Cultivate Spring 2016

Cultivate SPRING 2016

Virginia Farm Bureau

Greenhouse industry continues to grow

Cultivate Volume 9, Number 2 Spring 2016 Cultivate (USPS 025051) (ISSN 1946-8121) is published four times a year. February, May, August, October. It is published by Virginia Farm Bureau Federation, 12580 West Creek Parkway, Richmond, VA 23238. Periodicals postage rate is paid in Richmond, VA. The annual Subscription Rate is $1.48 (included in membership dues).

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what we grow are

Virginia’s greenhouse industry continues to grow

Last year greenhouse and nursery products were Virginia’s sixth-largest agricultural commodity. Take a look in the greenhouses of a Chesapeake operation with some thriving roots.

indoor potted flowers for consumers’ homes.”

Virginia’s tomato traditions are still growing strong

Virginia farmers harvested 2,200 acres of fresh market tomatoes last year. That’s a lot of salads and sandwiches!

“About 60 percent of

— TAL WHITE, White’s Nursery & Greenhouses Inc. general manager

New auto technologies can help reduce collisions, claims costs

Crash avoidance features started out as options on luxury vehicles. But as they’ve become more common, they’re helping prevent accidents.

Did You Know?

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For Your Benefit

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Heart of the Home

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Stewards of the Land

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Marketplace

All advertising is accepted subject to the publisher’s approval.

Advertisers must assume liability for the content of their advertising.

The publisher maintains the right to cancel advertising for nonpayment or reader complaints about services or products. The publisher assumes no liability for products or services advertised.

Member: Virginia Press Association

EDITORIAL TEAM Greg Hicks Vice President, Communications Pam Wiley Managing Editor Kathy Dixon Staff Writer/ Assistant Editor Sara Owens Staff Writer/Photographer Patricia Hooten Graphic Designer Maria La Lima Graphic Designer Claire Mills Advertising

VISIT US ONLINE VaFarmBureau.org

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Postmaster: Please send changes of address to, Cultivate, Virginia Farm Bureau Federation, P.O. Box 27552, Richmond, VA 23261; fax 804-2901096. Editorial and business offices are located at 12580 West Creek Parkway, Richmond, VA 23238.

Telephone 804-290-1000, fax 804-290-1096. Email address is Cultivate@vafb.com. Office hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

WE’RE SOCIAL!

2016 marks 90 years since the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation was formed to collectively and effectively address the needs and interests of the commonwealth’s farmers.

PUBLICATION SCHEDULE

ON THE COVER

Associate members will receive their next issue of Cultivate in August. The magazine is published quarterly.

Lots of greenery surrounded Tal and Sheri White last month at White’s Nursery & Greenhouses Inc. in Chesapeake (Photo by Kathy Dixon).

Members — Address change? If your address or phone number has changed, or is about to change, contact your county Farm Bureau. They will update your membership and subscription information.

KATHY DIXON

10,000 Number of Virginia schoolchildren who will have an opportunity to experience hands-on agricultural activities, thanks to Virginia Agriculture in the Classroom $500 mini-grants.

The AITC program, a nonprofit affiliate of Virginia Farm Bureau, awarded grants to 32 schools in the 2015-2016 school year. Among recipients was The Steward School in Henrico County, where junior kindergarteners met chickens incubated on campus.

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Did you know?

A modern tractor can cost as much as a home.

A bare-bones compact tractor might sell for less than $10,000, but the largest and most powerful models can sell for as much as several hundred thousand dollars.

In addition to the base price, farmers pay extra for certain features and options like 4-wheel drive, rakes, loaders and backhoes.

Fortunately, a well-maintained tractor has a lifespan of 20 to 30 years, even with daily use. And daily use is what they get. What once started as a rudimentary piece of farming equipment has transformed into a landmark piece of agricultural machinery.

The first gas-powered tractor was made by John Froelich in 1890. In 1907 Henry Ford produced his first gasolinepowered model, and in 1923 the Farmall, a light-duty, all-purpose, row-crop tractor advertised to “farm all,� was produced

by International Harvester. In 1959 John Deere successfully produced more than 1.25 million two-cylinder tractors, and shortly afterward the company manufactured four- and sixcylinder models.

In 1994, farmers began to utilize GPS receivers on tractors to regulate water, fertilizer and pesticide use.

According to the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, 24,171 farm tractors were sold in May 2013, marking a five-year high in U.S. sales.

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Watch out for farm equipment on the roads!

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tafford County producer Glenn Dye lives and farms near Fredericksburg. He has a cow-calf operation and grows corn, soybeans and wheat.

Dye farms on multiple properties, making it necessary to take his equipment on public roadways.

“Farms and fields in our area are smaller and broken up by housing developments that were at one time farms,” Dye said. “I try to travel on the road with equipment as little as possible, but for farmers in our area, it is sometimes necessary to travel with equipment.”

He said his equipment always displays a triangular slow-moving vehicle emblem, along with flashing lights. He uses an escort vehicle when he is traveling with wider equipment, and the escort vehicle also has flashing lights and signage.

“The driver also carries a bright orange flag to hold out the window to slow people down before they get to me behind him,” Dye said. “I do try to avoid the morning rush when folks are headed to work, and the late afternoon when they are headed home.”

SMV emblem signals “Slow down!”

Farm equipment is often wider than rural roadways and is built for power, not speed.

State law requires that all farm tractors and self-propelled farm machinery that typically travel slower than 25 mph display an SMV emblem on the rear of the vehicle when being driven on a public roadway.

Farm equipment often is wider than a single travel lane and is built for power, not speed.

“Motorists who see an SMV emblem on equipment ahead of them need to take heed, slow down and watch to see if that vehicle is about to turn,” said Sam Rooks, vice president of underwriting and policy services for the Virginia Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Co. Before attempting to pass—never in a no-passing zone—determine whether the equipment operator is preparing to make a turn. The closure time between a car traveling 60 mph and a farm vehicle traveling 10 mph is only a few seconds.

Slow-moving vehicle emblems indicate machinery traveling slower than 25 mph.

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Viewing Virginia

Local foods finding their way into many Va. school cafeterias

Farm-to-school activities are taking place in more than half of Virginia’s school districts, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The phone call was one indicator that serving locally grown foods in Virginia schools was catching on.

“It was one of the greatest phone calls I got, early on,” recounted Leanne DuBois Harrow of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. A representative of a national distributor of cafeteria foods asked, “Alright, where are the farms? We need some farms.”

School systems in Virginia were asking for products from Virginia farms, Harrow said, and their suppliers were taking notice. Today, “a lot of the distributors now are champions of farm-to-school” and working with smaller-scale farms to help meet customer demand.

