Chris Kniesly, a science teacher at Mark Twain Middle School in Fairfax County, has been named Virginia Agriculture in the Classroom 2019 Teacher of the Year.

The award recognizes a Virginia educator for incorporating agriculture into core curriculum.

Kniesly has established a school farm that includes chickens, aquaculture and hydroponics, which incorporate life science and biology. His goal is to provide students with an environmentally conscious introduction to agricultural concepts and to create real-life learning experiences. The school farm has an impact on all students at the school, but especially those in Kniesly’s science classes.

“Chris uses his extensive school farm and garden as the jumping-off point for real-life, hands-on examples to demonstrate a variety of science concepts,” noted Tammy Maxey, AITC senior education manager and president-elect of the National AITC Organization. “Through Chris’ efforts, his students are gaining a greater appreciation for agriculture, as well as an improved understanding that food begins on the farm.”

As Virginia AITC Teacher of the Year, Kniesly will receive a scholarship to attend the 2019 National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference in June in Little Rock, Ark., and a $500 award.

Virginia AITC also recognized Pamela Hall, a first-grade teacher at Windsor Elementary School in Isle of Wight County, as runner-up. Hall will receive registration to the 2019 National AITC Conference.

Agritourism entrepreneurs, economic development staff, and local government leaders will gather on Wednesday, April 3, and Thursday, April 4, 2019, at the Hotel Roanoke for the 2019 Virginia Agritourism Conference, and you are invited!

Virginia agritourism celebrates its $2.2 billion in economic impact, and Virginia farms strive to expand this growth by continuing to offer each guest with unique adventures on Virginia farms.

The fifth annual Virginia Agritourism Conference provides agritourism entrepreneurs access to the best resources and the opportunity to gather ideas that can be adapted to their own farms.  The 2019 conference features interaction with experts on developing an agritourism operation, celebrating the successes and managing the challenges of agritourism, delivering exceptional customer service, marketing the operation through multiple sources, ensuring farm safety, hosting events, building a regional approach, and networking with other agritourism farms.  During the afternoon of Day 1, participants will visit two or three agritourism venues related to orchards, wineries, festivals, and local products.

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A planning grant was awarded from the Governor’s Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development (AFID) Fund to Augusta, Rockingham, and Shenandoah counties to support the development of an innovative local foods program and share the program with other communities. The AFID planning grant program helps localities engage and promote the agriculture industry by providing and expanding new market opportunities at the local and regional level. Shenandoah County is serving as the lead for this project, which leverages an AFID award of $11,885 with an additional $14,000 in local funds.

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🚨 Special edition Merchandiser Minute with Robert Harper and Stephen Ellis!

We had the opportunity to sit in on lockdown for the Crop Production Report at the USDA. Tune in to hear how it’ll play a role in your future prices!

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Virginia Agriculture in the Classroom has awarded 21 STEM grants to schools and 4-H chapters.

The funds total $10,000 and will provide 7,500 children and youth in 17 localities with an agriculture experience integrating science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Projects include topics such as hydroponics, animal agriculture and leadership development.

Grants were made possible through funding by the Virginia Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom.

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Consumers associate dairy foods with specific positive nutritional characteristics, and those qualities do not necessarily carry over to nut- or plant-based products labeled as “milk,” “yogurt” or “cheese,” the American Farm Bureau Federation told federal regulators this week.

In formal comments to the Food and Drug Administration, AFBF said the mislabeling of nut- and plant-based beverages as “milk” confuses consumers from a nutritional equivalency standpoint. The FDA expects to issue a rule on the use of the names of dairy foods in the labeling of plant-based products later this year.

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The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services announced today that the USDA has issued disaster designations for counties affected by Hurricane Michael in Oct. 2018. The designations are for extensive flooding and winds caused by the hurricane. These were contiguous designations for counties adjacent to North Carolina counties named by USDA as primary disaster areas. This is the second round of designations for Pittsylvania, Halifax and Mecklenburg, They also received designations in late 2018.

A Secretarial disaster designation makes farm operators in both primary and contiguous counties eligible for consideration for assistance from USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), provided eligibility requirements are met. This assistance includes FSA emergency loans.

Farmers in eligible counties have eight months from the date of a Secretarial disaster declaration to apply. FSA considers each emergency loan application on its own merits, taking into account the extent of production losses on the farm and the security and repayment ability of the operator.

Local FSA offices can provide affected farmers with additional information.

County Farm Bureau presidents and other Farm Bureau volunteer leaders crowded the halls of the Pocahontas Building Jan. 28 to meet with delegates and senators during the annual Virginia Farm Bureau Federation Legislative Day.

A group from Pittsylvania County met with Sen. Frank M. Ruff Jr., R-Clarksville, and discussed issues that have an impact on agriculture, including the farmers’ ability to grow industrial hemp, expansion of rural broadband service and funding for Virginia Cooperative Extension personnel.

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Secretary of Natural Resources Matthew Strickler

Virginia farmers received praise for their stewardship and political involvement Jan. 27 from a state official and a delegate whose district is urban and suburban.

County Farm Bureau presidents and other volunteer leaders gathered Jan. 27 and 28 for a Virginia Farm Bureau Federation conference for county presidents and the annual VFBF Legislative Day. Participants in the latter met with state senators and delegates about issues that have an impact on agriculture.

Secretary of Natural Resources Matthew J. Strickler commended farmers for their work to protect the Chesapeake Bay, its tributaries and other waterways. “These are exciting times” for those with an interest in farming and food, he said.

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