The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is administering the produce safety law in Virginia. The law is designed to emphasize prevention of disease outbreaks caused by fresh produce through a few basic principles such as sanitation, water quality, and worker training.
VDACS staff have begun contacting producers by phone to assist them in determining whether they will be affected by the law and to gather additional information. Any VDACS employee who calls you will identify himself or herself as such. For more information or to be included among the affected farms, call 804-786-4003 or visit vaproducesafety.com.
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) today announced additional steps to address the unique needs of the country’s agriculture industries and provided further guidance to assist in the effective implementation of the Congressionally-mandated electronic logging device (ELD) rule without impeding commerce or safety.
The Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices Rule (OLR) allows for animal welfare standards and metrics to become part of the organic label. AFBF opposed this on the basis that the original intent of the Organic Food Production Act was never intended to include standards on animal welfare issues. The OLR also contradicts recommendations for biosecurity, as it would create environmental compliance issues and does not follow recommended protocols for food safety. The economic burden of compliance is significant enough to force many organic livestock producers out of organic production or out of business entirely.
“Agvocacy” is the focus of the Virginia Women in Agriculture Gathering, which will be held from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. March 24 at the 
Jennifer Massengill, a science and technology teacher at Hampton Roads Academy in Newport News, is one of eight 2018 Excellence in Teaching about Agriculture Award recipients.
Whether it’s selling pumpkins at a roadside stand or hosting weddings in a winery, agritourism is a $2.2 billion business in Virginia. Agritourism operators have the opportunity to attend the 2018 Virginia Agritourism Conference March 21-22 at the Great Wolf Lodge.
Breaking down trade barriers to achieve free and fair trade is critical for Virginia—and U.S.—agriculture.
Unless Congress acts quickly on a Senate bill to exempt most farms from unnecessary reporting of routine air emissions from animals and their manure, nearly 200,000 farms and ranches across the country could face the threat of activist lawsuits, the American Farm Bureau Federation is warning.
Recently, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) updated their website to address questions concerning existing agricultural exemptions and exceptions for agriculture along with those hauling horses or show animals. The updated website is 
Farmers still have time to be counted in the 2017 Census of Agriculture, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural StatisticsService (NASS). Although the first deadline has just passed, NASS will continue to accept Census information through the spring to get a complete and accurate picture of American agriculture that represents all farmers.
Plows and Politics 