Harrow manages VDACS’ Virginia Grown marketing program and coordinates the Virginia Farm-toSchool program. She spoke at the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation Spring Conference about efforts in recent years to make local and Virginia-grown foods available in the state’s schools.

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In 2010, she told conference participants, the federal government made the first changes in years to its requirements for school lunches.

Those changes called for more fruits, vegetables and whole grains; limits on sodium, sugar and fat; and healthier snack options.

When it comes to fostering students’ appreciation for nutritious foods and for agriculture, “the front line of education is the lunch line,” Harrow said.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 2015 Farm to School Census found farm-to-school activities in 68 Virginia school districts, or 57 percent. The activities were taking place in more than 1,300 schools and reaching about 887,000 students. Sixty-three percent of the schools were using locally sourced foods for breakfast, 92 percent were sourcing locally for lunch and 12 percent were sourcing locally for snacks. Some schools also were integrating local foods into summer meal programs.

Ninety-three percent of participating schools reported serving local fruits,

88 percent reported serving local vegetables, 37 percent were serving local milk and 28 percent were serving local meats or poultry. Forty-seven percent of Virginia districts surveyed said they plan to increase local food purchases in the future.

In recent years, Harrow said, some districts have purchased products through local food hubs and directly from produce auctions and farmers.

Some farmers have welcomed school nutrition staff to their farms and have visited schools to talk about their products and their work. Students and their parents have been invited to sample new foods and give input on proposed additions to menus.

“It’s definitely relationship-driven,” Harrow said, adding that Virginia is “kind of seen as a big player on the farm-to-school scene, and it’s really because of the grassroots efforts.”

Virginia Farm-to-School Week will be observed Oct. 3-7.

Number of Va., US farms dropped slightly in 2015 There were 2.07 million farms in the United States in 2015, 1 percent fewer than in 2014, according to the National Agriculture Statistics Service. Those farms occupied a total of 912 million acres of farmland, 1 million less than the year before.

That’s not necessarily bad news, said Jonah Bowles, Virginia Farm Bureau Federation senior agriculture market analyst. Virginia’s farm economy remains robust even as it adjusts to modern economic pressures, he said.

“With the average age of a farmer now at 59 years and rising, some of the farmers going out are bound to be people retiring,” Bowles said. “But the percentage of farmland retired from agriculture according to this report is less than 1 percent of America’s farmland, so we’re basically staying stable.

Viewing Virginia

Foundation’s Book of the Year features gardens at Monticello

“As smaller farms go out, most of the time that acreage is picked up by a neighboring farmer expanding his or her operation to become more productive and profitable.”

In fact, the NASS report cites the disappearance of farms with sales of less than $10,000 annually as the major factor in the loss of 18,000 farms since 2014. The number of farms at all other income levels has remained stable, and the nation’s smallest farms account for less than 10 percent of all U.S. farmland.

The number of farms in Virginia dropped 2.6 percent last year, from 45,900 to 44,700. Land in farms decreased by just 1,000 acres, to 8.1 million, while the average Virginia farm size grew by 2 acres to 181 acres.

Chenery racehorse to be eventual resident at The Meadow Secretariat great-great-granddaughter Groundshaker visited her ancestral home as a star attraction of the annual Secretariat Birthday Celebration during the Virginia Horse Festival in April at The Meadow Event Park.

Efforts are underway to eventually welcome the retired Thoroughbred as

KATHY DIXON

Virginia farmland occupies 8.1 million acres statewide.

The American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture presented its ninth annual Book of the Year award in January to children’s author Susan Grigsby for First Peas to the Table. The book features a group of children learning about gardens and peas and about Thomas Jefferson’s gardens at Monticello.

Grigsby, who lives in St. Louis, teaches creative writing in schools, museums and nature centers, often integrating the lessons with science, social studies and art.

After reading Jefferson’s journals and agriculture-related correspondence, she noted, “I was struck by the passion that he and others had in regards to experimenting to figure out which plants, previously grown on other continents, would grow best in each of the diverse environments” of a new nation.

The AFBFA Book of the Year award springs from the foundation’s effort to identify accurate agriculture books.

GROUNDSHAKER

a permanent resident at the historic property in Caroline County. Virginia Farm Bureau Federation became full owner of the property in 2013.

Penny Chenery, Secretariat’s and Groundshaker’s owner and daughter of Meadow Stable founder Christopher T. Chenery, said it was only fitting for Groundshaker to play a role in ongoing preservation of The Meadow’s heritage.

The venue will launch a fundraising campaign to build a functional barn and pasture fencing for Groundshaker, and to eventually restore the 1930sera Meadow Stable barns listed on the state and national historic registers.

First Peas to the Table features the historic gardens at Monticello.

VaFarmBureau.org / SPRING 2016

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Across America

Latest dietary guidelines: Healthy eating patterns vital to good health

Enjoying fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables is one way to help build healthy eating patterns.

At the beginning of the year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Department of Health and Human Services released their most recent dietary guidelines. Issued every five years, the report underscores the relationship between agriculture and healthy foods.

As before, the guidelines call for eating a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, seafood, lean meats, nuts, legumes and low-fat or fatfree dairy products. The biggest shift from previous federal guidelines, which focused on individual nutrients, are new recommendations that emphasize the importance of healthy eating patterns.

Takeaways from the guidelines include the following: • Follow a healthy eating pattern across your lifespan. All food and beverage choices matter. Choose a healthy eating pattern at an appropriate calorie level to achieve 8

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and maintain a healthy body weight, support nutrient adequacy and reduce the risk of chronic disease.

• Focus on variety, nutrient density and amount. To meet nutrient needs within calorie limits, choose a variety of nutrient-dense foods across and within all food groups in recommended amounts.

• Limit calories from added sugars and saturated fats and reduce sodium intake. Strive for an eating pattern low in added sugars, saturated fats and sodium.

• Support healthy eating patterns for all. Everyone has a role in helping to create and support healthy eating patterns at home, school and work and in communities.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans are available at health.gov/ dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines.

USDA, US Chamber foundation to promote ag jobs to veterans The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced in February a joint agreement with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation to increase employment opportunities in the agricultural sector for military veterans and their spouses.

The agreement establishes a new partnership between USDA and Hiring Our Heroes, a program that helps military veterans, transitioning active-duty personnel and their spouses and partners find meaningful employment when entering the civilian workforce. It was authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill.

For more information on how USDA can help military veterans transition into agriculture as a career, visit usda. gov/veterans or nal.usda.gov/sites/ default/files/vetsagbrochure.pdf.

Virginia’s tomato traditions are still growing strong

BY CLAIRE MILLS

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f summer had an official vegetable, it would have to be the plump, juicy tomato.

Fresh from the field, the very aroma of a tomato triggers thoughts of sunny days and summer meals.

