Virginia to hold farm transition workshop on February 11

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services recently announced that it would be holding a workshop for farmers to help them understand issues of farm transition.

The second of three Farm Link and Transition Pilot Workshops will be held on February 11 at the Olde Dominion Agricultural Complex in Chatham, Virginia. The VDACS' Office of Farmland Preservation is working with the Virginia Farm Bureau’s Young Farmers Committee to put on the workshop, according to a release.

The goal of the workshop is to inform farmers about how to ensure their farm is passed correctly to whom they intended. VDACS Commissioner Matthew J. Lohr said that doing this properly helps to preserve farmland.

"We are concerned about the loss of working farmland in Virginia, and want to ensure that this land continues to be farmed into the future," he said. "To that end we want to help farm owners set up a plan for a seamless transition from one generation to the next. At the same time, we want to provide assistance to existing farmers interested in expanding their farm operation, and to beginning farmers who are just starting to take the first step."

Ensuring that farmland is properly utilized is essential to Virginia as the agricultural sector has a more than $50 billion annual impact on the state.

Virginia pushes benefits of Community Supported Agriculture

Now is the key time to enroll in a subscription for Community Supported Agriculture, which the Virginia Department of Agriculture encourages consumers to do, according to a press release.

"The CSA has many advantages," said Matthew J. Lohr, commissioner of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. "Members know where all the food comes from, how it was grown, who harvested it and when. They learn to eat seasonally, enjoying foods that arrive according to nature's timetable. Everything the CSA provides is field-fresh, flavorful and nutritious because deliveries usually take place weekly and the travel time and distance from farm to fork are kept to a minimum."

January is the perfect time to enroll as it provides farmers advanced notice in preparation for ordering, according to Lohr.

Both Virginia and the U.S. have seen CSAs gaining in popularity. Virginia's representation amounts to 86 subscriptions and that figure is projected to grow this winter.

Agriculture is essential to Virginia, as the state's Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services reports that it accounts for a $55 billion impact on the state's economy each year.

Virginia recognizes pesticide safety award winners

Three recipients or teams have been awarded by two Virginia bodies for their involvement in the 2010 Pesticide Safety Education Program, according to a press release.

Recognized by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the Virginia Pesticide Control Board, the awards went to agents, an individual and a team. The Soil Fumigation Outreach and Education Series Team, which consists of Southside- and Tidewater-area agents, captured first place.

The second-place award went to Robert Jones of Charlotte County for his development of a training program for high school students to explore careers as registered technicians. A Lynchburg and Appomattox County team captured the third-place award for developing programs to train and recertify pesticide applicators.

The top award went to the team of agents who extended efforts to a community of growers that is seeing the onset of changes in labeling information for some pesticide products used in operations.

"There is no question that this is one of the most incredible work efforts and impacts we have seen over the years in pesticide safety education by Extension agents in Virginia," states nomination documents for the top team.