The Rappahannock Record, a weekly newspaper based in Kilmarnock, was recognized Dec. 3 with Virginia Farm Bureau Federation’s 2024 Ishee-Quann Award for Media Excellence, the top honor in Farm Bureau’s annual Journalism Award program.

Established in 1916, the Record covers Lancaster County and parts of Northumberland, Richmond and Middlesex counties. Its agricultural coverage in the past year has included farm and aquaculture operation profiles in a spring “Farm and Bay to Table” section; a tour of a Westmoreland County farm by agribusiness leaders from nine Eurasian countries; a 9-acre farm operated by the Tides Inn to supply its restaurant; and regular reminders about farmers market days in the region.

The Ishee-Quann Award was first presented in 2009 and is named in part for Jeff Ishee, president of On the Farm Radio and a past recipient of numerous VFBF Journalism Awards for work in radio and television, and online. The late Homer Quann was WSVA radio’s farm news director for several decades and was known as the most dedicated agricultural reporter in Virginia.

Reporter AnnGardner Eubank accepted the award on behalf of the Rappahannock Record’s news staff. The Record also scored an 18th consecutive win in the award program’s weekly newspaper category.

VFBF Journalism Awards recognize exemplary ongoing coverage of agriculture issues, practices and events by print and broadcast news operations. Award recipients were announced during the VFBF Annual Convention in Hot Springs.

Farm Bureau awarded two Members’ Choice Awards based on nominations from within a county Farm Bureau. Honorees were:
 

• Caroline Coleburn, a reporter for Richmond-based WTVR CBS 6, for coverage of opportunities the new Central Virginia Poultry Cooperative has afforded poultry growers; and
   
• Meteorologist Will Stafford and reporter Rachel Tillapaugh of Lynchburg’s WSET ABC 13, for coverage of drought impact on local farms, including Bedford County’s one remaining dairy farm.
   

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. View more convention news as it becomes available at vafb.com/convention, and follow us on social media via #VFBF24 #CultivatingConnections.

Contact Pam Wiley, vice president of communications, at 804-291-6315.