The National FFA Organization and National FFA Foundation have awarded more than $2.5 million in scholarships to 1,842 recipients, thanks to the generosity of 114 sponsors.

More than 8,800 students applied online for the scholarships, with many of the applicants being considered for multiple awards. Approximately one in every five students who applied was awarded a scholarship. The scholarships were available to students pursuing two-year or four-year degrees or vocational programs. The average recipient had a GPA of 3.77 on a 4.0 scale, and the average class rank was 23 out of 261.
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On May 14, the National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa confirmed the finding of the Haemaphysalis longicornis tick (otherwise known as the East Asian or Longhorned tick) in Virginia. The tick appeared on an orphaned calf on a beef farm in Albemarle County.

This is only the second state with this species of ticks in the United States. [MD(1] In late 2017 H. longicornis was initially found in New Jersey. No known direct link exists from the Virginia farm to the area in New Jersey where the first ticks appeared on a sheep farm.

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Brad Copenhaver, Deputy Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry

Brad Copenhaver has been appointed Deputy Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry. Brad grew up on his family’s beef cattle and burley tobacco farm in Washington County. After working on Capitol Hill as a legislative correspondent for Congressman H. Morgan Griffith (VA-9), he was the Director of Government Affairs at the Virginia Agribusiness Council, where he worked closely with the General Assembly and Virginia congressional delegation on a variety of issues including animal welfare, food safety and labeling, the environment and water quality, and international trade.

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Virginia farmers and food banks alike are reaping the benefits of the Food Crops Donation Tax Credit, which makes fresh, nutritious food available to residents served by seven regional food banks.

Approved growers are entitled to a state tax credit of up to 30 percent of the fair market value of a donation, not to exceed $5,000. The maximum amount the credit allows for all qualifying taxpayers is limited to $250,000 per fiscal year.

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The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) has announced the results of the Agricultural Yield Survey conducted at the beginning of the month by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). The report includes information on Virginia’s winter wheat forecast and on-farm hay stocks and is the first indication of crop acreages for the 2018 growing season.

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Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell introduced “Hemp Farming Act of 2018” on Thursday that would remove federal barriers to hemp.

The Hemp Farming Act of 2018 aims to establish hemp as an agricultural commodity, protect state regimes, add crop insurance, and bolster research. And right off the bat, the bill puts to rest any questions about whether those hemp-derived CBD-rich extracts are indeed legal:

“The term ‘hemp’ means the plant Cannabis sativa L. and any part of that plant, including the seeds thereof and all derivatives, extracts, cannabinoids, isomers, acids, salts and salts of isomers, whether growing or not, with a delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol concentration of not more than 0.3 percent on a dry weight basis.”

The bill, if successful, would end the debate that has picked apart the hemp plant in piecemeal and end interpretations that hemp-derived extracts rich in cannabinol and other cannabinoids are illicit substances. This would permanently legalize hemp removing it from the purviews of the Controlled Substances Act.

The bill is also backed by Sens. Rand Paul (R-KY), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and Ron Wyden (D-OR). A companion bill has been introduced in the House.