My name is Sierra Guynn, I am a veterinarian currently teaching, researching, and practicing at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia. Though today I can’t imagine working in any other field, I found my way to agriculture haphazardly. After 5 years of graduate school, where an inordinate amount of… Continue reading Reaching back…
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
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)
Peanuts, pork, potatoes and Perdue. Discoveries along the Tidewater’s pork-and-peanut trail and Eastern Shore brought VALOR Class VII to ground-level with those iconic Virginia commodities, while offering a 10,000-foot view of their global impact. At our first stop along Virginia’s Salty Southern Route in November, we learned from industry professionals at the Virginia Peanut Growers… Continue reading Salty Southern Route or bust!
On our recent trip to the Tidewater region of Virginia, we visited the Commonwealth Cotton Gin in Windsor, VA. This is a family-owned business run by brothers Tom and Len Alphin. The gin is rooted in the community and has a rich history in the cotton industry. The Alphins take a fascinating approach to their… Continue reading Commonwealth Cotton Gin
From a young age I have had a passion for both agriculture and business. My curiosity has always been about what makes a business successful and who contributed to make this possible. A well-run business is something truly remarkable that we all benefit from. Agriculture to me, is one of the last industries left with… Continue reading Passion for business and learning what makes leaders great
Seminar II brought our class to the Tidewater region of Virginia. A region that I, a native Texan, had never seen (other than a few touristy jaunts to Virginia Beach). We were immersed in the culture of cotton, peanuts, pork, and potatoes that has abundant historical context to the region. Our stops along the way… Continue reading Will Ferrell Actually Sells Peanuts
Hello! My name is Mackenzie Gunn, and I work as the Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension Agent in Amelia County. I moved to Virginia in 2022 when I started this role, but grew up in Vermont, and have lived up and down the Eastern U.S. including New Hampshire, Mississippi, Georgia, South Carolina, and short stints… Continue reading The Darth Vader of Agriculture?
Uh-oh. I’ve been mistaken for a leader. I took a worthier candidate’s spot. The VALOR selection committee confused me for someone with real leadership potential. My mind was racing at Class VII’s orientation in Blacksburg in late September, when I realized I’d never truly contemplated the elements of leadership, much less envisioned myself as one.… Continue reading Revelations of a reluctant leader
Hello, I’m Sarah Wilson, a proud Virginia native. While I was born and raised on my family’s beef cattle farm in Lebanon, VA, I now live in Abingdon, VA. Growing up on a farm has shaped my life in ways I never could have imagined. The values and work ethic I learned from this environment… Continue reading Embracing Agriculture
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