One of the highlights of our last VALOR seminar was learning about the green industry on the “other side of the mountain.” That’s right, this Hokie ventured into Charlottesville for a few days. While there are many greenhouse facilities scattered around Virginia, the bulk of the environmentally controlled square footage is in Central Virginia. According… Continue reading Virginia’s Green Industry
"Many a thing you know you'd like to tell her. Many a thing she ought to understand. But how do you make her stay and listen to all you say?" Oh, Maria! We all know a Maria. Maybe there's a Maria at work, home, church, little league, your high school yearbook... Maybe you're surrounded by… Continue reading How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?
The cold winter days are upon us which leaves many of us in Virginia pining for warmer weather. The same is true for Virginia's forests. Trees don't grow much in the winter when the ground is frozen but come warmer soil, it's off to the races. The VALOR Fellows had a hay day with Jason… Continue reading Virginia Pining
5. It provides a safe space for personal reflection. 4. "No, honey, this is not a 'little getaway' weekend. We are really working on personal development as we attend sessions." 3. Cards Against Humanity. Wow, we really can go from being mad at each other to laughing it off! 2. Borrow and adapt the critical… Continue reading Top 5 Ways VALOR Helps Relationships
VALOR is an enabling experience! The hands-on experiences of oystering and crabbing in the Northern Neck was fabulous. Although I live in the Northern Neck, it was my first time being out in the Chesapeake Bay. The recent Southside Sessions exposed me to the wonderful opportunities in timber harvesting (don't believe me, ask Carl Parsons!).… Continue reading Change: Bad to Good, Good to Good
Personal Musings On My Career Growth Early in my career I produced stuff. My role was clear. Produce a deliverable. On time and under budget. Yes, ma’am! As others recognized my growing expertise and experience, I was promoted to manager. My role was clear again. Juggle the demands of my producer role, while directing the… Continue reading Producer, Manager, Leader
A visit to Ingleside Winery
On the first day of our seminar in the Northern Neck, we found ourselves at Ingleside Vineyards. The first vines were planted in the late 1970s with the first commercial harvest in 1980. This makes Ingleside Vineyards is one of the oldest vineyards in Virginia. We had the pleasure to speak with Doug Flemer, whose… Continue reading Better is Better
Y'all, we got crabby. I mean full-on, fish guts out, pinchers up, blue-complexioned crabby. And it was awesome! We were privileged to spend just over 24-hours with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. Our adventure began, conveniently after lunch, by ripping Menhaden fish in half, guts and all, for crab bait. We were down and dirty right off… Continue reading Getting Crabby
Our look into agriculture during our sixth VALOR seminar in rural Southwest Virginia continues to showcase Virginia’s agricultural diversity. We had the pleasure of visiting with Kevin Beamer at Virginia Produce Company, a family owned business, in Hillsville, VA. Virginia Produce Company sources produce from farmers along the east coast, packages the produce, and distributes… Continue reading Southwest Virginia
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