Fortunately for hungry tomato lovers, fresh-market tomatoes are a multi-million dollar business in Virginia. During the 2015 growing season, Virginia farmers harvested 2,200 acres of fresh-market tomatoes, generating more than $34 million in cash receipts.

A large presence on Virginia’s Eastern Shore America’s largest field tomato growers, Lipman Family Farms, has farms in Virginia, Florida, South Carolina and California. The company grows tomatoes on Virginia’s Eastern Shore, where the majority of the state’s tomato crop originates.

The most recent Census of Agriculture found 893 acres of tomatoes were grown in Northampton County and 573 acres in Accomack County.

“The Eastern Shore is a very important part of our summertime tomato production. We have 1,200 acres of tomatoes planted on the Eastern Shore,” said Gerry O’Dell, chief farming officer for Lipman Family Farms. “In the 1960s, we started our operation on the Eastern Shore of Maryland but gradually migrated to Virginia. Virginia was a better location for growing tomatoes.”

Lipman’s Eastern Shore location provides mature green and vine-ripe tomatoes from July through September. Harvesting fresh-market tomatoes is labor-intensive and requires multiple pickings by hand.

Northampton County Farm Bureau President Steve Sturgis said plastic mulch production, where vegetable crops grow through holes in plastic sheeting, increases tomato yields. The plastic suppresses weeds and helps growers manage insects and conserve water.

“We can grow so many tomatoes per acre on the Eastern Shore because we use plastic mulch production in combination with drip irrigation. This precise application gives plants the water and nutrients they need,” Sturgis said.

However, there’s more to a good location than productive growing conditions.

“One of the good things about the Eastern Shore is the easy access to large population centers on the East Coast. We can get to large urban markets without having to (ship tomatoes) too far,” O’Dell explained.

“Lipman’s ships 1,600 boxes to wholesalers in refrigerated trucks. That is the standard amount for each truck.” Wholesalers sell the tomatoes to grocery stores and restaurants all over the U.S.

Tomato trivia • Are tomatoes fruits or vegetables? Technically a tomato is a fruit, since it is the ripened ovary of a plant.

But in 1893 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Nix v. Hedden that tomatoes were to be considered vegetables.

• Perhaps the tomato’s biggest claim to fame is its copious amount of lycopene. Research has shown that a diet rich in lycopene-containing foods may help lower the risk of some cancers and may help prevent strokes.

• According to scientists, more lycopene is absorbed by the body from cooked tomatoes than from fresh tomatoes.

• The largest tomato on record—a whopping 7 pounds, 12 ounces—was picked in Edmond, Okla., in 1986.

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Virginia growers harvested 2,200 acres of fresh-market tomatoes last year.

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TOMATOES

Virginia’s Eastern Shore (top) is a significant tomato-producing region, as are the Northern Neck and Hanover County.

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Virginia’s top tomato-producing regions are convenient to large East Coast population centers.

A long history on the Northern Neck

well-drained soil and its location where the land warms up early and provides a good growing season.

When Boyle’s great-grandfather farmed in the early 1920s, the tomato business on the Northern Neck was already thriving. It was the heyday of the steamboat on the Rappahannock and Potomac rivers, and by the early 20th century nearly every significant Northern Neck wharf had a tomato cannery nearby. Steamboats would carry canned and fresh tomatoes to market in Baltimore.

At one time there were nearly 40 tomato canneries on the Northern Neck, according to an exhibit on farming at the Morattico Waterfront Museum. Morattico in Lancaster County was bustling stop No. 15 on the steamboat line. Large tomato fields surrounded the village when the cannery was in operation.

Even though the steamboats are now gone, tomato production on the Northern Neck is still going strong.

More than 100 acres of tomatoes were harvested in Westmorland County according to the latest statistics in 2012.

CLAIRE MILLS

Like their Eastern Shore counterparts, tomato growers on the Northern Neck are advantageously located near large population centers.

“We sell our tomatoes at our roadside stand and other farmers’ markets on the Northern Neck, but we also ship them to farmers’ markets and restaurants in Northern Virginia and Washington,” said Dana Garner Boyle, who along with her husband, Bernard, operates Garner’s Produce in Westmoreland County.

With more than 100 acres planted in fruits, vegetables, herbs and soybeans, Garner’s devotes seven acres to production of heirloom, cherry, lowacid yellow and Roma tomatoes.

“We start our plants from seed in the greenhouse and transplant the first ones to the field in March.

Usually by the middle of June we begin picking early varieties like Early Girl and Red Deuce when they are ripe,” Boyle said. “We plant six different times until the Fourth of July. The sixth planting will ripen in the high tunnel, where they are planted right in the ground.”

Using the unheated greenhouse-like structure, she explained, “allows us to harvest until frost.”

Boyle, who is president of Westmorland County Farm Bureau, attributes the quality of Northern Neck tomatoes to the region’s sandy,

The J.W. Welch Company in Richmond County operated a tomato cannery for 55 years. Its label is part of an exhibit in the Morattico Waterfront Museum.

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TOMATOES

A celebrated crop in Hanover County

Hanover County is home to celebrated tomato crops and a tomato festival that draws more than 30,000 people each July.

This year’s Hanover Tomato Festival will be held July 9; details are at hanovercounty. gov/Events/Tomato-Festival/ Hanover-Tomato-Festival.

“I know of 30 producers in Hanover that grow tomatoes commercially, and I often learn of new producers,” said Laura Maxey-Nay, a Virginia Cooperative Extension agent in the county. Though she has seen the number of larger producers decrease in recent years, she has seen the number of small producers increase.

Maxey-Nay said Hanover tomato producers sell to grocery chains and wholesalers and at farmers’ markets and farm stands. “Hanover has been blessed with good soil for growing tomatoes, but in my opinion it is the resilient, passionate, hardworking Hanover tomato farmer that makes a true Hanover tomato,” she said.

As the countdown begins for this summer’s fresh-market tomatoes, farmers are busy transplanting and staking row after row of plants. And even growers anticipate indulging in the fruits of their labor.

“I look forward to going to the Eastern Shore every summer and eating our Vintage Ripe tomatoes,” O’Dell said. “They are the perfect side for steamed crabs.”

Tomato planting tips • Plant in a sunny location after all danger of frost is past and when the soil has warmed. Home gardeners can start tomato plants indoors from seed or purchase starter plants.

• When tomato seedlings have five to seven leaves, they are ready to be transplanted into the garden.

• Plants should be staked or caged for support.

• Space tomato plants 18 to 36 inches apart if staked or caged, and plant rows 36 inches apart.

