ten cows or 10,000.

Farming is rewarding work, but it is also tiring, dirty, and sometimes heartbreaking. You don’t have to look further than this summer’s historic drought in Texas or the devastating floods in the Northeast to see that it takes a special sort of resiliency to put up with the uncertainty of Mother Nature.

Modern food production relies on a mix of technology and tradition. There is a reason why agriculture looks the way it does today. No, our industry is not perfect. But time and time again, American agriculture has shown a commitment to continuous improvement- be it for food safety or environmental stewardship. And as a veterinarian, I can tell you today’s farmers are able to provide better care for their animals than past generations ever could.

Although most of us are fortunate to spend just a small percent of our incomes on food, we shouldn’t forget that one in eight Americans has trouble getting enough to eat. The demand for safe, affordable food will only increase as our population grows worldwide – but I am confident that American farmers will rise to this challenge, if we let them.

Let’s use Food Day to celebrate the diversity of American agriculture. While we should enjoy and appreciate the taste of fresh seasonal products from the local farmers market, we can’t afford to deny the importance of large scale producers who provide the bulk of what we rely on in the grocery store. In many ways, agriculture is the backbone of our nation. We must protect it.

On October 24, take this opportunity to learn more about your food straight from the people who understand how it is produced best – farmers and ranchers.

Visit the Real Farmers, Real Food Web site for more information, including a message from Miss America 2011 Teresa Scanlan, an agriculture advocate, and to sign a petition in support of agriculture’s diversity and consumer choice.