CHESTERFIELD—While farmers are busy tending to their land and livestock, state lawmakers soon will be busy debating and voting on policies that impact those agricultural activities. As more than 50 freshmen legislators adjust to their leadership roles—many in newly mapped districts—farmers wonder how they can all get on the same page.

Following November’s general election, Virginia Farm Bureau Federation’s governmental relations and field services staff facilitated in-person connections between farmers and lawmakers through a series of 20 regional legislative meetings. These casual sessions are held annually and allow farmers to establish relationships and create ongoing dialogue with legislators regarding farming issues most important to the organization’s 33,000 grassroots members.

Farmers from Amelia, Chesterfield, Goochland, Hanover, Henrico and Powhatan counties gathered in Chesterfield Dec. 12 to meet with Del. Mark Earley, R-Midlothian; Sen. Ghazala F. Hashmi, D-Richmond; Del. David Owen, R-Henrico; and Sen. Glen Sturtevant, R-Midlothian. Farmers briefed them on pressing issues like funding for agricultural best management practices, crop protectant regulations, the large animal veterinarian shortage, and the encroachment of solar facilities on workable agricultural lands.

With a daughter working in the animal agriculture sector, Powhatan County hay producer Betty Walters is concerned about the shortage of large animal veterinarians in rural Virginia. School debt vastly outpaces earnings for farm vets.

“Virginia is one of the largest ag-producing states, and a lot of that is beef cattle,” she said. “Do you need to get a vet out in the middle of the night, on a weekend, or a Sunday morning? There might not be someone available to help.”

She said tuition relief might be a good start, and more training opportunities for vet techs may bridge the gap. Farm Bureau has requested state funding to address the shortage, and has asked for a stakeholder workgroup to study solutions.

Jonathan Lyle, a Goochland County produce grower and forestland owner, said the idea of solar energy collection is appealing. But he thinks panels should be installed away from prime farm soils and forestland, and instead be placed on brownfields like reclaimed lands, rooftops and urban structures.

As a conservationist, he applauded carbon-reduction efforts, “but I don’t think we have to do this at the expense of agriculture,” Lyle said. “We’re not saying don’t do it all. But let us be stewards of the land and have a seat at the table.”

Hashmi, who sits on the Senate Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Committee, said she will introduce a bill this upcoming session to encourage installation of solar panels on parking decks.

“It’s a good alternative,” she said, adding that Chesterfield’s new Lego plant will have solar-paneled parking decks that harness energy to help power the facility.

Media: Contact Katelyn Jordan, VFBF governmental relations, at 804-290-1021; Walters at 804-229-9466; or Lyle at 804-677-7444.