The backstory… Raised in Central Illinois, I was surrounded by agriculture. I have very fond memories of trips to my grandparents house to play and help with their pygmy goats. I learned that electric fences hurt. I also enjoyed visiting local fairs to watch my grandpa show, and driving the backroads through miles and miles… Continue reading New Geography, New Challenges, New Markets
Finding the Heart: Tidewater/Eastern Shore
As we drove through standing water to reach our first farm visit in Suffolk, the flooded fields and damp strung out cotton seemed to reflect both the grey skies and the year of 2020. The November 9, 2020 National Agricultural Statistics Service reported that approximately 35% of Virginia’s cotton had been harvested to date in… Continue reading Finding the Heart: Tidewater/Eastern Shore
What results will you obtain?
As I traveled to our November session, our first in-person session, I wondered what my fellows would be like and what was in store for us. As the miles went by my mind continued to wonder and I became more and more filled with curious excitement. What I wasn’t prepared for was the question asked… Continue reading What results will you obtain?
Farmer Wisdom: Resiliency
Growing up, I really believed my dad hung the moon. He always offers some of the very best advice, whether you ask for it or not. Some of the best nuggets of wisdom he’s shared over the years come from the challenges, troubles, toils and joys of farming and his connectedness to the land. He… Continue reading Farmer Wisdom: Resiliency
Closer to Fine
I'm tryin' to tell you somethin' 'bout my lifeMaybe give me insight between black and whiteAnd the best thing you've ever done for meIs to help me take my life less seriouslyIt's only life after all, yeah. -Indigo Girls I grew up on our farm but my parents aren’t professional farmers. My dad practiced medicine… Continue reading Closer to Fine
New Beginnings
Looking back on the first session of the Class V cohort, you see the promise, you see the hope, you see the passion for agriculture in this new group. The state of agriculture in Virginia is both strong and weak. We have low commodity prices, we have barriers to entry for new farmers, we have… Continue reading New Beginnings
Trailblazer!
S. Jewell Morton is a servant leader, connector and change agent who focuses on the long-term growth of sustaining marginalized communities and organizations. She is a founder member of the Minority and Veteran Farmers of the Piedmont. Sarah received a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science from Virginia State University, Masters of Science in Career… Continue reading Trailblazer!
A Passion by Mistake or Grand Design?
I loved my time at the Virginia Tech Southern Piedmont AREC in Blackstone, Virginia and am most grateful for the amazing farm crew. These were some of the crazy steers and heifers I worked with for my research. If someone told me back in college that I’d be living in a small apartment in the… Continue reading A Passion by Mistake or Grand Design?
How It Started VS How It’s Going
I didn't grow up on a farm. Only three of my four grandparents grew up on a farm. I have cherished the time they spent retelling the stories of life on the farm. It was always mindboggling that my granny's family grew wheat, and to get flour, they would have to travel to get their… Continue reading How It Started VS How It’s Going
Learning to Do, Doing to Learn
These words are part of the FFA motto and continue to resonate with me to this day. I’m Katie Reames from Culpeper, Virginia and I would like to invite you on this journey with me as I put these words into action. I grew up in Stephens City, Virginia where I quickly found my way… Continue reading Learning to Do, Doing to Learn
