Bradley Ragsdale of Pittsylvania County received the 2024 Virginia Farm Bureau Federation Young Farmers Achievement Award. He was recognized July 27 during the VFBF Young Farmers Summer Expo in Nelson County.

The award recognizes outstanding young farmers for their business success and volunteer involvement, while helping them evaluate their business plans and set goals to strengthen their farming operations.

Ragsdale is a fourth-generation tobacco, grain and beef cattle farmer in Pittsylvania County. He also serves on the Pittsylvania County Farm Bureau board and is an active member of the Virginia Farm Bureau Young Farmers Program.

During his presentation to award judges, Ragsdale shared how he has helped grow the family’s 1,000-acre operation since joining the farm full-time in 2009. His successes have included acquiring an additional 90 acres of cropland in 2015 and building a greenhouse for custom-growing tobacco transplants.

Having joined his father and uncle as part-owner and manager, Ragsdale is involved in all aspects of the operation, including planning purchasing, planting, spraying, tillage, harvesting, tobacco curing, market preparation, sales and record-keeping. His duties also include grassland fertilization, hay mowing and baling, and handling and selling cattle.

Ragsdale shared how he has improved efficiency and productivity over the years, including hiring additional labor for tobacco pulling, purchasing and implementing precision agriculture equipment, recruiting a soil consultant, and converting most of the farm’s grain cropland to no-till production.

While the price of tobacco production has nearly doubled since 2009, Ragsdale’s vision has helped the farm produce nearly 200 acres of tobacco as economically as possible.

He also serves as an advocate for agriculture on his county Farm Bureau board by collaborating with county leadership and candidates running for local office. He advocates for legislation that supports current and future farmers on the board’s resolutions committee.

Ragsdale attributes his future success to having his father and uncle as role models. He expressed pride in following in their footsteps and serving as a steward of the land.

He hopes to continue expanding the operation and eventually shift away from tobacco production. He works toward identifying a replacement cash crop and other business avenues, as well as his long-term goal of obtaining more ownership of the operation.

Ragsdale said he found the Achievement Award application process rewarding, as it offered him the chance to reflect on his progress over the years.

“You kind of overlook it because it’s just day-to-day on the farm. But when you put it on paper, it shows you that you’re actually doing something, you’re making a difference—you get a sense of accomplishment in what you do,” he said.

As Achievement Award winner, Ragsdale will receive a 250-hour lease on a piece of Kubota equipment courtesy of VFBF and Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance Co., a utility vehicle courtesy of Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance Co., and a cash prize. He also will receive a travel package to the 2025 American Farm Bureau Federation Annual Convention, where he will compete for the AFBF Young Farmers & Ranchers Achievement Award.

Pam Jones of Loudoun County was named this year’s runner-up and will receive $500 and a travel package to the AFBF convention. Ben Smith of Fauquier County was named a finalist.

With almost 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.

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