Director’s Corner

What Binds Us Together

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is an agency that affects all aspects of our great industry because it regulates pesticides, fertilizers, and production and distribution of seeds and other products we use daily. Fortunately, we have a very long and fruitful relationship with them. Together we addressed the issue of allowing persons to take pesticide examinations without unreasonable delays, reducing the waiting time from months to days, or even hours. With VDACS guidance, we are now offering pesticide recertification online (a service that is free to our members). Apply fertilizer? For those who need to become Certified Fertilizer Applicators or who want to keep their licenses current, VDACS works with us to provide both. This issue of the Journal has devoted three pages to that critical state agency. Other agencies, such as the Department of Conservation and Recreation, will be featured in future editions.

But pesticides, fertilizers, seeds, and other items regulated by VDACS are not the only things that bind us together. Laws enacted by Virginia’s General Assembly affect each of us: pesticide bans, outlawing gas-powered leaf blowers, and enabling non-licensed volunteers to apply pesticides are just three pieces of legislation we focused on last year. Expect more of the same in 2025! Each year Senators and Delegates introduce thousands of bills. We recently contracted with Beck Stanley, a great friend of the industry whom I have known for many years, to guide us through the labyrinth and nuances of the legislative process. Beck has been featured in previous issues of the Journal. Expect him to be regular contributor to these pages.

Whatever your niche in the green industry, please realize the many things that unite us. Years ago, I read a book written by the leader of what I consider to be a radical political group. The author said his group was seeking to impose severe restrictions on a certain sector of the seafood industry. He said getting those restrictions passed was easy because that sector was not unified. Let that not be said about us!

Tom Tracy, Ph.D.VTC Executive Director