Our quest of experiencing urban agriculture took us to suburban Prince William County, to a town called Nokesville. Well.....kinda. The adventure began as the fellows huddled in (3) separate vehicles.....plugged in Nokesville to their GPS.....and all (3) cars managed to get lost in transit. We even managed to get separated from the other cars (now back… Continue reading “Pick Your Own” Route to Yankey Farms in Nokesville, VA
This morning I walked down to the mailbox with my most recent National Agricultural Statistics survey report. As I walked, I carried with it a certain frustration with this seasonal task. If you are not prompt in completing this report, daily phone calls or personal visits will follow from the USDA. It seems that the… Continue reading A Trip To The Mailbox
My wife and I made the decision about a year ago that the best gift we could give our two young sons would be for her to leave her job at Virginia Tech and stay home with the boys. This decision has had an impact on our bottom line. We like great food, but we… Continue reading What is it with local foods?
Endless Summer Harvest was one of the stops during the most recent VALOR seminar. Owner and operator Mary Ellen Taylor treated the VALOR fellows to a tour of her hydroponic greenhouse operation, as well as a dinner fresh from her “fields” in Loudoun County. "Great chefs know that good food comes from farms.” – Mary… Continue reading Lettuce Take Another Look at Farming.
There is a widespread belief that it is us vs. them when it comes to the relationship between the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Agricultural Industry. I would submit that it doesn’t have to be that way. I recently had the opportunity along with the VALOR fellows to visit the EPA in… Continue reading U. S. Environmental Protection Agency vs. Agriculture… Inevitable? Maybe not.
My name is Brad Burbaugh and I will be the new Kelsey starting in the fall, so I wanted to take a minute to introduce myself. I came to Virginia Tech by way of Florida where I was a middle school Agricultural Teacher and FFA Advisor for 2 years and an Agricultural Extension Agent for the… Continue reading Howdy from Brad Burbaugh!
The support VALOR has received in the short time since we really got started has simply been tremendous. One of our greatest supporters, Farm Credit, has not only offered verbal endorsement and motivation, but has been host to a couple of events and networking opportunities to-date. Most recently, Dave Lawrence and Bette Brand of Farm Credit… Continue reading Not Just Another Day in Washington
As I sit in my office (folding table in my living room), kids running around, and I am frantically completing my assignments for my next VALOR session that starts tomorrow. Excited as the anticipation of what new experiences, people, and places we will see. What exercises does Megan and Kelsey have planned to challenge our… Continue reading A Time Keepers Nightmare
Looking back at our time spent in Richmond last session, numerous thought come to mind but what stands out is our time with Virginia's Governor Bob McDonnell. We had the honor to spend time with the Governor, his Chief of Staff Martin Kent, the Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Todd Haymore, and the Deputy Secretary of Agriculture… Continue reading In Support of Agriculture
The members of the VALOR fellowship already know and understand the importance agriculture plays in the Virginia economy. However, as we sat around the table with Virginia’s Governor Bob McDonnell, his Chief of Staff Martin Kent, Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Todd Haymore and Deputy Secretary Travis Hill, it was refreshing to hear that they… Continue reading Agriculture’s Known Importance
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