My name is CJ Isbell, and I live in Rockville, Va located in western Hanover County. My family's has a long history in agriculture; from by great-grandfather working for Virginia Dairy, my grandfather's commercial farming operation, to the direct marketing farming operation I co-own today. My grandfather started our farm in 1951, starting with over… Continue reading Thoughts of a Grass Farmer…
Have you ever done a search for yourself on Facebook? I just looked for myself on this mainstream social media site. Facebook lists over 150 people by the name of Ken Ryan…..but only one of them is part of the inaugural class of VALOR. Please allow me to introduce myself – my name is Ken… Continue reading Searching for Ken Ryan….
VALOR was featured in Innovations with an article titled "Inaugural VALOR class named". The piece gives insight into the program, the mission, and the inaugural class members. Read the article to learn more
The inaugural fellows of the Virginia Agriculture Leaders Obtaining results (VALOR) program participated in their first of 12 seminars in September in Blacksburg, kicking off the beginning of a two-year journey through leadership development, team building, advocacy training, exploration of industry issues, and stakeholder networking. The program’s eleven members were chosen from among peers across the… Continue reading Reblogged: Inaugural VALOR fellows participate in first seminar
Basically VALOR is a program designed for people who are passionate about Agriculture and its future. VALOR participants have a desire to learn about local, national, and international Agriculture and to be immersed in the field through 9 regional seminars. Throughout the program, the class will have the opportunity to interact with industry leaders and… Continue reading What’s VALOR?
My name is Ben Grove, and I write this post from the beautiful New River Valley. My childhood was spent in the Shenandoah Valley, surround by a diverse and prolific agricultural economy. Although I wasn’t raised on a farm, I’ve been drawn to agriculture from my earliest memories. Active participation in 4-H, and later FFA, guided… Continue reading Hello from Blacksburg.
Greetings from the Great Southwest!!! Please allow me to introduce myself, Roger Elkins, born and raised in Lee County, where Virginia begins. Along with my wife Martha and my son Andrew we own and operate Elkins Sandy Spring Farm where we raise beef cattle and just enough hay and corn to keep their bellies full. … Continue reading Greetings from…
Hello, I am Andrew Smith from Hewlett, Virginia, which is in Hanover County. I grew up and lived on a family dairy farm for most of my life. Like many in my area involved in agriculture, I was active in the Future Farmers of America (FFA), an activity that took me down many adventurous paths,… Continue reading Meet Andrew Smith
VALOR is a premier leadership program for adults in agriculture. This is an outlet for shared experiences and perspectives of the VALOR class as they navigate social, political, and economic complexities within agriculture. Please engage with us as we travel across the state, the nation, and internationally. We invite you to follow us and learn about… Continue reading Welcome!
Please feel free to check out the video of Seminar One to see VALOR in action! Let us know what you think on Facebook or Twitter
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