The last event during Seminar III brought the VALOR Fellows to a family committed into growing a diversified agribusiness within the Shenandoah Valley region. It was Sunday, January 6, 2013 when our team was hosted by Kern Houff, his brother Neil and Tim Grove at Houff's headquarters in Weyers Cave, Virginia. Kern Houff and Neil… Continue reading An American Agribusiness Story
please click on any of the photos below for an enlarged view Thursday, January 3, 2013 Seminar III Overview & Emotional Intelligence Reflection Activity Farm Credit; Harrisonburg, VA with Director Dr. Megan Seibel "On Camera" Action! … Continue reading Valley Seminar III: Day One Revealed!
The VALOR fellows found themselves touring the Shenandoah Valley for seminar 3, which somehow seemed eerily familiar to me. On the afternoon of day 3 we found ourselves (again) in Rockingham County, and you can't talk about agriculture in Rockingham County without talking about poultry, and more specifically, turkeys. First up for the afternoon was… Continue reading Making lemonade when many lemons are suddenly about…
During the third VALOR Seminar in the Shenandoah Valley, we had the opportunity to visit and tour MeadWestvaco Paper Mill (MWV) in Covington, Virginia. The Covington mill competes in a global paper and packaging market, exporting about 45% of its production to markets outside of North America. The mill employs about 1,200 people to manufacture high… Continue reading MeadWestvaco Paper Company
Consider the following: understanding core competencies; related diversification; specialized technical services; automation; succession planning; value-added activity; resiliency; global trade; high barriers to entry. What do these concepts have in common? All were impressed upon the VALOR fellows by the farms, agribusinesses and agencies we interacted with during Seminar III in the Shenandoah Valley January 3-6,… Continue reading Agribusiness as Strategic Business
Reflection, as I look back at the time we have spent together in our first 2 sessions as part of the inaugural VALOR class. I feel that with each day, I am developing a deeper understanding and appreciation for what is agriculture in Virginia. During session 2 we toured a variety of business' and facilities some of… Continue reading Reflections and Discovery
Unless I get long-winded, by the time you finish reading this post, our world will be inhabited by an additional 450 people, that's 20 more since you started reading this sentence. By the year 2050, experts predict that world population will rise to 9 billion people, with approximately 4 percent of that population living within… Continue reading Growing Agricultural Exports
Amadas One of the most valuable aspects of VALOR thus far has been access to individuals and organizations making things happen in the industry. VALOR Advisory Council Member and President of Amadas Industries, Incorporated, Dr. Stanley A. Brantley, Jr., treated us to tours of the Amadas fabrication shop, assembly facility and Amadas Coach during our… Continue reading Innovation.Amadas.VALOR.
As I come back from spending a wonderful holiday with family and friends and begin my preparation for the next Virginia Agriculture Leaders Obtaining Results seminar, I began pondering exactly what impact does agriculture have on making my Christmas experiences memorable, joyful, and fulfilling? Here are my thoughts. 1. The live Christmas tree with its… Continue reading A Holiday Perspective
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
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