Prior to our VALOR Class III trip to Washington State, I knew very little about hops. Fortunately for me, Washington State leads the nation in hop production, so I was in the right place to learn. We started our morning off by meeting with Frank Hendrix, a Yakima County Extension agent. He provided a great… Continue reading Hops for miles!
On Wednesday, May 16th, VALOR Class III departed for our national trip to Washington State. The experience surpassed expectations. As with South Africa, I chronicled just about every stop on Instagram though I still have a few visits outstanding.[1] The highlights and leadership examples were many. Here’s a few of the memorable ones for me… Continue reading New Leadership Examples from Washington State
I’m a late adopter of Instagram. I’d been advised to join by my millennial counterparts working in food and agriculture but getting accepted to VALOR was what made me add yet another social media platform. Fast forward almost two years, and I’m up to 45 Instagram posts for our international trip to South Africa alone.… Continue reading South Africa: 45 Instagram Posts and Counting
It happened while on the international trip in South Africa. Should I do it or not? Actually, it was not something to be done. It was communication to be expressed--a critical conversation. There are many reasons why people choose to delay or not express thoughts, information, or other insights. Some of the reasons include avoiding embarrassment of yourself or others, not… Continue reading The Urge of Leadership
It’s been a year since my last blog… (tisk tisk) I’m about to have a critical conversation with you. Please listen patiently as I guarantee I’ve strayed off topic, but I swear this is earnest. VALOR has been great but with farm and family life I have been a bit distracted. The farm, of which… Continue reading The Lesson of VALOR
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
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