Mindy McCroskey of Washington County recently was named runner-up for the American Farm Bureau Federation Young Farmers & Ranchers Excellence in Agriculture Award. The competition took place at the 2016 Annual AFBF Convention, held Jan. 10-13 in Orlando, Fla.

Sam and Ashley Gardner of Bedford County recently were named runners-up for the American Farm Bureau Federation Young Farmers & Ranchers Achievement Award. The competition took place at the 2016 AFBF Annual Convention, held Jan. 10-13 in Orlando, Fla.

Chris Van Vlack of Loudoun County recently took top honors in the American Farm Bureau Federation Young Farmers & Ranchers Discussion Meet competition. The competition took place at the 2016 AFBF Annual Convention, held Jan. 10-13 in Orlando, Fla.

Secretariat great-great-granddaughter Groundshaker will be coming to her ancestral home as the star attraction of the annual Secretariat Birthday Celebration during the Virginia Horse Festival April 1-3 at The Meadow Event Park.

The state’s largest farmers’ advocacy organization is backing a bill introduced by Sen. Mark Obenshain, R-Harrisonburg, that spells out landowner rights when property is damaged in activities related to eminent domain.

Farmers are watching a bill in the Virginia General Assembly that stands to benefit not only them but also Virginians statewide who are in need of food.

Except for ethanol subsidies, the national news media didn’t focus on farm issues in the run-up to the Iowa caucus on Feb. 1. The American Farm Bureau Federation has created a website for anyone who wants to follow what presidential candidates are saying to attract the farm vote.

Donna Musick of Washington County has been named Virginia’s Agriculture in the Classroom Teacher of the Year. The award recognizes efforts by a teacher to incorporate agriculture into his or her core curriculum.

Winters are tough on honeybees. Cold weather means no pollen for food, and hives can starve to death while pests and disease problems are amplified. In recent winters about one-third of allVirginia bee colonies have not survived to see spring.

It’s been more than a decade since the 2004 tobacco buyout, but the Virginia commodity is still growing strong.