Virginia sweet corn typically doesn’t make its debut until early July, but there is plenty of fresh summer produce just waiting to be picked. You can find summer fruits and vegetables at local farmers’ markets, farm stands and  grocery stores, much of it perfect for serving at summer cookouts.

A new statewide initiative to identify internet coverage gaps stands to improve connectivity for farmers and other rural residents.

Producing a valued commodity, working on the land, being your own boss—these are all things that make farming a new version of the American Dream for a lot of young adults. Given that the average age of the American farmer is 58, that’s not a bad thing. That’s why the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation Young Farmers Committee works with several programs that help beginning and young farmers get established in the industry. 

In a few days, we’ll celebrate the 240th anniversary of the stand our founding fathers took with the Declaration of Independence. Some of those founding fathers were also founding farmers who, along with the founding mothers, had a tangible stake in the fight for independence. They were already committed to raising products that would make the United States self-sufficient at home and a desirable trading partner abroad.

Homegrown By Heroes, a branding program created in late 2013 by the Farmer Veteran Coalition and supported by the American Farm Bureau Federation, is helping veteran farmers promote their agricultural products.

It’s the time of year when fresh Virginia-grown blueberries and blackberries are ripe for the picking, and berry lovers can once again savor locally sourced summer fruits. 

Seven separate Salmonella outbreaks across 35 states have sickened more than 300 people—19 in Virginia—in the first four months of 2016 and are ongoing. All of the outbreaks are a result of live poultry in backyard flocks.

Prices at Virginia farmers’ markets have held the line against inflation for the past five years, according to an analysis of prices for 18 common items compiled by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

The seventh annual National Small Farm Conference will be held Sept. 20-22 at the Virginia Beach Convention Center.

A recently published study in the journal Circulation discusses how whole milk may promote cardiometabolic health.