American farmers and ranchers remain united and persistent, there’s a good chance to make real progress on several national issues, said Vincent “Zippy” Duvall, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation.

Duvall spoke to several hundred farmers and guests Nov. 29 at the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation’s 2017 Annual Convention in Williamsburg. Elected in 2016, Duvall is the AFBF’s 12th president. He told convention participants that reforming the nation’s immigration laws and providing a steady supply of legal foreign farm workers tops the list of challenging national issues Farm Bureau members face.

“As I travel the country, the No. 1 issue in agriculture across the country today is farm labor. No doubt about it,” Duvall said. “(Farmers have) got the land, most of them have the water, they have the ability … they just don’t have the labor to continue to expand and grow.”

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The Virginia Farm Bureau Federation Young Farmers Committee recognized Martha Moore with their 2017 Warren Beach Award for her outstanding contributions to the VFBF Young Farmers Program.

Moore is the organization’s vice president of governmental relations. She was honored by the committee for her tireless efforts to support the Young Farmers Program and future agricultural leaders.

“She has worked days and nights and even weekends helping the farmers of Virginia reach their goals,” said committee chairman Mindy McCroskey. “She has been available to help our young farmers day and night. She has taken countless nighttime conference calls, helped to arrange a state candidate forum and fought to ensure farmers’ voices are heard in the General Assembly as a lobbyist.”

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Justin and Lori McClellan of Smyth County have been named winners of the 2017 Virginia Farm Bureau Federation Young Farmers Achievement Award.

The McClellans were recognized Nov. 29 at the VFBF Annual Convention in Williamsburg.

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Amy Fannon, a Virginia Cooperative Extension agriculture and natural resources agent and unit coordinator in Lee County, took top honors Nov. 28 in the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation’s annual Young Farmers Discussion Meet.

The competition was held at the organization’s 2017 Annual Convention in Williamsburg.

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The Virginia Farm Bureau Federation finished 2017 in good shape, said Wayne F. Pryor, VFBF president. But even as the organization celebrated reaching a membership milestone and holding a successful state fair, Pryor warned that dark clouds are on the horizon for rural Virginians.

“At the end of September our state was facing a huge hole in the health insurance market. At one point 65 Virginia counties were looking at the strong possibility that no health insurance company would participate in the Affordable Care Act exchange,” he told voting delegates attending the 2017 VFBF Annual Convention in Williamsburg.

“That could have meant thousands of Farm Bureau members would have lost individual health insurance options next year. Whether you personally agree with the Affordable Care Act or not, many of your family members and neighbors have been using it for years. And it was about to be shut down for lack of subsidies for low-income participants.

“This is unacceptable,” Pryor said. “This will be the biggest pocketbook issue for famers across the state this fall and winter. Rural Virginia is being left out. And we in Farm Bureau need to press all our elected leaders for a solution.”

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Virginia farmers attending a workshop on the regulation, production, processing and distribution of marijuana during the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation Annual Convention in Williamsburg were told there are three ways to create a legal market for growing marijuana.

“Change the federal status, get a vote by the people or create legislation at the state level,” explained Kristi Kelly, executive director of the Marijuana Industry Group, Colorado’s oldest, largest and most diverse trade association for licensed cannabis businesses.

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For farmers and landowners considering leasing land to cellular or solar energy companies, there are several issues to consider.

Attorneys Mark Botkin and Kevin Rose told farmers on Nov. 28 that, above all, landowners should make the companies bear the costs associated with such leases. The pair from Harrisonburg law firm BotkinRose PLC spoke on Lessons Learned on Leases – Solar, Cellular and Others at the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation Annual Convention in Williamsburg.

“Make it so the rent you receive is a net figure,” Botkin said.

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Across the nation, farmers and ranchers have asked agricultural journalist Tyne Morgan “how long” until the industry’s next glory days of high commodity prices and supportive policy.

“I don’t have the answer to that,” Morgan said, adding that adapting to change is what keeps U.S. agriculture viable. “We grow when we have challenges like we’re seeing today.”

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For the second consecutive year The Free Lance-Star in Fredericksburg has claimed Virginia Farm Bureau Federation’s top journalistic honor, the Ishee-Quann Award for Media Excellence, which recognizes the best of all entries in the organization’s annual Journalism Award competition.

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The history of Virginia agriculture will be celebrated in a historic setting at this year’s Virginia Farm Bureau Federation Annual Convention.

“Farming for Over 400 Years” is the theme of the convention, which will be held Nov. 28-30 at the Williamsburg Lodge, a Colonial Williamsburg property that dates to 1750.

Featured speakers include American Farm Bureau Federation Vice President Scott VanderWal; Tyne Morgan, host of farm news television program U.S. Farm Report; and Vance Crowe, director of millennial engagement for Monsanto.

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