For our second seminar, we had the opportunity to visit the Port Authority at Norfolk! Being able to compare Norfolk to Savannah was extremely helpful to me to gain perspective on our recent seminar. Both visits truly helped me to understand how global we truly are and the size scale of things. At the Port,… Continue reading Port of Savannah
The VALOR trip to South Carolina and Georgia was a whirlwind and I learned so much. It has taken me some time to process all of the information I absorbed during our week long trip. It also gave me an opportunity to get to know the other fellows in a deeper way as it was… Continue reading Sweet Vie-Day-Yuh Onions
Lavender is a popular scent, but many may not realize that like other plants, it is farmed in order to meet our demand for teas, candles, etc. On VALOR Class IV's national trip we visited White Hills Farm in Dearing Georgia, where such lavender is produced. The farm is owned and operated by Amy Sutter… Continue reading Namaste Here
As we traveled through beautiful Georgia and South Carolina, I was amazed by the operations that we visited! We visited large operations and small! For myself, I noticed certain themes present themselves during our travels. The two biggest themes that seem to present themselves was diversification for profitability and farm transition with new farmers outside… Continue reading Common Themes
First Generation Farms VALOR IV class recently had their national trip to include stops in Georgia and South Carolina. Thanks to Dr. Laura Griffeth and Kirby Player for their efforts in ensuring plenty of interesting Agriculture visits. One thing that struck me was the number of operations that we visited that were first generation operations.… Continue reading
Our hosts in South Carolina and Georgia rolled out the red carpet for VALOR fellows. Everyone was so welcoming and open about their businesses. They shared about their successes and challenges. Everyone's passion for agriculture, their families and serving their community shined at every stop. Here are a few of my take-aways from the trip:… Continue reading Southern hospitality
Here’s the kicker…it does. Georgia might be known as the peach state (and they have a lot of them), but when it comes to production, Titan Farms in Ridge Spring, SC sets the pace. With over 6,200 acres of peach trees in the ground, Titan Farms is the largest peach producer on the East Coast… Continue reading What if I told you that one South Carolina family farm produces more peaches than the entire state of Georgia?
"A beef farmer and two Farm Bureau employees invite an HSUS employee on a conference call...." It sounds like the start of a bad joke. Comical thought, but that would never happen and if it did, it wouldn't end well. Right? That was the exact situation Brantley, Stefanie, and I found ourselves in during our… Continue reading What Do We Have In Common?
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
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
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