We drove by miles of wide open cotton ground. Some fields had been harvested, others still full of pure white little snowballs. We drove up the lane of the Commonwealth Cotton Gin flanked by modules on one side and the newer round bales of cotton on the other. Johnny Parker, cotton agronomist, met us outside… Continue reading High Cotton
Tucked away in a small town on the Eastern Shore, a fish project has been forming. You may say that isn’t unusual, given Virginia’s Eastern Shore's proximity to ocean water. The peninsula frames the western side of the Chesapeake Bay, and is shared by Virginia and Maryland. Life seems to be simpler there, and hospitality… Continue reading Farming with Fish
Buckingham County is the geographic center of the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is also my hometown and home to my family's cattle farm, where we raise natural, grass-fed Black Angus beef. Growing up in this rural county, I learned small town values, the meaning of hard work and the importance of helping others. It was… Continue reading The Center of Virginia….
My name is M. James Faison and I’m a 4th generation farmer. Along with my siblings, I own a farm in Emporia, Virginia where I grew up. Although I proudly call Virginia home, I only moved back to Virginia 2 years ago. Before returning to my home state to take ownership of my Grandparents farm… Continue reading Hard Work
I’m Jennifer Leech and I am a member of the second class of VALOR fellows. I live in Lexington on my family’s dairy farm, Ingleside Dairy Farm Inc. My main responsibilities on the farm are cow care and financial bookwork. Of course, working with the cows is way more fun and interesting than sitting at… Continue reading Nobody Matches
Yes, the title of this post is a reference to the 1978 buddy detective classic that paired Tom Selleck and Jerry Reed as two range proven Private Eyes in Nashville, TN. My name is Cliff Williamson, and I am a fan. I am also a resident of Culpeper, Va. I grew up there on a… Continue reading Concrete Cowboy
It's often said, "To hear God laugh, tell Him your plans." I'm sure He has had plenty of good laughs at some of my best and worst laid plans. Life is full of the unexpected, and while I have definitely had my fair share of the unexpected, I've always found there was character building moment or… Continue reading Ready for what’s next…
When I was a Virginia FFA officer (seems like many moons ago!), we were asked to define leadership in one word. After many people, including myself, gave it our best try, the national officers running the workshop soon gave us "the best" answer. LEADERSHIP = INFLUENCE! The influence we have on others in this wonderful… Continue reading INFLUENCE!
I graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in Plant Medicine, the equivalent of a "plant M.D." (http://dpm.ifas.ufl.edu) I’m currently the Agriculture Program Coordinator and Assistant Professor of Agronomy at Ferrum College, a small liberal arts college in the picturesque foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains: (http://www.ferrum.edu/academics/schools/natural_sciences_math/agriculture.html) In the academic offseason, I work the… Continue reading An Ag Transplant From New York and Naturalized Virginian
When the opportunity to participate in the 2nd class of VALOR came along I was excited to be considered! The chance to learn more about the many facets of agriculture, develop my leadership skills, meet new people and experience new places and cultures is intriguing! My name is Marilyn Adams. I am a native of Loudoun… Continue reading Gettin’ Started!
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