Author: stefaniekitchen07

The song I chose for this blog's title, by Old Crow Medicine Show, is somewhat of a contradiction, because as our visit to Southside Virginia showed us, tobacco is still very much a part of the region. However, we also saw that farmers are increasingly having to diversify their operations, with row crops, beef, and… Continue reading We Don’t Grow Tobacco

Chesapeake Bay that is! Class IV's trip to the Northern Neck and Tangier Island was definitely one for the books. From oysters to eels, from corn to pumpkins, the region showcased some of Virginia agriculture's finest. In addition to the fun that was had on the trip, we encountered some pretty serious topics, such as… Continue reading Sittin on the Dock of the Bay

At the H.W. Meador Coal Museum in Big Stone Gap, we were treated to the music of Tyler Hughes. The title of this blog post refers to a song he performed about the life of coal workers. Determined. Proud. Innovative. Resilient. These are just a few words that come to mind when reflecting over our… Continue reading Buddy Won’t You Roll Down The Line

The last stop on our national trip was Columbia, SC for a visit with the SC Department of Agriculture. This was particularly special for me, because I worked for SCDA for several years before moving back to Virginia. (Hence the title reference to the Kings of Leon song, "Back Down South.) The staff at SCDA… Continue reading Back Down South

*Warning: This is a much longer post than normal. Hang in there until the end.* In May, Class IV embarked on our first journey outside of Virginia for our national trip to South Carolina and Georgia. (Since Darius Rucker hails from Charleston, a natural song selection for this blog's title was "Southern State of Mind".… Continue reading Southern State Of Mind

While Class IV has already traveled quite a bit, for me, the Northern Virginia/D.C. session was the biggest reminder that agriculture does not look the same everywhere. However, two common threads across the industry are creativity and ingenuity. These characteristics were on full display throughout our stops. At the Heritage Museum, we saw firsthand how… Continue reading

Advocacy, advocacy, advocacy! That's the name of the game for me, particularly during the first part of the year when the General Assembly is in session. This was the case during our time in Richmond, so I wore both my VALOR hat and my state lobbyist hat. A couple of takeaways from this double duty:You… Continue reading I’m Just a Bill

As promised in my introductory blog, I have committed to titling every post with a song. While I have a feeling this may become a challenge, this session's song was a no-brainer. Since I'm from Southampton County, Session II in the Tidewater Region took place in my ole stomping grounds. I live in Richmond and… Continue reading Who Says You Can’t Go Home