How many times have you heard someone called an enigma, or a real piece of work? Most often these references are made in jest, but there is always a bit of truth to why those words are conjured up to describe someone. We all are a bit of a puzzle. We never fully know how… Continue reading Putting the pieces together
Saturday morning of Seminar II began with a visit of Commonwealth Gin in Wakefield, VA. This tour was facilitated by two advocates of the cotton industry. John Parker is the Chief Agronomist at Commonwealth Gin. Paul Rogers is the owner of Rogers farms, a 1,200 acre farm growing cotton, peanuts, grains, etc. His is also… Continue reading …..A Quick Spin on the Cotton Industry…..
On Friday, November 16, the Valor team had an invitation from Gerry Underwood, to visit Perdue’s deep-water grain terminal located in Norfolk, Virginia. Mr. Underwood was raised in the Midwest before attending the University of Illinois. His academic achievements include a B.S. Degree in Agriculture and a Masters Degree in Business Administration. Gerry is currently… Continue reading Deep-Water Grain Terminal Allows Access to Global Markets
On Saturday November 17 the VALOR Fellows visited the facilities of Mid-Atlantic Aquatic Technology. http://www.maatfarms.com/Home.html (MAAT) There we met with MAAT’s Farm Manager, Mr. Chris Bentley. Mr. Bentley began his career in Aquaculture at the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Marine Biology. He then earned his Masters Degree in Biology with… Continue reading VALOR Fellows visit Mid-Atlantic Aquatic Technology
The VALOR fellows met in Suffolk, Va. on Nov. 15-18, 2012, for the start of their second jam-packed four-day seminar that included stops around the Tidewater and Eastern Shore regions of the state. The first stop on their journey was the Smithfield Innovation center, where class members learned about cutting-edge technology and product testing. Over… Continue reading Reblogged: VALOR’s Seminar II focused on agricultural trade and communicating with others
Thursday November 15, 2012 Agenda for the day: Innovation Space Tour Smithfield, VA - Lin Harbold, New Product Development Manager Lunch - Coordinated by Terry Gerard for Dennis Treacy, Executive VP and Chief Sustainability Officer, Smithfield Foods. Sustainability presentation by Stewart Leeth, Assistant VP, Environmental & Corporate Affairs and Senior Regulatory Counsel for Smithfield Foods Packing Plant Tour Smithfield,… Continue reading A “look” at Day One of Seminar II
A cotton engine commonly referred to as a "cotton gin" patented by Eli Whitney in 1794 revolutionized cotton production. Having just had an opportunity to "gin" some cotton by hand I have a new appreciation for the significance of Mr. Whitney's cotton gin. Having grown up in Southwest Virginia I have never had an opportunity… Continue reading Cotton Engine
Farmer in Plain View Good evening Agricultural enthusiasts, I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself to others that share my passion for the safe reliable production of food and fiber. My name is Hunter Richardson and I am a farmer in Plainview, Virginia. I am a passionate advocate of farming on the… Continue reading Farmer In Plain View
Greetings from the road! I am Dana Fisher, a proud life-long resident of Shenandoah County, where I grew up on my family's small beef cattle operation. I was an active member of my local FFA chapter, and I was proud to represent Central FFA on the state and national levels. My time in FFA helped… Continue reading Finding Dana Fisher
Basically VALOR is a program designed for people who are passionate about Agriculture and its future. VALOR participants have a desire to learn about local, national, and international Agriculture and to be immersed in the field through 9 regional seminars. Throughout the program, the class will have the opportunity to interact with industry leaders and… Continue reading What’s VALOR?
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