• Use starter solution fertilizer for transplants. Side-dress one to two weeks after the first hand or cluster of tomatoes begin to develop with 3 tablespoons 33-0-0 per 10-foot row. Side-dress again two weeks after the first ripe tomato with a balanced fertilizer such as 5-10-5; repeat one month later.

• Maintain soil moisture at a constant level. Irregular watering leads to blossom end rot and fruit cracking.

• Each standard tomato plant, properly cared for, yields 10 to 15 pounds or more of fruit.

SOURCE: Virginia Cooperative Extension

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Hanging baskets are suspended near the ceiling while potted plants like calla lilies are placed on rolling benches below to optimize space in the greenhouses.

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Virginia’s greenhouse industry continues to grow Glass ceilings—literal ones—are no hindrance

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ARTICLE AND PHOTOS BY KATHY DIXON

hat started as a cut flower farm in the 1940s has blossomed into 21 acres of greenhouse production and 5 acres of field production.

Greenhouse Grower magazine ranked White’s Nursery & Greenhouses Inc. in Chesapeake the 79th largest U.S. greenhouse in its 2015 Top 100.

“I never intended to go into this business,” said Norman White, president of White’s. “My father had a cut flower farm, and I had to help with the gladiolus and dahlias as a kid and it wasn’t fun. While the other kids were playing, I was planting.”

But today, White enjoys the business so much that his license plate reads “MR MUM.” He and his wife bought their first glass greenhouse in 1956 and began growing asters and chrysanthemums.

People would purchase the flowers from the Whites’ backyard. The couple added a second greenhouse and colorful snapdragons for bouquets. “We just started building from there,” White said.

He continued cultivating plants in the greenhouses while working full time at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard.

In 1973 he went into the nursery and greenhouse business full time.

Nursery and greenhouses are a family affair Today he runs the business with daughter Dana and son and daughterin-law Tal and Sheri. Despite how large

Larger nurseries getting larger

White’s nursery is typical of many within Virginia’s green industry. The larger operations are getting larger.

In 2015, greenhouse and nursery products were Virginia’s sixth-largest agricultural commodity based on cash receipts. The diverse commodity generated $271.9 million in 2012.

Backyard gardeners can buy or build greenhouses

Sheri and Tal White pose by roses that will be planted in whiskey barrels and sold in their family’s retail garden center.

the nursery has become, it’s still a family business.

They grow 50 to 70 bedding plant cultivars; potted mums; seasonal flowers like Easter lilies and poinsettias; annuals; and hanging baskets containing a combination of annual flowers.

The plants are sold in their retail center and to grocery store and garden center chains.

“About 60 percent of what we grow are indoor potted flowers for consumers’ homes, and they want really pretty plants that will last a long time,” said Tal White, the nursery’s general manager.

There is a varied selection of home-appropriate greenhouses on the market, and building plans are available as well.

Virginia Cooperative Extension advises would-be greenhouse owners to investigate the alternatives thoroughly, preferably visiting as many home greenhouses as possible. “List your needs and wants ahead of time, and determine how you will use your greenhouse. Then compare on that basis.”

Some companies will send free specifications of their greenhouses. The cost of a solar greenhouse is higher than a freestanding, non-insulated type, but when attached to a dwelling, solar greenhouses can be used for supplementary household heating.

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Bedding plants, decorative flowers, hanging baskets and even tomatoes are grown in 20 acres of covered greenhouses at White’s Nursery & Greenhouses Inc. 16

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In 2015, greenhouse and nursery products were Virginia’s sixth-largest agricultural commodity based on cash receipts.

“I would say that the industry is growing, large operations are getting larger and that there is a proliferation of small operations primarily servicing local foods,” said Dr. Joyce Latimer, a Virginia Tech horticulture professor and greenhouse crops specialist for Virginia Cooperative Extension.

Horticulture increased nationally and statewide Nationally, horticulture operations sold a total of $13.8 billion in floriculture, nursery and specialty crops in 2014, up 18 percent since 2009,

according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.

In Virginia, between the 2007 and 2012 national agriculture censuses the number of floriculture farms under glass or other protection increased, as did the cash value of those commodities. Additionally, the number of greenhouse vegetable and fresh-cut herb operations increased significantly during those five years—from 76 to 245.

And the number of nursery stock farms and square footage increased as well.

Greenhouses have several advantages Greenhouses extend growing seasons, protect the quality of the products inside and eliminate damage from deer.

“We can produce Knock Out® Roses three to four weeks sooner than our competitors who don’t use greenhouses,” Tal White said. “Ours are blooming by the end of March, but theirs aren’t ready until Mother’s Day.” And that advantage is true for just about any plant or vegetable grown in a greenhouse, White said.

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Soybeans, pork products and wood products were Virginia’s top three agricultural and forestry exports in 2015.

Virginia’s 2015 agricultural exports valued at $3.19 billion Farm and forestry exports from Virginia in 2015 were valued at $3.19 billion, 4.7 percent less than in 2014.

That marks an overall decrease of 4.7 percent from 2014 that Gov. Terry McAuliffe said is “in (market) value, not in volume.” McAuliffe noted that the value of ag exports to Virginia’s top trading partners increased last year.

He spoke March 7 at the eighth annual Governor’s Conference on

Virginia’s top 10 export markets in 2015 ($ million)

China $694 Canada $291 Switzerland $204 Mexico $179 Japan $175 United Kingdom $134 Morocco $103 Republic of Korea $94 Taiwan $90 Indonesia $70

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Agricultural Trade, announcing that Virginia has strengthened its position as the second-largest exporter of agricultural goods on the East Coast and narrowed the gap between the commonwealth and first-ranked Georgia.

Virginia agricultural exports reached an all-time high of $3.35 billion in 2014, the fourth consecutive year in which those exports set a record. Nationwide, ag exports were affected last year by depressed commodity prices; decreased shipments to certain regions due to prohibitive shipping costs; new trade bans; and various geopolitical challenges.

The governor told conference participants that he and his staff took part in 13 trade missions last year. “Ninetyfive percent of the world’s customers live outside of America. So you have to go where the customers are.”

In spite of a challenging global marketplace, “Virginia continues to be a leader in promoting agricultural exports, which have grown in value by 42 percent since 2010 when we launched a strategic initiative to increase shipments of these products,” said Todd Haymore, secretary of agriculture and forestry.

