Voting for U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance‘s Faces of Farming begins TODAY! Be sure to vote for Rockingham County Farm Bureau member Lauren Hartzler Arbogast as she competes with other farmers across the country to have the opportunity to share how they grow and raise food on a national stage. This is the first time a farmer from Virginia has been finalist! Check out more about Lauren in the video below. And don’t forget to vote here. Voting runs through Oct. 23rd!
The combined shortfall fiscal year 2017 is $861.4 million. Some of the key strategies to address the shortfall include eliminating raises for state employees of $125.1 million; pulling $392.3 million from Rainy Day Fund; and cutting $70 million from state agencies. There will be additional cuts made by the Governor in his budget that he will introduce in December for the fiscal year 2018.
They always say that “it could have been worse” but we are still not happy with the cuts that the Governor made to key budget items that Farm Bureau has worked hard to support. These do not represent all of the cuts made but some key ones specific to Farm Bureau policy:
Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Department of Conservation and Recreation
Every four years, the American Farm Bureau Federation asks the Democratic and Republican presidential nominees to address the issues that concern farmers and ranchers the most. We asked Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and Republican nominee Donald Trump the same questions.
Are you familiar with the Farm Bill? If you are like most Americans, you probably have a misconception about this important piece of legislation. While the bill is the primary agriculture and food policy tool of the federal government, the name is a misnomer. The Farm Bill is a comprehensive piece of legislation that encompasses commodity programs, crop insurance, nutrition programs, international trade, conservation, , forestry, energy and the well-being of rural communities. It might actually be more accurate to call it the Food Bill since 79 percent of the cost of the bill goes toward nutrition programs and only 21 percent goes towards programs that benefit farmers, ranchers and rural America.
About every 5 years, the Farm Bill must be renewed and the current Farm Bill expires in 2018. So, the next president will need to understand the importance the Farm Bill has for farmers and ranchers, rural communities and all Americans.
Every four years, the American Farm Bureau Federation asks the Democratic and Republican presidential nominees to address the issues that concern farmers and ranchers the most. We asked Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and Republican nominee Donald Trump the same questions.
Ask any student studying agriculture or food policy about Norman Borlaug and you’ll get an immediate positive response. If you don’t know who he is, let me share this from the World Food Prize website. They do a better job that I could.
“In 1970 Norman E. Borlaug was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for a lifetime of work to feed a hungry world. Although a scientist with outstanding contributions, perhaps Dr. Borlaug’s greatest achievement has been his unending struggle to integrate the various streams of agricultural research into viable technologies and to convince political leaders to bring these advances to fruition.” Read more.
Virginia State University’s Aquaculture Program will hold its 29th annual Aquaculture Field Day on Oct. 20 beginning at 8:30 a.m. at Randolph Farm, 4415 River Road, Ettrick.
Participants will learn about pond aquaculture and aquaponics production, marketing and harvesting.
A $10 per person registration fee includes lunch. To register for this event, contact Debra B. Jones at (804) 524-5496 or email dbjones@vsu.edu. If you need further information or are a person with a disability and desire any assistive devices, services or other accommodations to participate in this activity, please contact Debra B. Jones at (804) 524-5496 dbjones@vsu.edu or call (804) 524-5496 / (800) 828-1120 (TDD) during business hours of 8 am. and 5 p.m. to discuss accommodations no later than five days prior to the event.
State and county Farm Bureau leaders are encouraging the nation’s farmers to urge Congress to pass the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement this fall.
“Our farm and ranch businesses lose when our nation leaves trade deals on the table that would level the playing field,” said American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall. “American-grown and -made means quality, and customers around the world know this. But high tariffs and other trade barriers put in place by countries like Japan will keep shutting out American businesses and agricultural goods if we refuse to lead the way in approving trade agreements that would move us forward.”
Hunters play a very important role in managing deer populations in Virginia. In addition to helping support management by purchasing a hunting license, hunters have a direct impact on the deer management goals in Virginia by hunting and harvesting deer. Landowners urban, suburban and rural alike; often have issues with deer damaging their property. In many cases there are simply too many deer to accommodate the landowner’s goals for the property.
Every four years, the American Farm Bureau Federation asks the Democratic and Republican presidential nominees to address the issues that concern farmers and ranchers the most. We asked Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and Republican nominee Donald Trump the same questions.
By Cody W. Lyon, the Director of Advocacy and Political Affairs with the American Farm Bureau Federation.
We all deserve to have confidence that our food is safe. PERIOD.
American consumers need to know that the best science is used to ensure that the most wholesome product possible is produced and offered.
America’s farmers and ranchers have always been and will always be committed to producing safe and affordable food for consumers in the U.S. and around the world. There are several reasons for their strong support for food safety:
Individual farmers, as well as state Farm Bureaus, are invited to participate in a survey the National Weather Service is conducting about the use of NWS watches, warnings and advisories. The survey is part of the NWS Hazard Simplification Project, which is analyzing the use and effectiveness of NWS watches, warnings and advisories, and evaluating possible alternatives to these terms. The survey will assess the extent to which organizations at all levels and in various sectors have formally incorporated watches, warnings and advisories into decision-making processes via policies, protocols, laws, etc.
Survey answers will help the NWS understand the potential policy impact on various key partners if it significantly changes watches, warnings or advisories, such as altering the meaning or name of a particular watch, warning or advisory.
The survey closes after Oct. 31.
Virginia Farm Bureau Federation named 17 winners of a student essay contest that focused on the future of agriculture in light of population projections for 2050.
The winners received an opportunity to attend the nation’s only Vice Presidential Debate for the 2016 general election on Oct. 4 at Longwood University.
The essay contest was the culmination of a Collegiate Farm-to-Table Dinner and Agriculture Education program held Sept. 15 at Longwood.
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