Essex County cattle and grain producer J. Barry Bates of Tappahannock was elected Dec. 4 to a three-year term on the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation board of directors.
Elections of officers and directors were held at the 2019 VFBF Annual Meeting in Norfolk.
Cumberland County cattle, forage and forestry producer William F. “Bill” Osl Jr. of Columbia was elected Dec. 4 to a third three-year term on the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation board of directors.
Elections of officers and directors were held at the VFBF 2019 Annual Meeting in Norfolk.
Shenandoah County cattle and grain and forage producer Peter A. Truban of Woodstock was elected Dec. 4 to a fourth three-year term on the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation board of directors.
Elections of officers and directors were held at the VFBF 2019 Annual Meeting in Norfolk.
Montgomery County cattle and hay producer Bruce N. Stanger of Christiansburg was elected Dec. 4 to a second three-year term on the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation board of directors.
Elections of officers and directors were held at the VFBF 2019 Annual Meeting in Norfolk.
J.M. “Jerry” Jenkins of Blackstone was honored Dec. 4 with Virginia Farm Bureau Federation’s 2019 Distinguished Service to Farm Bureau Award during the VFBF Annual Meeting in Norfolk.
Jenkins, a grain producer and former tobacco grower, is serving his 16th term on the VFBF board of directors and was recognized for 45 years of service earlier this year. As a board member, he represents the interests of Farm Bureau producer members in Brunswick, Charlotte, Lunenburg and Mecklenburg counties.
With Democrats in control of Virginia’s government for the first time in a quarter of a century, political analyst Dr. Robert Holsworth told farmers they need to educate legislators about the importance of agriculture.
“The education of legislators is going to a be a critical issue both during the General Assembly session and outside of it,” Holsworth said Dec. 4 at the 2019 Virginia Farm Bureau Federation Annual Meeting in Norfolk. “You need to impress upon them the absolute economic contributions that agriculture makes to Virginia.”
Glenn and Amanda Dye of Stafford County have been named the 2019 Virginia Farm Bureau Federation Young Farmers Achievement Award winners.
The Dyes were recognized Dec. 4 at the 2019 VFBF Annual Meeting in Norfolk.
The Achievement Award honors young farmers who are successful in production agriculture and provide leadership on and off the farm. The Dyes raise corn and soybeans in Stafford and Appomattox counties and have served on the VFBF Young Farmers Committee. Additionally, Glenn Dye serves on the Stafford County Farm Bureau board of directors and has been active in leading efforts for farm equipment highway safety in Virginia.
Bedford County Farm Bureau and King William County Farm Bureau were honored Dec. 3 by the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation for projects conducted in their communities in 2019.
The two organizations were recognized at the 2019 VFBF Annual Meeting in Norfolk.
Bedford Farm Bureau, whose president is Dr. Amy Johnson, received a first-place VFBF County Award of Excellence.
Sarah Rudolph of Wythe County took top honors Dec. 4 in Virginia Farm Bureau Federation’s annual Young Farmers Discussion Meet, held at the organization’s 2019 Annual Meeting in Norfolk.
First runner-up was Jonathan Grimes of Wythe County. Other finalists were Thomas French of Shenandoah County and Brandy Puckett of Carroll County.
The Discussion Meet competition is designed to simulate a committee meeting in which discussion and active participation is expected from each contestant. Competitors are judged on their discussion skills, understanding of important agricultural issues and ability to build consensus. This year’s topic was “How can Farm Bureau build upon collaborative relationships such as Farm Town Strong to combat nationwide crises such as opioid dependence and addiction and mental health issues?” It references a campaign by the American Farm Bureau Federation and the National Farmers Union to address opioid concerns in rural America.
The Virginia Farm Bureau Federation Young Farmers Committee honored Scott Sink of Blacksburg with their 2019 Warren Beach Award for his contributions to the VFBF Young Farmers Program.
Sink is the current VFBF vice president, as well as a producer and entrepreneur, and a past chairman of the VFBF Young Farmers Committee.
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