It is likely that you will never meet the farmer in Iowa who grew the corn for your cereal, but the truth is that many farmers across the country share the same practices, values, and perspectives on agriculture. Meet a farmer here in Virginia, and you may catch a glimpse into the lives of farmers throughout the industry.
The purpose of the Central Virginia Ag Spotlight is to help you meet a few of the farmers, businesses, and individuals who work to make agriculture Virginia’s largest industry. By doing so, we hope that you will gain a snapshot of the experiences and methods of the farmers who grow your produce, grains, meats, milk, fiber, and forest goods. Here at Virginia Cooperative Extension, we strive to help agriculturalists remain at the cutting edge of research and technology, and we accomplish this through means such as one-on-one farmer interaction, open field days, farm plots and variety trials, pest and disease diagnostics, soil testing, and workshops. We also teach and promote “best practices” to area producers, which help increase the health and quality of crops and livestock while simultaneously improving the sustainability of the operation.
Each blog post will feature someone who contributes to agriculture in Virginia. We will introduce their operation and explain how they are using “best practices” and innovative problem-solving to build a strong business that contributes to the success of agriculture in the state.
Be sure to spread the word about the challenges and successes of our featured farmers, and contact us if any of the “best practices” here pique your interest. We are happy to teach you more and help you improve your own home, garden, or farm. As always, you may contact your local agriculture, 4-H, and family and consumer sciences Extension agent in Virginia or any other state for more information.
This is the first of many blog posts. Be sure to visit often, and subscribe to the blog to get the most up-to-date posts each week!
Sincerely,
Laura Siegle
Virginia Cooperative Extension
Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension Agent
Laurab08@vt.edu
