The Southampton County Farm Bureau has donated a utility task vehicle, purchased to help improve emergency response in remote rural areas, to Southampton County Fire and Rescue.

"This project represents what Farm Bureau stands for," said Gary Cross, president of Southampton Farm Bureau and a member of the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation board of directors. "And that's to give back to the community and protect the rural way of life."

The county Farm Bureau presented the vehicle to first responders on Nov. 20. Valued at over $35,000, the donation included a trailer and emergency equipment, significantly enhancing the county's emergency response capabilities. It took four years for Southampton Farm Bureau to raise funds to purchase the UTV, which is built to navigate challenging terrain like forests and unpaved roads, that traditional emergency vehicles cannot access. With high ground clearance and four-wheel drive, UTVs can traverse mud, snow, rocky surfaces and narrow trails.

Jeannette Everette, a member of the Southampton Farm Bureau Women's Leadership Committee, explained the motivation behind the donation: "Working on a farm, we know that accidents can happen that maybe fire and rescue can't get to quickly. It is hunting season now. There are accidents that can happen. I hope it’s never used, but it is here if we need it.”

Everette said the county Farm Bureau plans to continue fundraising to provide a second UTV. Southampton County is nearly 600 square miles in size, and a second UTV would make one available for the northern end of the county and another for the southern end.

Southampton County Fire and Rescue president Greg Vick highlighted the vehicle's importance: "Being a rural community, we respond to a large number of incidents where a fire engine, a medic or a large brush truck has not been able access a patient or accident that needed our attention. The donation of this UTV, the trailer to haul it and the emergency equipment with it is going to allow our first responders in Southampton County to be much more efficiently equipped to handle those types of emergencies."

Matt Nuckols, coordinator of the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation Farm Safety Program, noted the donation is a victory for area farmers. He said UTVs also provide significant cargo space for specialized emergency and rescue equipment, and can transport medical supplies, firefighting gear and rescue tools to challenging locations. Their lightweight design allows easier transport compared to larger emergency vehicles.

To facilitate donations, Southampton Farm Bureau established the Southampton Agriculture & Forestry Advancement Foundation, a 501(c)(3) that will continue to provide community support and scholarship programs.

Southampton County Farm Bureau is one of 88 county Farm Bureaus in the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation. With more than 135,000 members, 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 Cross at 757-630-8370 or Nuckols at 804-938-2043.