I am excited to be a part of the VALOR Class III fellows and learn from some of the best agricultural leaders the Commonwealth has to offer! I have one younger brother and lots of furry siblings š I did not grow up on a farm; however, my father did and I guess he never… Continue reading The best is yet to come!
In Washington, D.C, there are 58 community gardens. I'm lucky to have one of the 1,800 plots available. The National Cathedral is visible from my plot.More songs about buildings and food is what my husband says to me periodically when some new agriculture + urban design discovery brightens my day. Finding ornamental kale planted… Continue reading More Songs About Buildings and Food
The third time's a charm! I'm a VALOR Class III Fellow! I'm also the third (and favorite) child born of my darling parents. It's a real possibility that I'm not actually the favorite child, but my parents are so awesome that they just let me believe it anyways. That's real love, y'all. My Dirt Road… Continue reading Hello, Fellow!
Service has always been a part of my life. My family has always set an example for me of the importance to serve others beyond yourself. Sometimes this comes as sacrifice, but at the end of the day the lasting legacy of service will live beyond your years. I feel that growing up in a… Continue reading Why I ServeĀ
If there is one thing I learned from our last VALOR seminar in Southside Virginia, it's that I can't grow tobacco. We were fortunate enough to visit a nice family tobacco farm. I was one of the lucky ones that left with a few tobacco plants. We had eight plants in a cut off Coke… Continue reading I’m not a tobacco farmer.
Production agriculture is largely a low margin, high volume business. The pressure on producers is ratcheted up even greater when the product is a global commodity such as milk, which is influenced by global agricultural trends. Farms like the Vanderhyde Dairy are competing in the global marketplace by embracing technology to increase efficiency and lower… Continue reading Never Seen a Lazy Susan like This!
In March, we had the pleasure of touring central Virginia. Before VALOR, I always thought that central Virginia was just metro-Richmond, but I quickly learned that it includes a much larger section of Virginia, including Charlottesville and nearby localities. Set against the backdrop of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, this area has proven to be… Continue reading Agri-Tourism is Thriving in Central Va.
The question was asked at Madison Wood during our last seminar in Central Virginia along the Rt. 29 corridor -- "Who are your major customers?" The answer demonstrated perseverance, common sense, and most of all - a commitment to excellenceĀ as they quickly replied "All of our customers are major!" What a revivingĀ answer. Fortunately, this is… Continue reading Commitment to Excellence
The last VALOR trip took us from Culpeper to Charlottesville. We saw everything from vineyards and orchards to beef cattle and lumber. Each operation was uniquely different and had a distinct vision. My favorite part of the seminar, other than the Moo Thru ice cream, was learning about our personal conflict management styles. Before the… Continue reading Conflict Management
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJ9jmWLlen0 The preeminent K-Pop series detailing a popular music group's move to the country, this gripping drama highlights a generation's view of the importance of agriculture. It also stole the name from the industry leading ag-news provider, found here. What does agriculture mean to the Virginia Pediment? I find agriculture in this central region of… Continue reading Virginia Piedmont Agriculture, Such Wow
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