In our recent trip to Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C., collaboration, creativity and innovation are the qualities that resonated with me. Most in agriculture don’t think about the Northern Virginia and D.C. area having much to do with agriculture outside of politics. This couldn’t be farther from the truth. Several of the places and people… Continue reading Collaborating, Creativity and Innovation Combine
The VALOR V fellows visited the Shenandoah Valley in March due to COVID altering our schedule. To us, the altered timing was par for the course for agriculturists managing their operations during this challenging year. It signified the ability of the group to be resilient and know that the changes in schedules didn’t impact the… Continue reading
In that time of uncertainty, virtual happy hours, and limited physical social interaction at the start of pandemic last spring a message from one Sunday’s homily hit home… “If you don't know what hurts me, you cannot say you love me." Or in other words, to be truly loved, you must be truly known. There’s… Continue reading To Serve is to Know
Cold March rain was falling in Rockbridge County on the day we visited Ingleside Trout Farm. We made our way through the tour; we walked into the hatchery to see the new fry and then back over the bridge to see the larger fingerlings. The owner, Jennifer, tossed out cups of pellets to feed the… Continue reading “Starry Night” – Be a Seeker of Everyday Magic
What started as a way to implement new fertilizer application methods has grown and developed into four companies that focus on and value the employees. From our time at the Houff Corporation what resonated most with me was not the company’s ability to evolve and add new pieces that make sense but the way they… Continue reading Employee Focused
I notice at each stop how passionate everyone is about their work. The hosts cannot wait to tell us what they do and give us a glimpse inside their world. I would say that same passion Class V shares about their role in AG, and everyone in the previous classes shares as well. Our shared… Continue reading Passion
In March, many people think about a little pot of Gold. It’s all about leprechauns, rainbows, lucky charms and gold coins; the luck of the Irish. But what about Switzerland? Virginia’s Little Switzerland. The Hidden Gem. Highland County, Virginia. Blue Grass Valley, Photo Courtesy of Terri and Doug Puffenbarger You might not find a pot… Continue reading Pot of Gold? No, Jug of Amber!
Routine is the enemy of innovation. Routine is not bad. In fact, it is comforting. I do certain tasks, a certain way, in a certain order, and, generally, for a certain amount of time. Routine permits predictability and allows for planning. Routine evolves from experience. Experience is the what you have right after you needed… Continue reading Perspective
Communication appears to be such a simple concept, yet I feel it is something we all find ourselves struggling with from time to time. Our past seminar was focused on communication in a variety of forms. As I reflect on this seminar I wanted to share my thoughts on why we struggle to communicate effectively.Communication… Continue reading Communication is the key
Let me be radically candid for a moment to say that I am not good at radical candor. I was pretty shy growing up- and despite what some people see, I still ride a very thin line between introvert and extrovert. I didn’t consider myself a “people person” until college- and although many people that… Continue reading Learning to Speak my Truth
