Saturday, May 11, 2013 Virginia Tech MARE Center by Dr. Rebecca Splan & Jake Grove Alson H. Smith, Jr. AREC by Dr. Tony Wolf Endless Summer Harvest by Mary Ellen Taylor, Owner & President Sunday, May 12 , 2013 Training and Development Workshops on Stakeholder Development; Issues Panels Sponsored Tour and Dessert at Loudoun Farm Museum by the Museum Director… Continue reading Flashback to the Washington DC Seminar
As I reflect over the past year in VALOR, I have observed a common thread throughout the agriculture industries, businesses, and people the VALOR class has had the opportunity to observe, interact with, and learn about. The prevailing thread is pride. They are proud of what they are doing and accomplishing. They love their jobs… Continue reading Pride
http://vimeo.com/70859840 Over the past year, the inaugural Virginia Agriculture Leaders Obtaining Results class has gotten a view of farming and food policy in the state from just about every angle. They visited with tomato farmers on the Eastern Shore, underwent media training at Virginia TV stations, and even met Gov. Bob McDonnell. But on their… Continue reading Virginia Tech: VALOR fellows meet federal decision-makers
Many of you who follow this BLOG know already that VALOR stands for Virginia Agriculture Leaders Obtaining Results and what an amazing endeavor for those of us fortunate enough to be participants in the inaugural class. As we continue on our journey in learning about agriculture in not only our state but in our community,… Continue reading VALOR in Virginia’s Northern Neck… Learning our Responsibility
The sixth meeting of the VALOR fellows has just concluded, marking the halfway point of our inaugural fellowship. The group of fellows numbers ten in total, but as we travel (both literally and figuratively) we number 12. Megan Seibel, the program director, and Kelsey Brunton, who - prior to her "retirement" - was the graduate… Continue reading “Thank you soooooo much.”
In the northern locales of Virginia, the rich history and bright future of fruit production come together outside of Winchester at the Alson Smith AREC. For many years apple orchards have been a fixture of the landscape. A more recent addition to the scenery has been the long rows of grape trellises that marks the… Continue reading How ’bout dem apples?
According to the Virginia Horse Industry Board the horse industry has a $1.2 Billion impact on the Virginia economy and generates 16,000 jobs. The horse industry is the 9th largest agricultural commodity in Virginia and ranks 12th in the nation for the number of horses. The part of the Commonwealth that has the largest impact… Continue reading Horsein Around
Creative marketing of local foods. A surging wine industry. Maintaining and revitalizing a treasured equine property. A behind-the-scenes view of National Ag Policy. These were some of the themes observed as the VALOR fellows experienced Urban Agriculture during Seminar Five in Northern Virginia & Washington DC. I must admit that I take my close proximity… Continue reading Meditations on Urban Agriculture
Most evenings in my college days several fraternity brothers would gather in my room for an evening cocktail to unwind while watching The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson - yes I have dated myself. It was an enjoyable ritual - one that was relaxing where we would share a laugh or gripe about the day we… Continue reading Can we talk?
At our third seminar in January, the VALOR fellows visited the Leech family, and Ingleside Dairy. Parents Charles and Linda, and children Jennifer and Beau are all Virginia Tech graduates, with degrees in Dairy Science. The family milks approximately 300 cows on their Rockbridge County, VA farm. The dairy farm started operations in 1967, and… Continue reading The Future of Farming
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