One answer to this question was provided by Mr. David Hughes, a poultry farmer whose farm demonstrated excellent animal care and overall commitment to trusted poultry practices. We had dinner with him and he shared his story about his wife's passing. Mr. Hughes was asked "how was it best to communicate to him during his… Continue reading How do we effectively communicate to people?
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I Saw People
Today's events were quite intriguing. We first visited the Shenandoah Valley Produce Auction managed by Mr. Jeff Heatwole. Mr. Heatwole acknowledged the leadership of Extension Agent Mr. Eric Bendfeldt who was influential in developing the auction so the local farmers could have a place to sell their produce at wholesale prices. We then visited The… Continue reading I Saw People
Session V: Communicating Our Industry
Yes, "Our" industry (agriculture) does include everyone on the planet because we need food products for nourishment. However, there are people who ensure that the many agriculture systems thrive and meet the demands for food products. This is where a potential learning space exists: 1) Are we "communicating" in the correct grammar and pronunciation sense?… Continue reading Session V: Communicating Our Industry
Reevesland: The Battleground We Didn’t Know We Visited
On March 13, 2017, one of the stops on our fourth VALOR Seminar was to a little-known battleground in Arlington, VA. It’s not your traditional battleground though. No commemorative statues. No walking or driving trails. Not even an interpretive sign to be found on the grounds. That’s because this battleground is still active. The battle… Continue reading Reevesland: The Battleground We Didn’t Know We Visited
Endless Summer Harvest
At our last VALOR seminar in the Northern VA/ Washington D.C. area, we had a great time visiting different farms and agricultural venues in an urban setting. I particularly enjoyed visiting with Mary Ann from Endless Summer Harvest and enjoying fresh salad from their facility. I really enjoyed sharing this visit with my students as… Continue reading Endless Summer Harvest
Arcadia – Equitable Food Access in D.C.
Despite the one small(ish) snowfall of the year, the VALOR class had the wonderful opportunity to speak with Pamela Hess about the work she's doing with Arcadia Food, a nonprofit organization focused on creating a more equitable and sustainable local food system in Washington, D.C. Video conferences are an intrinsically tough way to have a good conversation, but Pam… Continue reading Arcadia – Equitable Food Access in D.C.
The Grocer
A wise man once said, sometime in your life you'll need a doctor, a lawyer, a policeman and a preacher, but every day, three times a day, you need a farmer. (Paraphrasing Brenda Schoepp.) And all the people said, "Amen!" There are many ways that we can now get our food from the farm to the… Continue reading The Grocer
Share your story.
Share your story. This week VALOR III Fellows met in Northern Virginia to learn and discuss agriculture. The field is so vast that my last statement could require a million more words to define it. This week was focused on urban agriculture on some days and national agriculture policy on others. It makes sense. Northern… Continue reading Share your story.
The Fundraisers
So, we were headed to DC Central Kitchen. As to be expected, people had gravitated to the basic human need of food as we walked to the entrances. "Hi," "What are ya'll looking for," "They're having chicken tonight..." were some of the warm greetings expressed by the fundraisers. What fundraisers?...those people hanging out front who… Continue reading The Fundraisers
Agriculture is a System
We visited Endless Summer Harvest and as I listened to Loudon County, VA Extension Agent, Mr. Hilleary, he made me create one definition of agriculture: Agriculture is not necessarily a place or product. For example, "This is a field, therefore it is agriculture....or this is a machine and it is agriculture." Agriculture is… Continue reading Agriculture is a System
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