Pamela Hall, a first-grade teacher at Carrollton Elementary School in Isle of Wight County, has been named Virginia Agriculture in the Classroom 2020 Teacher of the Year.

The award recognizes a Virginia educator for incorporating agriculture into his or her core curriculum.

Hall’s mission is to integrate agriculture into the classroom all year long. She uses hands-on approaches, including studying plant and animal life cycles, taking farm nature walks, visiting with farmers, making ice cream, investigating and raising pollinators, and experimenting with hydroponics.

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Virginia Farm Bureau Federation representatives met with their state senators and delegates to discuss legislative issues Jan. 27 during the organization’s annual Legislative Day.

Meeting with Del. Israel D. O’Quinn, R-Bristol, and Del. Terry G. Kilgore, R-Gate City, a group of Southwest Virginia farmers talked about legislation relating to funding for Virginia Cooperative Extension personnel, pending increases to minimum wage rates, and farmland preservation.

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Virginia has the materials to build a bridge between its urban and rural districts, and the Senate Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Committee has drawn up a blueprint to get the job done.

Sen. J. Chapman Petersen, D-Fairfax, who chairs that committee, addressed more than 130 county Farm Bureau presidents and other Farm Bureau volunteer leaders who gathered in Richmond Jan. 26 prior to the annual Virginia Farm Bureau Federation Legislative Day on Jan. 27.

“I’ve got to be honest,” Petersen said. “Representing an urban district like Fairfax, I was not expecting to be put on the agriculture committee. And I was certainly not expecting to love it as much as I ended up loving it.”

He said the threefold vision of the committee includes promoting Virginia farm products, promoting exports, and preserving open spaces and natural resources.

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Virginia’s farmers have a vested interest in being good stewards of the land and water. And they want to partner with the commonwealth to meet its water quality goals.

Agricultural best management practices are a means to that end, but they’re not inexpensive.

That’s why Virginia Farm Bureau Federation, the state’s largest agricultural organization, is asking that full funding for Virginia’s agricultural BMP cost-share program be included in the governor’s proposed biennial budget.

BMPs include a variety of farm installations and farming techniques that are proven to protect water quality. Farm Bureau is urging lawmakers to include funding for the cost-share program administered by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation and distributed through local soil and water conservation districts. The organization also wants to ensure that full funding is provided for technical assistance to local soil and water conservation districts to help farmers meet specifications for conservation practices.

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The increased visibility and availability of Virginia’s Cooperative Wildlife Damage Management Program has led to an increased dependence on the program among farmers.

With $180,000 of funding standing to be eliminated from the program for fiscal 2021 and 2022, Virginia Farm Bureau Federation is encouraging lawmakers to help keep the program intact. It is critical, Farm Bureau leaders say, for producers who struggle with coyote and black vulture predation.

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Through federal investment and state-awarded grants, almost 60,000 rural Virginia households are expected to get broadband internet services.

On Jan. 9 the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that it invested $48 million in broadband infrastructure that will encompass a service area of 1,847 miles in Virginia. On Jan. 22 Gov. Ralph Northam announced $18.3 million in grants to 12 projects aimed at expanding services to currently unserved areas across the state. Both deals are viewed as significant wins for local farmers.

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Check out this week’s Merchandiser Minute!

Four Virginia young farmers took top honors in the American Farm Bureau Federation Young Farmers & Ranchers competitions at the organization’s annual convention Jan. 18-20.

Sarah Rudolph of Wythe County won the AFBF Young Farmers & Ranchers Discussion Meet; Glenn and Amanda Dye of Stafford County were runners-up in the Achievement Award competition; and Rose Jeter of Botetourt County was named a Top 10 finalist for the Excellence in Agriculture Award.

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Farmer delegates to the American Farm Bureau Federation’s 101st Annual Convention today adopted policies to guide the organization’s work in 2020 on key topics ranging from dairy to labor and climate change to conservation compliance.

“Delegates from across the nation came together today to look ahead at issues and opportunities facing farms, ranches and rural communities,” said American Farm Bureau Federation Vice President Scott VanderWal. “The 2020 policies ensure we are able to continue producing safe and healthy food, fiber and renewable fuel for our nation and the world.”

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The final day of workshops at the American Farm Bureau Federation’s Annual Convention put a focus on the role farmers will play in connecting with consumers on sustainability in agriculture and new technologies like gene editing.

President Donald Trump keynoted the Convention yesterday. Watch his full remarks HERE.

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