For our last seminar of VALOR Cohort VI, we visited Central Virginia with Graves Mountain Lodge as our hub for the trip. I hadn’t visited Graves Mountain Lodge since high school when I participated in the VICE cooperative conference, which they still host each year. It was interesting to think about how things have changed… Continue reading Central Virginia: Leading the Way
In March, our trip to the Shenandoah Valley, the most agriculturally productive region of Virginia, provided our cohort unique opportunities to see a variety of agricultural enterprises in action. When I think of the Valley, I usually think of dairy and poultry operations, but we also learned about fertilizer, logistics, energy, forestry and wood products,… Continue reading Leadership Quotes from the Shenandoah Valley
As our international experience unfolded, I wasn’t sure what to expect from a trip to Kenya. Many of the images I’ve seen of Africa depict the continent as a desolate desert. I was pleasantly surprised as we arrived in Kenya, located near the Equator, and found the climate is perfect for a wide variety of… Continue reading Conservation and Sustainability Working to Preserve Kenya
Visiting Southern (or Southside) Virginia was another educational experience for me. Growing up close to this region means I am familiar with the agriculture, but I was in for some surprises. I thought Megan, our fearless leader, set the stage well as we kicked off this trip in Danville by watching a video of August… Continue reading Passionate Advocates for Economic Viability
Our Northern Neck-Middle Peninsula-Bay tour was just as eye opening as the previous regional visits around the state. Each region’s agriculture and aquaculture is unique, but some similar threads run through many of the businesses we have toured. One of those threads is family. The family farm business takes many different forms. One quality that… Continue reading Family Business Leadership Lessons
During our trip to Southwest Virginia, the theme that surfaced for me is the importance of the support structure that overlays the agriculture industry in this region. I will focus on how I saw the outpouring of assistance related to ag infrastructure in Southwest. It was apparent as we traveled at most every stop that… Continue reading The Structure Supporting Success in SWVA Agriculture
Our VALOR cohort’s tour of Kentucky was a great experience and the theme that rose to the top for me was a consumer focus: knowing & serving your niche. I want to thank our awesome tour guides, Dr. Steve Isaacs and Dr. Will Snell, for being excellent hosts, interpreters, and teachers as we traveled throughout… Continue reading Knowing your Niche in Kentucky
As our VALOR cohort embarked on our next adventure, we all carpooled, metro-ed or caught rides into Washington, D.C. from our rural communities. When we saw the champagne vending machine in the hotel lobby, we knew we’d made it! These next couple days would be quite a bit different than our everyday experiences. Many metro… Continue reading Partnerships with People
As I reflect on our cohort’s adventure in Richmond in January, the theme of service comes to mind. We were able to meet with so many fellow Virginians who keep this state’s government running day-to-day, and year-to-year. Many of these people are elected or appointed to their positions for short (or extended) periods of time,… Continue reading An Attitude of Service
As VALOR Class VI embarked on our first trip to explore agriculture in the Commonwealth, I was excited to get to know our cohort members better and learn about the sandy, flat regions of Virginia called Tidewater and the Eastern Shore. With family in Central Virginia and the Valley, and living in Southwest, I don’t… Continue reading Find your market and serve it with passion
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