Essex County cattle and grain producer J. Barry Bates was recognized Jan. 22 for five years of service on the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation board of directors.

VFBF President Scott Sink presented an award to Bates at the board meeting in Richmond.

As the District 12 director, Bates represents Farm Bureau producer members in Caroline, Essex, Gloucester, Mathews, King and Queen, King William, Middlesex, Northumberland, Lancaster, Richmond and Westmoreland counties.

He has been a Farm Bureau member for over 20 years, chairs the VFBF Aquaculture Advisory Committee and the VFBF Soybean & Feed Grains Advisory Committee, and serves on the VFBF Livestock Advisory Committee.

Bates also is a past Essex County Farm Bureau president and current member of that organization’s board. Additionally, he serves on the Essex County Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development Committee and Essex County Airport Authority. He is a member of the Northern Neck Land Conservancy board.

Bates and his family reside on Mount View Farm, where they raise Black Angus beef cattle and grow hay for their herd.

He and his wife, Suzanne, are members of Mt. Zion Baptist Church. They have two children.


With more than 135,000 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.