News & Features

Virginia Farm Bureau News & Features is your place for news and information from around Virginia. From gardening tips and recipes to politics and events, stay up to date with what matters to Virginians.

Lilacs not blooming? See if they get enough light

April 21, 2016

Lilacs in bloom are a lush, purple highlight on a home landscape, but if your lilac bush didn’t bloom this year, horticulturalist Mark Viette of Viette Nurseries in Augusta County has a solution.

Gardening

Enjoy even greater Grainger savings

April 21, 2016

Virginia Farm Bureau and Grainger have announced an updated agreement that allows Farm Bureau members in Virginia to enjoy more money-saving opportunities when they shop at Grainger.

Membership, Virginia Farm Bureau

Flory family farms with earth-friendly practices

April 21, 2016

On Hillside Farm, Laura and Scott Flory and his parents, Dale and Janet, use a closed-loop flushing system in their dairy barn.

Farm Practices

Freezing temperatures affect farmers across state

April 14, 2016

There’s risk every spring that a hard freeze will kill tender fruit blossoms. Virginia apple and peach growers are familiar with that risk; most are in mountainous areas in the western part of the state, where cold temperatures linger into spring.

Agriculture Business, Crops

Virginia continues to lead in clam and oyster aquaculture

April 14, 2016

According to the 2015 Virginia Shellfish Aquaculture Situation and Outlook Report issued this month, Virginia shellfish producers sold $48.3 million in clams and oysters last year. Virginia’s hard clam sales of $32.3 million once again led the nation, while its $16 million in oyster sales is the front-runner among East Coast states.

Animals and Livestock, Aquaculture

USDA report: Pesticide residues on food well below amounts dangerous to humans

April 14, 2016

Any pesticide chemical residue found on samples of various foods tested by the U.S. Department of Agriculture fell below levels that could pose a safety risk, according to findings released earlier this year.

Food and Drink, Food Safety, Pesticides, Safety

Low prices make for a tough year for dairy farmers

April 14, 2016

Virginia’s dairy industry faces a tough year ahead. “It’s going to be a tough year for the dairy sector with probably the lowest prices since 2010,” predicted Dr. John Anderson, American Farm Bureau Federation’s deputy chief economist.

Agriculture Business, Dairy, Economy

Farmers, food banks are active in effort to reduce food waste

April 7, 2016

Federal agencies and anti-hunger advocates estimate 30 to 40 percent of food produced in the U.S. is thrown away each year. A new joint effort by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Environmental Protection Agency is designed to reduce those losses.

Food and Drink, Programs

Local foods finding their way into many Va. school cafeterias

April 7, 2016

School systems in Virginia were asking for products from Virginia farms, Harrow said, and their suppliers were taking notice. Today, “a lot of the distributors now are champions of farm-to-school” and working with smaller-scale farms to help meet customer demand.

Food and Drink, Locally Grown Food

New programs help people protect pollinators

April 7, 2016

It’s not just farmers who are interested in protecting pollinators. And now anyone can help save Virginia’s honeybees with two new programs.

Animals and Livestock, Bees, Honey

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