Three women were recognized March 17 for their contributions to agriculture and their communities during the 2018 Virginia Farm Bureau Federation Women’s Spring Conference.
Dr. Amy E. Johnson of Bedford County was named the 2018 VFBF Lady Leader. The Lady Leader program provides speaking opportunities for women who are passionate about promoting agriculture.
Johnson grew up on her family’s Highland County beef cattle, sheep and turkey farm. She earned a bachelor’s degree in animal science, an associate’s degree in emergency health services, an additional bachelor’s degree in nursing and a doctorate in nursing practice. She is a family nurse practitioner with Centra Medical Group in Bedford and frequently treats farmers in the community.
She and her husband, W.P., and their two children live on his family’s farm, where they raise wheat, soybeans and hay.
Governor Ralph Northam today announced that Richlands Creamery, LLC will invest $1.7 million in Dinwiddie County to create a new commercial creamery and create seventeen new jobs over the next three years. The new creamery will be located at Richlands Dairy Farm, a commercial dairy and agritourism destination near the Town of Blackstone. As part of this project, Richlands Creamery, LLC is committing to purchasing 100% of its agricultural inputs from Virginia farmers, totaling nearly $1 million.
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.
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.
