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Soybean and Purple Ice Cream

My first seminar didn’t get off to the best start.  My day started in the airport at 4:45am with a flight delay that would ultimately not allow me to connect with my classmates until after 8pm.  While the day was largely frustrating, I will never forget the warm reception from my classmates when I finally… Continue reading Soybean and Purple Ice Cream

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Mind your P’s and C’s: Peanuts, Pork, Perdue, Potatoes, and Cotton!

Our second VALOR session is behind us, and it is amazing to look back on everything we learned. This session we spent time in the Tidewater and Eastern Shore region of VA, an area well known for their unique and sandy soils. On the first day, we took a deep dive into the world of… Continue reading Mind your P’s and C’s: Peanuts, Pork, Perdue, Potatoes, and Cotton!

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Close to Home: Reflections on Tidewater’s Agricultural Impact

Our most recent VALOR seminar brought us to the Tidewater region and Eastern Shore of Virginia, a corner of the state that, while geographically close to home for me in Suffolk, holds a rich agricultural heritage with far-reaching global significance. Over three days, we explored the industries that thrive in this region — peanuts, pork,… Continue reading Close to Home: Reflections on Tidewater’s Agricultural Impact

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Thinking about Tomorrow

Our recent class visit to Tidewater and the Eastern Shore of Virginia highlighted some decisions in our Agriculture Industry. These decisions aren't for immediate results. Instead, they focus on the futures of the companies involved. Our visit included many amazing experiences, that a Northern Shenandoah Valley agriculturalist was amazed to see the diversity throughout our… Continue reading Thinking about Tomorrow

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Agriculture IS Sustainable

I knew we used "everything but the oink," but peanut and cotton hay?! Those were news to me. This seminar was full of surprises but what I found most remarkable was how sustainable agriculture just "is." Add on conversations with a fellow cohort member who works in rendering, and I wonder the marketing opportunities the… Continue reading Agriculture IS Sustainable

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Seminar II: Ag Trade & Engaging w/ Others (Tidewater/Eastern Shore)

Alongside my VALOR class VII cohort, I enjoyed an enriching and exciting four days in the tidewater region and eastern shore of Virginia in late November. Over the course of the seminar, we visited a variety of farms and agribusinesses, learning the unique challenges, production practices, market conditions and marketing associated with cotton, peanuts, pork… Continue reading Seminar II: Ag Trade & Engaging w/ Others (Tidewater/Eastern Shore)