Our May excursion to South Carolina and Georgia was filled with great food and Southern hospitality. We made 13 stops and met some amazing agricultural leaders. Along the way our menu of foods discussed included milk, peaches, broccoli, beef, pecans, lettuce, pork, rabbits, and onions. The chefs on an episode of Chopped would be able to… Continue reading Southern Hospitality at Its Finest
Hillcrest Farms Inc in Dearing, Georgia is a family dairy farm which has the highest production per cow in Georgia. Mark Rodgers and his brother, Andy, operate the dairy which was originally purchased by their grandfather. The farm now has its fourth generation involved with Mark’s daughter, Caitlin, and Andy’s son, Josh, working there. Mark… Continue reading Hillcrest Farms Inc – Dearing, Georgia
Our March seminar to Northern Virginia and Washington, DC gave me the opportunity to gain fresh perspectives on urban agriculture, food distribution, and food policy. It also provided a chance to develop a deeper understanding with the familiar through history and a meeting at National Milk Producers Federation headquarters. Visiting with Mary Ellen Taylor at… Continue reading Fresh Perspectives
The theme of the January 2019 VALOR seminar in Richmond was “Legislative Advocacy and Policy Development”. We started our seminar at the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation headquarters. Kathy Dixon and Norm Hyde provided training and practice on video interview strategies. After receiving tips for success, each member of our class was interviewed on a topic… Continue reading A Capitol Experience in Richmond
Being engaged in the legislative process can be intimidating. Knowing where to begin, who to contact, and what to say can overwhelm most citizens, causing them to sit on the sidelines while others make decisions for them. The “Truth in Lobbying” session during our Richmond seminar provided excellent advice for our cohort on how to… Continue reading Truth in Lobbying
The title summarizes my feelings following our tour of Eastern Virginia. I have been immersed in the dairy industry my entire life, so learning about other agricultural commodities is one of my main goals in participating in VALOR. My mind felt like a sponge soaking up so much information about production practices, processing, marketing, trade,… Continue reading This is exactly why I signed up for VALOR!
My name is Dave Winston. I grew up on a 100-cow grade Holstein dairy farm in Campbell County, Virginia, that was operated my grandfather, father, and uncle. When I was 5 years old, my grandfather invited me to help him feed baby calves and I have been involved in the dairy industry in one way… Continue reading Dairy Dave Begins a New Adventure
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