VIRGINIA

Over the last 22 months, VALOR Class VI has traversed tens of thousands of miles within the the Commonwealth of Virginia, Commonwealth of Kentucky, and travelled to Republic of Kenya on the African Continent. We’ve experienced every level of agriculture from the humble beginnings of homesteads/ small-holders to large commercial agricultural enterprises, and everything in between. These experiences have led me as a fellow producer to a greater appreciation of the common-ground ALL producers share in their endeavors to produce and bring saleable commodities to market, feeding-fueling-clothing their communities and the world, and the passion/ love their have for their unique perspectives on agriculture.

It is with the upmost admiration that I must commend the many operations we visited for their tenacity to persevere despite the various hurdles that so many faced in with growth. The VALOR program over the last two years has also exposed me to many different ideas about agriculture, and provided me the opportunity to reflect and think on how I can improve our operation.

Our final travel seminar for VALOR Class VI was Central…operating on spokes around Charlottesville and the surrounding counties. We learned about wine with Michael Shaps <https://www.virginiawineworks.com/>, feasted and took in Mountain Vistas with Graves Mountain Lodge <https://www.gravesmountain.com/>, Heirloom Apples and Dry Cider with the Shelton Family at Vintage Virginia Apples <https://www.albemarleciderworks.com/>, Indoor Controlled Agriculture with Soli Organics <https://www.soliorganic.com/>, Pressure Treated Lumber with Madison Wood <https://www.madwood.com/>, Vegetables, Fruits and Landscape Plants with Saunders Brothers <https://www.saundersbrothersfarmmarket.com/>, listened to folks with the Minority and Veterans of the Piedmont <https://www.mvfpva.org/>, and got a behind the scenes tour of Madison County’s gem at the Carver Center <https://www.gwcfec.org/>- where they provided training and resources in the community for farm startups, food service, and value added production.

My enrollment in Class VI came at a time, when our farm (Studley Farms of Hanover, VA) saw a surge of growth, and a reduction in key manpower…it has been a struggle some weeks to take time away from the farm knowing that I was putting my burden on trusted family while I travelled. I am most grateful to my mother Tammy, daughters Lucy & Mena, and most especially my wife Kim for holding down the fort the last two years, while I was afforded the opportunity to grow personally throughout this program. My experiences in VALOR has forced some introspect to have conversations about our continued growth and management within the family, on the farm, and the need to bring additional resources to support. We’ve coined a phrase, “We don’t sleep much in Hanover…”but I think this is true for many small business owners, and certainly folks in Ag-space.

Participation in VALOR Class VI has instilled a strong sense of pride in me as a producer, with a firm appreciation for Virginia’s Diverse Agriculture and Forestry. It has also renewed my love of the Commonwealth, with the great diversity throughout our great state.

I wish to close with a most heartfelt thankyou to the Program Director Dr. Megan Seibel, and to the many operations we visited these last 22 months – who allowed us to visit their facilities and gave their time. Without the support of these peoples the program experience would be radically different.