Top Virginia farm and forestry exports in 2015 ($ million)

Soybeans $586 Pork $506 Wood $280 Soy meal $268 Leaf tobacco $257 Processed food & beverages $176 Wood fuel $147 Poultry $129 Soy oil $122 Wheat $88 Animal feed $78 Corn $58 Raw peanuts $41 Seafood $37 Coffee $31 Brans, sharps $30 Cotton $26

IHHS on collision prevention:

Crash avoidance technology can help reduce collisions, claims costs Technology is always improving, and those improvements can help drivers avoid collisions and keep claims costs down.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, many new vehicles offer advanced crash avoidance features. The systems started out as options on a few luxury models and have spread steadily Advanced technologies assist the driver with warnings or automatic braking to help avoid or mitigate a crash. They include front crash prevention, lane departure warning, blind spot detection, adaptive headlights and parking assist and backover prevention. Advances also are being made in intelligent transportation systems that allow vehicles to communicate with one another or with road infrastructure to help avoid crashes.

“These new technologies play an important role in reducing accident frequency and severity,” said Sam Rooks, vice president of underwriting and policy services for Virginia Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Co., an IIHS member.

Front crash prevention and adaptive headlights are reducing insurance claims. The Highway Loss Data Institute found fewer claims under property damage liability coverage— which pays for damage to vehicles that an at-fault driver hits—for models with forward collision warning and automatic braking, than for the same vehicles that weren’t equipped with the technology.

Adaptive headlights also are reducing property damage liability claims.

So far, the HLDI hasn’t been able to quantify the real-world effects of other

advanced crash avoidance systems.

Electronic stability control is an older—and proven—crash avoidance feature. Standard on 2012 and later

Front crash prevention and adaptive headlights are reducing insurance claims. models, ESC is an extension of antilock brake technology that helps drivers maintain control of their vehicles on curves and slippery roads. ESC lowers the risk of a fatal single-vehicle crash by about half and the risk of a fatal rollover by as much as 80 percent.

For more information on crash avoidance technologies, visit iihs.org.

Forward collision warning and automatic braking technology are reducing property damage liability insurance claims.

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What you need to know about Medicare When you’re nearing retirement age, or if you’re 65 and still working, you may have questions about Medicare.

Medicare is health insurance for people who are age 65 or older, those who are under 65 and have certain disabilities, and anyone with end-stage renal disease. The 51-year-old program provides health coverage for more than 50 million Americans.

“A lot of people, when nearing age 65, have questions about Medicare or are confused about the process. There are many pieces to the program and options to consider,” said Brett Denton, vice president of Health Care Consultants and Custom Health Care Inc. There are four types of Medicare: • Part A: Medicare Part A helps cover inpatient care in hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, hospice and home health care.

Generally there is no monthly premium if

you qualify and paid Medicare taxes while you were working.

• Part B: Medicare Part B helps cover medical services, like doctors, outpatient care and other medically necessary services, not covered by Part A. To receive Medicare Part B benefits, you must enroll and pay a monthly premium determined by your income, along with a deductible.

Many people purchase a supplemental insurance policy, such as a Medigap plan, to handle Part A and B coverage gaps.

• Part C: Medicare Advantage Plans, also known as Medicare Part C, are combination plans managed by Medicareapproved private insurance companies.

They typically are a combination of Part A and B, and sometimes Part D coverage, but cover medically necessary services.

These plans assign their own deductibles and coinsurance.

• Part D: Medicare Part D is prescription drug coverage that is available to everyone with Medicare. It is a separate plan provided by private Medicare-approved companies, and you must pay a monthly premium.

About three months before you become eligible for Medicare coverage, you will receive a questionnaire in the mail. Once you start using Medicare, you should schedule a free preventive visit with your doctor within the first 12 months to assess your current health status.

Setting up a medicare.gov account will give you access to your information and is an easy way to keep track of claims. To reach a Medicare coordinator of benefits contractor, call 800-999-1118.

Staff at your county Farm Bureau office also can assist you in obtaining a Medicare supplemental policy.

Questions about health insurance?

We have answers!

Call your county Farm Bureau for help understanding the new health care laws.

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Anthem Health Plans of Virginia, Inc. trades as Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Virginia, and its service area is all of Virginia except for the City of Fairfax, the Town of Vienna, and the area east of State Route 123. Independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. ® ANTHEM is a registered trademark of Anthem Insurance Companies, Inc. The Blue Cross and Blue Shield names and symbols are registered marks of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

It’s important to review your insurance policies and know who is considered an insured.

Divorce and separation call for insurance review Life is constantly changing, and sometimes those changes involve a divorce or separation. If you’ve recently divorced or separated from your spouse, it’s important to keep insurance matters in mind and talk to your insurance agent.

“Often when couples divorce or separate there are changes to make to their insurance policies, including life, health and auto, and other insurance questions that couples should ask themselves,” said Lisa Whitus, underwriting manager for Virginia Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Co. Questions to consider when going through a separation or divorce include the following: • Is every primary driver of covered automobiles, whether living in the

household or not, listed as a driver on the auto policy?

• Who is in possession of the vehicles? Who is living in the home?

• Where are all the vehicles garaged?

The ZIP code at which they are garaged is what should be shown on your policy forms.

While this type of life event can be uncomfortable or difficult for each party involved, it is important to keep communication lines open, as signatures typically are required to amend insurance contracts.

“If you are currently a named insured on the declarations page, your signature is going to be required, so keep in touch with the other party involved,” Whitus said.

Remember that unless you are a

named insured on the declarations page of your insurance policy, you may not have property or liability coverage extended under the contracts. “Review the policy form, and see who is considered an insured under the contract,” Whitus said.

It’s important to note the names on the property deeds and vehicle titles, as this is typically the person who is legally responsible to carry liability and property damage coverage. For life insurance matters, make sure your beneficiary information is correct, and update any address information on file.

For answers to your insurance questions, contact your Farm Bureau insurance agent.

VaFarmBureau.org / SPRING 2016

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For Your Benefit

Making travel plans?

Save on lodging costs with Wyndham benefit Your Farm Bureau membership gives you access to significant savings at thousands of hotels in North America.

Advance reservations are required, and blackout dates may apply.

The Wyndham Hotel Group discount program covers stays in over 7,200 Baymont Inn & Suites, Days Inn, Hawthorn Suites, Howard Johnson, Knights Inn, Microtel, Planet Hollywood, Ramada, Super 8 Motel, Travelodge, Wingate by Wyndham and Wyndham Hotels locations.

The discounted rate of up to 20 percent less than the “Best Available Rate” publicly available online is subject to availability at participating locations.

Simply call 877-670-7088 to make your reservation, and give your Virginia Farm Bureau ID number—available from your county Farm Bureau. Then be prepared to share your current Farm Bureau member card when you check in.

Enjoy greater Grainger savings with enhanced benefit program Virginia Farm Bureau and Grainger have announced an updated agreement that allows Farm Bureau members in Virginia to enjoy more money-saving opportunities.

Members can take advantage of substantial discounts from Grainger, the world’s largest industrial supplier, which also sells products for home and office use.

