Virginia Farm Bureau Federation honored five county Farm Bureaus Dec. 3 during its 2025 VFBF Annual Convention for projects conducted in their communities in 2025.

Loudoun County Farm Bureau, led by President Avis Renshaw, received a first-place VFBF County Award of Excellence for creating a three-part event series exploring the past, present and future of agriculture in the county. The county Farm Bureau hosted three events designed to build community, spark dialogue and develop a collective vision for agriculture’s future. Guests shared meals, participated in volunteer-led group conversations, heard farmer panel discussions on historic and modern perspectives, and identified opportunities to support agriculture in Loudoun County.

The goal of the program is to build meaningful dialogue among the county’s farmers, policymakers, youth and the general public; create a shared understanding of agriculture’s importance and role in the community; establish action-oriented strategies that strengthen agriculture; and reinforce Farm Bureau’s visibility and reputation as the trusted voice and convener for agriculture. More than 250 guests participated in the events in 2025.

The VFBF County Award of Excellence second-place winners were Chesapeake and Virginia Beach Farm Bureaus for their joint efforts to educate and engage the local community about agriculture. The counties’ Women’s Leadership Committees led the construction of a mobile “Agricultural Wagon,” inspired by George Washington Carver’s mobile Jesup Wagon. It featured modular exhibits and handouts highlighting farm products, Carver’s contributions to the industry, agriculture’s economic impact, Farm Bureau’s advocacy efforts and membership benefits, and other agriculture topics.

The Agricultural Wagon was showcased at various farmers markets, Farm Bureau and 4-H events, churches, and special programs in collaboration with several nonprofit organizations.

The third-place winner was Franklin County Farm Bureau, which initiated a year-round garden program at a local middle school to help address food insecurity in the community. The county Farm Bureau contributed resources, expertise and funding to enhance the impact of the school’s educational garden—enriching student learning, promoting wellness, strengthening community ties, and addressing food access needs with harvested crops.

Botetourt County Farm Bureau was awarded fourth place for its efforts to strengthen community agricultural awareness and appreciation through a year-long video series. The videos featured 11 local farms and complementary educational activity sheets, and attracted over 22,000 viewers last year.

King & Queen County Farm Bureau was awarded fifth place for its efforts to showcase the county’s diverse agriculture industry through an “Ag Day Festival,” which drew over 350 attendees.

With almost 137,000 members in 88 county Farm Bureaus, VFBF is Virginia’s largest farmers’ advocacy group. Farm Bureau is a non-governmental, nonpartisan, voluntary organization committed to supporting Virginia’s agriculture industry.

Contact Kathy Dixon, assistant director of communications, at 804-370-3055.