VALOR fellows spent a morning at USDA with fellows from Pennsylvania RULE, LEADelaware and Nuffield International. We heard from: Bette Brand, Administrator for Rural Business Service, Acting Administrator for Rural Utilities Service Curt Coccodrilli, State Director for USDA Rural Development in Pennsylvania Ken Barbic, Assistant Secretary for Congressional Relations Bill Northey, Under Secretary for Farm… Continue reading Morning at USDA

The theme of the January 2019 VALOR seminar in Richmond was “Legislative Advocacy and Policy Development”. We started our seminar at the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation headquarters. Kathy Dixon and Norm Hyde provided training and practice on video interview strategies. After receiving tips for success, each member of our class was interviewed on a topic… Continue reading A Capitol Experience in Richmond

Being engaged in the legislative process can be intimidating. Knowing where to begin, who to contact, and what to say can overwhelm most citizens, causing them to sit on the sidelines while others make decisions for them. The “Truth in Lobbying” session during our Richmond seminar provided excellent advice for our cohort on how to… Continue reading Truth in Lobbying

Having only lived in Virginia four years, one of my goals for participating in VALOR is to help Virginia feel more like home. Visiting Richmond and Seminar III took a huge step in that direction! Touring the capitol, meeting elected officials and participating in the Virginia Agribusiness Council annual dinner - and knowing more people… Continue reading Home sweet home

As I was finally finishing this blog entry on the threshold of another fast approaching VALOR engagement, I discovered that today is National Ag Day as designated by the Agriculture Council of America.    According to their website, today we should all be encouraged to: Understand how food and fiber products are produced Appreciate the role agriculture plays in providing safe,… Continue reading Happy National Ag Day

  The VALOR trip to Richmond was extremely informative in so many ways. I enjoyed learning more about the legislative process, Farm Bureau's lobbying efforts, and the Myers-Briggs assessment. As always, the opportunity to review my preferences and how they contribute to my professional and personal relationships was helpful in so many ways. I found… Continue reading Lights, camera, action.

Advocacy, advocacy, advocacy! That's the name of the game for me, particularly during the first part of the year when the General Assembly is in session. This was the case during our time in Richmond, so I wore both my VALOR hat and my state lobbyist hat. A couple of takeaways from this double duty:You… Continue reading I’m Just a Bill