Save on brand-name hand and power tools from manufacturers like DeWalt and Stanley, safety items and select farm-duty motors. Additionally, members receive free standard ground shipping on all standard Grainger products purchased instore, online at grainger.com and by phone. Same-day shipping is available for most in-stock items.

To use your Farm Bureau discount, you’ll need your Farm Bureau membership number, which is on your membership card, and the Virginia Farm Bureau Grainger discount code, available from your county Farm Bureau.

Your Farm Bureau discount can be applied to an existing Grainger account, so you automatically save every time you buy.

All Farm Bureau members in Virginia are eligible for Grainger benefits when they register as Farm Bureau members at grainger.com or at a local Grainger store. Discounts cannot be applied to past purchases.

Member Deals Plus now includes even more deals Farm Bureau members in Virginia now have access to hundreds of new discounts through the Member Deals Plus benefit.

New participating merchants have been added in the following categories: • Services • Home and garden • Health and beauty; and • Car rentals.

Member Deals Plus uses the nation’s largest private discount network to offer savings on meals, clothing, vehicle care and other goods and services. It uses 22

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“show your phone” mobile deals that can be accessed anywhere and redeemed from a smartphone at the point of sale or printed from a home computer.

Members can register online using the Member Deals Plus link at VaFarmBureau. org. (Have your membership number at hand when registering).

When shopping, dining out or traveling, you can search for participating merchants you frequent, or search for all participating merchants in a specific ZIP code.

Get $500 off purchase or lease of selected GM vehicles Farm Bureau members in Virginia can receive a $500 incentive toward the purchase or lease of qualifying Chevrolet, GMC or Buick vehicles at participating dealerships.

The Farm Bureau GM $500 Vehicle Discount Program is available for members who are at least 18 and have been Farm Bureau members for at least 30 days. The offer can be combined with most other incentives.

To use this member benefit, visit FBAdvantage.com/Deals/GM, enter your membership number and ZIP code, and print out a Farm Bureau Membership Verification Certificate to take to your GM dealership. Members without Internet access can get assistance in acquiring a certificate from their county Farm Bureau offices.

The $500 incentive must be processed at the time of delivery; GM will not accept certificates on vehicles that already have been delivered.

Members eligible for incentive discounts on Polaris vehicles Farm Bureau members in Virginia are eligible for a manufacturer’s incentive discount of $200 to $300 on specific utility and sport vehicles and all-terrain vehicles from participating Polaris dealers.

Members should negotiate their best deals with their preferred Polaris dealers and then present a membership verification certificate prior to delivery to apply the manufacturer’s incentive discount to the final sale price.

Visit FBAdvantage.com/Deals/ Polaris, and enter your membership number and ZIP code to create and print a Farm Bureau membership verification certificate to take to your participating Polaris dealership.

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888-212-8589 VaFarmBureau.org / SPRING 2016

23

New programs help people protect pollinators It’s not just farmers who are interested in protecting pollinators. And now anyone can help save Virginia’s honeybees with two new programs.

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is encouraging Virginians to create a pollinator window box, and the Virginia Department of Transportation is offering a new “Protect Pollinators” license plate.

The plate features a hummingbird, butterflies and bees pollinating flowers. The fee to order is $10 in addition to the standard registration fee but will increase to $25 in July. The plate is available at www. dmv.virginia.gov/vehicles/#splates/info. asp?idnm=PP. “Pollinators are very important to our food supply,” said Tony Banks, commodity marketing specialist for the Virginia Farm

Bureau Federation. “Almost a third of the food we eat depends on pollination, which is mainly accomplished by native bees and honeybees.

“Most people have heard that honeybees are in decline, but many are not aware that native pollinators like bumblebees and orchard mason bees are on the decline as well.”

More than agricultural crops depend on native pollinators; they are crucial for ecosystems to thrive. They pollinate wild-

flowers, which drop seeds that are eaten by birds and small animals, which are then eaten by other animals.

State Apiarist Keith Tignor said Virginia is experiencing about a 30 percent loss of honeybee hives per year. “We are tackling the problem in a variety of ways. One way is to encourage people to plant pollinator gardens or pollinator window boxes.”

The U.S. Department of Agriculture offers helpful tips on creating a pollinator window box at pollinator.org/ windowbox. It also offers an online feature that allows users to enter a ZIP code to learn which plants will provide pollinator forage in a specific area.

"People think you have to live on a farm or have a large yard to attract bees and other pollinators, but that is not the case,” Banks said. “Even apartment dwellers can help pollinators by planting window boxes full of plants that attract the pollinators.”

Financing Country Living Since 1916 The Experts in Rural Finance Homes • Land • Construction • Livestock Barns • Outbuildings • Equipment

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FarmCredit.com

Don’t poison your neighbor’s livestock!

Use caution when discarding plants, weeds, brush

I

f you live near a livestock operation, it’s important to use caution when discarding plants, removing weeds or clearing brush on your property.

There are ornamental and native plants, as well as weeds and brush that are toxic to livestock. Toxicity of plants varies by plant part, plant health and the stress or condition of the plant.

Plants produce toxins as a defense against grazing, according to research from the University of Florida.

These toxins usually make the plants smell or taste bad, so animals generally avoid them—but not always.

“The bottom line is, you do not want to discard plant waste materials—regardless of the source—in pastures or where livestock can access and consume it,” said Tony Banks, a commodity marketing specialist for Virginia Farm Bureau Federation.

“Protect the health of your neighbor’s livestock—or your own livestock—by composting or properly disposing of all plant waste materials.”

Discarded plants and

The other side of the fence is not a good place to discard plant waste.

weeds should be placed in a garbage can, taken to a landfill, composted away from livestock, or burned. Keep compost piles far away from pastures and other areas where livestock have access.

You should never throw your discarded plants, weeds or brush over a fence onto your neighbor’s property.

“Throwing anything over the fence isn’t being a good neighbor, but you also don’t know what is on the other side of that fence,” Banks said.

Severe cases of poisoning can result in pregnant livestock aborting their young, or the death of young and adult animals.

If you’re uncertain whether something on your property is harmful to livestock, contact your local Virginia Cooperative Extension office or local Extensionadministered Master Gardner program.

Problematic plants Plants that are toxic to specific animals include the following.

Horses • bracken fern • hemlock • oleander • pokeweed

Cattle • azalea • bracken fern • coffee senna • coral ardisia • horsetail • iris

• lantana • lilies

Goats • black oak • cherry laurel • yellow jasmine • pin cherry

Poultry • bladderpod • jimson weed • sesbania

These plants also are harmful to different types of livestock: • asparagus fern • begonia • caster bean • cherry • cherry, black • croton • delphinium • English ivy

• foxglove • larkspur • milkweed • nightshade • perilla mint • red maple • rhododendron • sago palm fruit

VaFarmBureau.org / SPRING 2016

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Heart of the Home

Get ‘egg-cited’ about nutrient-packed protein source

Eggs are not only a powerhouse breakfast food; they also increase the nutritional content of other meals.

