Best-selling author Michele Payn will share excerpts from her latest book, Food Truths from Farm to Table, on Nov. 27 during Virginia Farm Bureau Federation’s 2018 Annual Convention at The Omni Homestead Resort in Hot Springs.

Payn, of Cause Matters Corp., will deliver keynote remarks at the convention’s Farm to Table Luncheon. Food Truths has been a No. 1 bestseller on Amazon and features interviews with U.S. farmers who dispel common misconceptions about agriculture. The book was awarded a 2018 Independent Publisher Book Awards bronze medal for medicine, health and nutrition. Payn also has authored No More Food Fights! Growing a Productive Farm & Food Conversation, which encourages farm and food advocates to seek common ground.

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The Agriculture Department recently released several tables previewing the annual long-term Agricultural Projections to 2028 (the complete projections will be released in February 2019). These early-release tables provide USDA’s estimates on the supply and demand for agricultural commodities for the next 10 years and take into consideration macroeconomic conditions, gross domestic product growth, population growth and farm policy, among other factors.

Given the current U.S.-China trade environment – U.S. Soybean Exports to China Fall Sharply –a key takeaway from these projections was the impact on soybean and other field crop acreage, soybean exports, soybean ending stocks and, finally, prices.

For the 2019 crop year, USDA projects soybean planted acreage will decline by 6.6 million acres, dropping from a record 89.1 million acres planted in 2018 to 82.5 million acres. If realized, this would be the third-largest acreage decline of all time and the largest year-over-year decline in soybean plantings since the beginning of the Renewable Fuels era in 2007. The decline in soybean acreage is anticipated given the slow pace of soybean exports, the dramatic decline in Chinese purchases, expectations for a nearly billion-bushel-carryout and projections for decade-low soybean marketing year average prices.

Market Intel update

Tune in for your Merchandiser Minute with Robert Harper! We’re discussing just how the election & the U.S. dollar are playing a role in your prices.

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The American Farm Bureau Federation has joined 15 other agriculture organizations urging House and Senate agriculture leaders to complete the federal farm bill by the end of the year.

The groups said the financial security of America’s farmers and ranchers is in jeopardy if the farm bill is not passed. The 2014 farm bill expired Sept. 30.

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2019–2020 Terrestrial Wildlife Regulation Review & Amendment Process: Public Scoping Period

This is an opportunity to offer ideas on changes to hunting, trapping, or other wildlife regulations that you would like to see for the 2019-2020 seasons. The Department of Game and Inland Fisheries takes public opinion into account when developing regulations, and it is critical for farmers to voice their concerns about areas that affect them, such as wildlife damage to crops and livestock.

Please take the time to complete DGIF’s survey, which can be found here. The deadline for comments is December 14, 2018.

Virginia’s Elk Management Plan

DGIF has developed an elk management plan that will guide the agency’s management of the elk population in Virginia through 2028. A public comment period is underway as part of the plan development process.

Links to the “Elk Management Plan’s Mission, Goals, Objectives, and Strategies” document and comment form can be found here.  The deadline for comments is December 5, 2018.

A wide variety of speakers at this year’s Virginia Farm Bureau Federation Annual Convention will be steering the event’s Driving Agriculture Forward theme.

This year’s largest gathering of farmers in the state will take place Nov. 27-29 at The Omni Homestead Resort in Hot Springs. Convention participants will hear keynote remarks from best-selling author Michele Payn at Tuesday’s Farm to Table Luncheon. Payn’s latest book, Food Truths from Farm to Table, became a No. 1 bestseller on Amazon and features interviews with U.S. farmers who dispel common misconceptions about agriculture.

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The EPA has announced the new, two-year label for dicamba formulated for over-the-top (OTT) usage in soybeans and cotton, as well as guidance on air emissions from animal waste at farms. These positive announcements help provide regulatory certainty to Virginia’s row crop and livestock producers.

The EPA’s dicamba announcement provides a two-year registration for dicamba approved for over-the-top (OTT) use. As weed resistance becomes an increasing challenge for farmers, it is important for them to have tools they need to manage their crops responsibly, efficiently, and economically.

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It’s time for your Merchandiser Minute! This week we want to celebrate productive days in the field and just what to expect in your future grain marketing opportunities!

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Governor Ralph Northam today announced an award of $556,321 in grant funding from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for ten Virginia agriculture-related projects. The project awards resulted from a competitive grant process established by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) for the USDA’s Specialty Crop Block Grant funds.

“Agriculture is Virginia’s largest private industry, and in order to stay competitive in a global economy and sustain positive long-term growth in this sector, we must invest in quality, innovative research and technological advancements,” said Governor Northam. “These grants will support projects that improve the competitiveness of Virginia’s specialty crops and generate more economic development opportunities for growers in all parts of the Commonwealth.”

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Since becoming a VA FAIRS program in 2016, Lulus Local Food, an innovative online sales platform, has connected more than 350 Virginia farmers to 8,400 families hungry for fresh, locally grown farm products. The platform was launched by the Virginia Foundation for Agriculture, Innovation and Rural Sustainability (VA FAIRS), which provides technical services to growers who are either transitioning from commodity production to value-added or are expanding their value-added business.

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