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.

Review program helping produce growers prepare for federal compliance

Review program helping produce growers prepare for federal compliance
Dana Boyle welcomed the group of visitors to her family’s farm, adding, “I’m not nervous about this. I don’t know whether I should be.”



Weather-wary growers hoping for sweet strawberry season

Weather-wary growers hoping for sweet strawberry season
Like the rest of Virginia’s farmers, strawberry growers have been dealing with an extremely wet winter and early spring. But if the sun comes out soon, they’re hoping for a sweet picking season.



Virginia is holding on to corn and wheat stocks

Virginia is holding on to corn and wheat stocks
Virginia had slightly more corn, wheat and oats stored in off-farm facilities on March 1 than at the same time last year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.



Crop estimates yield some surprises

Crop estimates yield some surprises
The 2018 corn and soybean yield and production estimates are in from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the top Virginia county for soybean yields in 2018 was Frederick County, with an average of 55.2 bushels an acre.



Controlled environment agriculture on the rise

Controlled environment agriculture on the rise
Growing food indoors has been trending for several years, and some farmers are weighing the benefits of moving production indoors.



Trade conference highlights winter of discontent, hope for spring

Trade conference highlights winter of discontent, hope for spring
Speakers’ remarks evoked a mix of hope and frustration at the 11th annual Virginia Governor’s Conference on Agricultural Trade. The event was held March 5 in Richmond and drew more than 300 participants, including representatives from 15 foreign embassies.



Rapidly evolving industry attracts Virginia farmers to hemp summit

Rapidly evolving industry attracts Virginia farmers to hemp summit
The second Industrial Hemp Summit took place Feb. 25 and 26, on the heels of the 2018 Farm Bill’s passage in December. That legislation lifted restrictions on growing hemp in the U.S.



Extended trade talks leave soybeans in storage, growers in limbo

Extended trade talks leave soybeans in storage, growers in limbo
Virginia soybean growers already expect the 2018-2019 marketing season to be a bust. And as trade talks between China and the U.S. extend into spring, they’re worried that next year’s exports sales will slump as well.



Wet weather proved a mixed blessing for 2018 field crops

Wet weather proved a mixed blessing for 2018 field crops
2018 was the wettest year on record for dozens of Virginia communities, especially in rural areas. And corn, peanut, soybean and tobacco crops all were affected by the extra moisture.



Cut flower growers’ conference set for March

Cut flower growers’ conference set for March
Five years ago, the U.S. Census of Agriculture estimated that the number of Virginia cut flower producers had jumped from 117 in 2007 to 227 in 2012.



Get Recognized

If your publication or radio or television station is delivering stellar coverage of agriculture on an ongoing basis, this is the award competition to enter. Learn More