Eggs have 6 grams of high-quality protein and don’t contain sugar or carbohydrates. So if you eat them for breakfast, they provide a protein source that helps sustain mental and physical energy throughout the day. And at their low cost per serving, they’re the least-expensive source of high-quality protein available.

May is National Egg Month, so it’s a great time to re-think the use of eggs in your diet. Here’s some “egg-citing” news: The 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans removed a daily limit on dietary cholesterol and included eggs in all three of its recommended healthy eating patterns. And eggs are one of the few foods that are a good natural source of vitamin D. Additionally, egg yolks contain choline, which promotes normal cell activity, liver function and the transportation of nutrients throughout the body. It’s also key in the development of infants’ memory functions.

So jump on the egg bandwagon, and try these American Egg Board recipes for a healthy start to the day.

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Egg, Sausage and Cheddar Breakfast Bowl INGREDIENTS 2 eggs 2 tablespoons milk 2 tablespoons fully-cooked breakfast sausage crumbles or 1 fully-cooked breakfast sausage link or patty, chopped 1 tablespoon finely shredded Cheddar cheese DIRECTIONS Coat a 2-cup microwave-safe cereal bowl with cooking spray. Add eggs and milk; beat until blended. Add sausage.

Microwave on high for 45 seconds; push the cooked edges toward the center of the bowl. Microwave until the eggs are almost set, about 45 to 60 seconds longer.

Top with cheese, and serve immediately.

Heart of the Home

Make-ahead Stuffed French Toast INGREDIENTS 30 to 36 slices of French bread or baguette, ½" thick 4 ounces cream cheese, softened 1 cup strawberry preserves 8 eggs 1½ cups milk 8-ounce can crushed pineapple, undrained ¼ cup orange juice 2 teaspoons fresh orange zest 1 teaspoon vanilla ½ teaspoon salt DIRECTIONS

Happy National Egg Month! These protein powerhouses can be made into many nutritious and cost-conscious meals.

Spread half of the bread slices with cream cheese and strawberry preserves, and top with remaining bread slices to make little sandwiches.

In a greased 13"x9"x2" glass baking dish, arrange the sandwiches in a single layer.

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs until foamy. Stir in the milk, pineapple, orange juice, orange zest, vanilla and salt. Slowly pour the egg mixture over the bread.

Press the bread down firmly.

Refrigerate, covered, at least 1 hour but preferably overnight.

Before baking, heat oven to 350°. Bake in the center of the oven until puffy and golden and a knife inserted near the center comes out clean, about 45-50 minutes.

Serve with warm syrup or sliced fresh strawberries.

Chef Maxwell

returns to Farm Bureau TV program Chef John Maxwell, who hosted Chef Maxwell’s Kitchen on Virginia Farm Bureau’s television show Down Home Virginia from 2002 until 2011, is back.

Maxwell is a certified executive chef, certified culinary educator and member of the American Academy of Chefs. He holds a master’s degree in hospitality and tourism management, and has worked as a culinary professor at Stratford University’s Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management program in Newport News. He most recently chaired the Culinary Arts Department at the International Culinary School at the Art Institute of Jacksonville in Florida.

Maxwell is passionate about Southern cooking and loves to incorporate fresh Virginia ingredients whenever possible. He began hosting “Heart of the Home,” a cooking segment on Real Virginia, last month.

Real Virginia is Farm Bureau’s weekly half-hour program that airs nationwide at 3:30 p.m. on the first Saturday of each month on RFD-TV on Dish Network and DirecTV. It airs weekly on WVPT Harrisonburg, WBRA Roanoke, WCVE Richmond, WHRO Norfolk, WVVA Bluefield and WTKR Norfolk, as well as on cable systems across the state. It’s available online at VaFarmBureau.org.

VaFarmBureau.org / SPRING 2016

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Stewards of the Land

Meet CJ Isbell Keenbell Farm, Hanover County

T

he family: CJ Isbell and his father, Eddie, are partners in the operation. CJ’s cousin, Jonathan Isbell, recently joined them as a full-time employee. CJ’s wife, Jessica, and his grandparents, Joe and Kathleen Isbell, are involved in the operation as well.

The farm: CJ’s grandfather started the farm in 1951 but retired in the late ‘90s and sold the equipment, livestock and land. The farmland was rented out to others until 2008, when CJ and Eddie became the tenants and started farming it themselves. Today they own half of the 350 acres they farm.

They raise grass-fed beef, pasture-raised pork and free-range chickens, turkeys and laying hens. They process meat on-site and sell it at their retail store, local farmers’ markets and a few Richmond-area supermarkets and through a food delivery service. They also grow some specialty grains that are sold directly to bakeries, flour mills, brewers and distilleries.

Community involvement: CJ is a member of the Hanover County Farm Bureau board of directors and the Hanover Farm Bureau Young Farmers.

Stewardship practice: The Isbells utilize a nutrient management plan to keep their grazing land lush and fertile. Because their animals are raised on grass and pastureland, the animals’ waste acts as a natural fertilizer. The animals are rotated constantly from pasture to pasture so they don’t deplete the grasses and their manure is distributed evenly.

As part of the nutrient management plan, the soil is tested annually. CJ said organic matter in the soil has increased by 2½ percent over the past seven years.

The Isbells also use both warm- and cool-season cover crops to protect the soil and offer nutritious feeding for the animals. “The goal is to keep 100 percent of the land covered with vegetation as much of the year as possible,” CJ said.

The nutrient management plan specifies monitoring the crops and the soil annually to make sure both are receiving the right amount of nutrients. The Isbells keep track of crop and yield information, as well as the number of animals grazing on the land. Each year, as many as 90 head of cattle, 100 or more pigs, 2,500 meat birds and 900 laying hens in portable houses are on the property.

Three generations of Isbells posed proudly at their farm gate: CJ, Jessica, 9-year-old Faith and 6-year-old Landon are on the right. CJ’s grandparents, Joe and Kathleen Isbell, and cousin Jonathan Isbell are on the left. CJ co-owns the farm with his father, Eddie Isbell, who is not pictured.

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KATHY DIXON

Biggest source of pride: Most of the farm’s products are sold directly to customers, so “I feel a greater responsibility to our customers and the day-to-day decisions that affect the products they’re buying,” CJ said. “A lot of our conservation practices and production philosophies draw customers in, and the quality of the products keeps them coming back.”

Stewards of the Land

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Marketplace

It’s garden time; trainers saddle unridden colts, on Real Virginia Featured this month on Real Virginia, Virginia Farm Bureau’s weekly television program: • Mark Viette shows how to prepare this year’s vegetable garden.

