Craig County Farm Bureau has won a $500 American Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Program “Our Food Link” grant to fund a school garden project in their county.

Craig County had to present a strong link between the food system and agriculture in a way which would be of interest to consumers to be eligible for the grant. The year-round “Our Food Link” program connects farmers to consumers in new and creative ways.

“Students learn best when engaged in hands-on learning we will be able to teach them environmental awareness where they take responsibility for living things, understand life cycles, experience the way agriculture affects the environment and foster a curiosity about nature,” said Mary Hunter, Craig County Farm Bureau President. “The students will learn how to take care of a garden from seed to harvest and develop an understanding of where their food comes from. They will learn to cook the foods they raise, try new foods, and, if the harvest is large enough, market those foods to teachers and other students at the school.”

Virginia farmers will be part of a June 10 celebration marking Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week.

Back to the Bay will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Mason Neck Start Park in Fairfax County. The event will focus on bay restoration efforts and will feature family activities, educational displays, live music and local food and beverages.

Visitors will be able to sample Virginia oysters on the half shell; take to the water by canoe, kayak or paddleboard; view underwater grasses in Belmont Bay; and join forestry experts on a walk through park forestland at the water’s edge. At an exhibit sponsored by Virginia Farm Bureau Federation and the Virginia Agribusiness Council they’ll be able to meet and talk with farmers who are working to protect the bay and its tributaries. They’ll also be able to win prizes by correctly answering questions about conservation practices and Virginia farms.

In 2016 the Virginia General Assembly passed a resolution designating the second week in June as Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week. Similar legislation has been enacted in Maryland and Pennsylvania.

For Back to the Bay details, visit cnva.org/back-to-the-bay.

Assessments of the state’s current wheat crop left participants in the second annual Virginia Wheat Tour optimistic last week.

On May 31, representatives of Virginia Farm Bureau Federation, Dogwood Agribusiness Services, The Mennel Milling Co., Perdue AgriBusiness, The Scoular Co. and Virginia Cooperative Extension scouted seven farms on the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula. The tour was organized and hosted by Farm Bureau in cooperation with farmers in New Kent, Essex, Middlesex, Richmond, Westmoreland and Lancaster counties.

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Virginia farmers have an incentive to donate excess product to nonprofit food banks thanks to the Food Crop Donation Tax Credit. Approved by the Virginia General Assembly during the 2016 Session, farmers who donate edible food crops to a nonprofit food bank can receive up to a 30 percent tax credit for their donation.

“Increasing healthy food access for all Virginians helps strengthen our communities and our economy,” said Commissioner Sandy Adams. “Local growers are often faced with more product than they can sell and food banks need more fresh options. We encourage Virginia farmers to take advantage of this tax credit. It’s a win-win for everyone.”

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From Herman Ellison, State Statistician, National Agricultural Statistics Service:

NASS conducts more than 400 surveys each year across the country. The more producers we have responding, the better and more accurate our data will be. We want to understand why farmers do or do not respond to our surveys, and we’ll use this information to improve the survey experience. It’s short – just three questions – and we appreciate your feedback.

Responses will be collected through Sept. 1, 2017. https://www.nass.usda.gov/Farmer_Feedback/index.php

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is proposing to limit the content of N-Nitrosonornicotine (NNN) in finished smokeless tobacco products (STP) in order to reduce the risk of cancer associated with STP use. The proposed standard would limit NNN levels to 1.0 mg/g (1 ppm) or less in moist smokeless tobacco, chewing tobacco, dry snuff and other STP throughout the finished product’s labeled expiration date. According to FDA and other data most STP sold in the U.S. do not meet this standard.

Nicotine conversion to NNN can occur during all steps in delivering STP to the consumer from field to retail shelf. Technology does not exist that will allow growers and manufacturers to meet this proposed standard consistently. This proposed standard, if implemented, would force STP manufacturers to test and purchase bales with reduced NNN content. Here in Virginia, this selection process would result in the elimination of contracted dark fire-cured tobacco production and further depress demand for burley tobacco.

FDA is accepting public comment on its proposed standard through July 10, 2017. Please contact FDA and tell them you OPPOSE the proposed standard because it cannot be achieved with current technology and ask them to withdraw the proposed rule.

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Lindsay P. Reames has been appointed to the position of Assistant Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry.  Lindsay most recently served as Manager of Animal Care & Sustainability for Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Association, leading their animal care and sustainability initiatives.  Previously she served as Assistant Director of Governmental Relations for Virginia Farm Bureau Federation.  Lindsay earned her Master of Public Administration and her Bachelor of Science in Agricultural and Applied Economics from Virginia Tech.  Lindsay and her family operate their Amelia County farm, which raises beef cattle, corn, soybeans and hay.

Roanoke County Farm Bureau President Megan Seibel has been promoted to Deputy Secretary of Agriculture.

Congratulations, Lindsay and Megan! 

The Bedford County Young Farmers held a legislative farm tour on May 13th. Below are two perspectives from Farm Bureau staff: Mark Campbell, Sr. Field Services Director, and Arielle Brown, Legislative Specialist. 

Mark Campbell: Bedford County Farm Bureau and the Young Farmers hosted a “Meet Virginia Agriculture” event on May 13th.  The event was originally initiated by an idea from Delegate Scott Garrett for legislators to learn first-hand about farms and the business of farming along with challenges and opportunities.

Meet Virginia Agriculture was held in the Huddleston area.  Legislators and their aides that attended were Delegate Scott Garrett, Delegate Kathy Byron and aide, Senator Suetterlein, Senator Bryce Reeves and Aide, and two county board of supervisors’ members.  Everyone car pooled to the farms which allowed for good discussion between farms, which included Gardner Heifers; Tuner Dairy; and the farm of Beth Bays and family, young farmer member.

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Robert Mills, VFBF Board Member and member of Pittsylvania County Farm Bureau was elected President of the Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services on Thursday. Shelley Barlow of Nansemond County Farm Bureau was elected Vice President.

Mills owns and operates Briar View Farms, which includes a pullet breeder operation that raises 34,000 birds annually for Perdue Farms, and he has 300 brood cows. He also grows 90 acres of flue-cured and dark-fired tobacco.

Barlow and her husband, Joe, work and live on her family’s farm Cotton Plains Farm in Chuckatuck. The Barlows’ main crop is cotton, although they also grow wheat, soybeans and hay. She is also active in the Virginia Farm Bureau Women’s Program and the Virginia Agriculture in the Classroom Program.

The formation of the first Board of Agriculture was authorized by the Virginia General Assembly on March 5, 1888. Today’s Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services consists of citizens and practicing farmers from each Virginia congressional district and two pesticide-industry professionals. Board members are appointed by the Governor for a four-year term. The presidents of Virginia State University and Virginia Tech are ex officio members of the board.

From American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall:

This week, President Trump sent to Congress a proposal to slash the USDA budget by more than $228 billion over 10 years, including $38 billion from farm programs. This proposal would fail agriculture and rural America, and for that reason the American Farm Bureau cannot support it.

Farm Bureau members are concerned about the federal budget deficit. We believe agriculture should do its fair share to get us back to fiscal discipline and a balanced budget. But we’ve already done more than our fair share.

When Congress passed the 2014 farm bill, it was estimated to cut the deficit by $23 billion over 10 years. Agriculture was the only sector that voluntarily offered savings during the 113^th Congress, when the 2014 farm bill was passed. Before that, Congress passed budget reconciliation bills that targeted agriculture for savings. In fact, it is difficult to think of another sector that has done as much as agriculture to address the national deficit.
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