By Nicole Zema, VFBF Communications

Andrew Smith is part of a nationwide family with origins in Virginia. This family’s heirs preserve tangible memories of a storied organization serving youth since 1925.

Virginia Farm Bureau Federation’s associate director of governmental relations will be officially recognized as a recipient of the Honorary American FFA Degree at the upcoming 93^rd National FFA Convention & Expo. Each year, FFA honors exceptional individuals and companies for outstanding contributions to the organization.

Smith grew up on a dairy farm in Hanover County. He joined FFA, previously known as Future Farmers of America, in eighth grade at age 13. He still has the iconic blue corduroy jacket from Liberty Junior High School, among other memorabilia.

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Virginia Farm Bureau producer members may recall completing a survey this spring related to black bear management. This was part of a study conducted for the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (previously known as the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries) to obtain input from Virginia residents, bear hunters, and agricultural producers regarding the management of black bears in the Commonwealth.

According to the final report, “the surveys covered a range of black bear management topics to assist the Department in the development of its 2021-2030 Black Bear Management Plan. Topics covered in the survey include participation in wildlife viewing or hunting involving bears, feelings about bears, encounters, and experiences with bears, and opinions on black bear population sizes and management priorities.”

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Governor Ralph Northam has announced that Virginia is allocating $30 million in funding from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Recovery, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to improve broadband access in underserved localities.

Localities must apply for the funding, and eligible projects are those able to be completed within the time constraints on spending federal dollars, which means more Virginians could get connected to high-speed, broadband internet by the end of the year.

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Expiration dates for all authorization letters for prospective applicators to take the exam(s) to become certified issued on or after December 20, 2019, have been extended to January 31, 2021 or the current date of expiration, whichever is greater.  Prospective applicators that do not take the exam(s) by January 31, 2021 or the current date of expiration, whichever is greater, will be required to submit a new application with appropriate fees to take the exam(s).    

The most current information regarding testing at DMV is available at https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/general/#appointments.asp .  According to their website, four months of appointment slots are available at any time on the calendar. Each day, a new day of appointments is added to the end of the available period and new appointment slots are posted multiple times every hour. Cancellations can also create earlier availability in the calendar.  Individuals wanting to take a certification exam(s) at DMV should check the site frequently for availability and should also check outside their area. Should an applicator need additional information regarding DMV reopening or services available, please instruct them to contact DMV directly. 

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Virginia Tech and Virginia Cooperative Extension want to quantify the impacts of COVID-19 on farms and agribusinesses in the state.

A COVID-19 impacts survey is open to operators and manager of farms and agribusinesses with a primary location in Virginia. Respondents must be 18 or older.

Survey results will be summarized in fact sheets, articles and other publications, which will be made available to the public. The information also may be shared with state and federal agencies to secure financial relief for agriculture communities. The survey closes at 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 11. To participate, visit bit.ly/3n6Ru1S.

Check out this week’s Merchandiser Minute.

A new report unveiled today by the American Farm Bureau Federation provides an in-depth examination of the causes and price implications resulting from extreme market volatility in the cattle industry. It also sets the stage to explore policy solutions.  

The Cattle Market Working Group, comprised of 10 state farm Bureau presidents, spent more than two months investigating factors that led to market disruptions following the Holcomb packing plant fire and the COVID-19 pandemic. They invited input and consultation from government and university experts, among others.

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It’s common knowledge that COVID-19 severely disrupted the food supply chain, but new information sheds light on how the pandemic widened the gap between what consumers pay at the store and what farmers receive for their products.

According to a report by the American Farm Bureau Federation, the farm-to-retail price spread hit record levels during the pandemic—particularly for the beef and pork industries.

“If you look at the farm-to-retail price spread for beef, in June it was $5.21 per pound, and that is the highest it’s been ever since the data was collected beginning back in 1970,” said Michael Nepveux, an AFBF economist. “You see a similar story in pork. So the farm-to-retail spread for pork hit its record in June at $3.65 per pound.”

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