• Agriculture is still the state’s No. 1 industry.

• Horse trainers at the Virginia Horse Festival competed in the Colt Starting Challenge USA. Real Virginia airs nationwide at 3:30 p.m. on the first Saturday of each month on RFD-TV on Dish Network and DirecTV. It airs

weekly on WVPT Harrisonburg, WBRA Roanoke, WCVE Richmond, WHRO Norfolk, WVVA Bluefield and WTKR Norfolk, as well as on cable systems across the state. It’s available online at VaFarmBureau.org.

CROPS

FOR SALE – Rear grader blade for 3-pt. hitch, 5-ft., excellent condition. $180. Stafford, VA. 540-207-9624.

available. C-Stock Farm, Scottsville. Day 434-286-2743, after 7 p.m. 434-981-1397 or 434-286-2423.

DUAL RIMS – 15x24, T-Rail, like new, $200/pr. Tractor tire, 12-ply, 16.9Lx24, excellent condition, $300. 804-458-5744.

REGISTERED ANGUS BULLS – And replacement heifers with excellent EPDs. Call for more information. 434-664-8767.

LIVESTOCK

LIVESTOCK EQUIPMENT

CHAROLAIS BULLS – High quality and easy calving.

Veterinarian owned. $1,500 to $3,500. Abingdon, VA. 276628-9543.

FOR SALE – Horse trailer, 1994 Cherokee, four-horse, aluminum, A/C, cabinets, drop-down bunk. 276-926-8574.

CHINCOTEAGUE BLUEBERRY FESTIVAL – July 22-24, 9AM-4:30PM, arts, crafts, music, kidstuff, food. All things blueberry. 757-894-2334.

FRUIT – Apples, peaches, produce, cider, wines, preserves, gifts. Johnson's Orchards Winery, Bedford, VA. danny@ iwineu.com. 540-586-3707.

DEER AND RABBIT REPELLENT – $13.95 makes 10 gallons.

Safe, effective, long-lasting, guaranteed. 540-464-1969.

Real Virginia

To view Real Virginia, visit VaFarmBureau.org.

FOR SALE – Registered paint mare. Already under saddle.

Five-years-old. Asking $3,500. 434-476-7762.

FARM EQUIPMENT PARTS – from Deere 2010 commercial backhoe 1964; Komoatsu D50 track loader 1957. Franklin County. 540-8181807.

ANGUS BULLS – Calving ease, semen tested, excellent bloodlines. Reasonably priced, good selection, delivery

2016 magazine classified ad schedule and policies Members of Virginia Farm Bureau are eligible to place one free 15-word classified ad per membership per year in Cultivate, which is mailed to associate members, or in Virginia Farm Bureau News, which is mailed to producer members.

Ads of 16 to 30 words must be accompanied by payment of $20.

Any additional ads placed by members in the same calendar year must be accompanied by payment of $10 for 15 words or fewer, or $20 for 16 to 30 words. Ads submitted without payment will be returned. We do not invoice 30

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for classified ads or provide proofs or tearsheets.

Ads with more than 30 words and ads from nonmembers will not be accepted.

Use the form on Page 31 or the online form at VaFarmBureau.org/ marketplace to place your ad. No ads or cancellations will be taken by phone.

Ads will be accepted only from members whose membership is current.

Magazine classified ads can be placed in the following five categories only: • Crops; • Farm Equipment; • Hay/Straw;

• Livestock; and • Livestock equipment.

Classified ads will be published in the following issues: • April Virginia Farm Bureau News (mailed to producer members only); • May Cultivate (mailed to associate members only); • August Cultivate (mailed to associate members only); and • September Virginia Farm Bureau News (mailed to producer members only).

Marketplace

How to place your classified ad STEP 1

Use the form below to provide contact information and the text for your ad.

• Ads will be accepted from Farm Bureau members only.

• Classified ads are not transferable.

• Please type or print.

• Classified ads will not be accepted or cancelled over the phone.

STEP 2

Indicate the issues in which you want your ad to run.

STEP 3

Select the category in which you want your ad to run (Pick one only).

STEP 4

Your first ad of 15 words or less is free with your membership.

Pricing for additional ads: 1–15 words $10/ad 16–30 words $20/ad Additional ads must be accompanied by a check (no cash) for each issue in which the ad is to appear.

• Make check payable to: Virginia Farm Bureau.

• Ads longer than 30 words will not be accepted.

Important: We are not responsible

• We do not invoice for classified ads or provide proofs or tearsheets.

• Ads submitted without payment will be returned.

for typographical errors or errors due to illegible handwriting (No refunds available). Classified ads carried in Cultivate and Virginia Farm Bureau News do not constitute an endorsement by Virginia Farm Bureau Federation and its affiliated companies and organizations.

We reserve the right to edit or reject ads, including ads that represent a business in competition with the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation, Virginia Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company or any of our affiliated or affinity partners. We reserve the right to edit or reject any advertisement that makes reference to any particular political party or group, religious belief or denomination, race, creed, color or national origin.

STEP 5

Mail your ad (and payment) to: Virginia Farm Bureau News/Cultivate Classifieds P.O. Box 27552 Richmond, VA 23261-7552 Or place it via the Virginia Farm Bureau website at VaFarmBureau.org/.

Deadlines Ads and cancellations must be received (not mailed) by the following deadlines: ISSUE DEADLINE Mailed to producer members September August 5

Moving? If your address or phone

number has changed—or is about to—don’t forget to contact your county Farm Bureau office to ensure that your membership and subscription information stays current!

Mailed to associate members August July 5

One free 15-word ad per membership per year; dues must be paid before placing ad.

NAME:___________________________________________________________________________________________ MEMBER NO.:______________________________________________________________________________________ COUNTY:_________________________________________________________________________________________ ADDRESS:________________________________________________________________________________________ CITY: __________________________________________

STATE:________________________

ZIP:______________

DAYTIME PHONE NUMBER: __________________________________ E-MAIL ADDRESS: ________________________ Ads will not be accepted without the information above

ADVERTISEMENT (one word per space; please type or print):

Category in which ad should run (select only one): q Crops q Farm Equipment q Hay/Straw q Livestock q Livestock Equipment No other categories available

1.________________________ 2.______________________ 3._________________________ 4.________________________ 5. _____________________________ 6._______________________ 7.______________________ 8._________________________ 9.________________________ 10.______________________________ ( ) 11._______________________ 12._____________________ 13.________________________ 14._______________________ 15. _____________________________ phone number

ISSUE IN WHICH AD SHOULD RUN:* q This is my one free 15-word ad for 2016 q August (mailed to associate members) q Payment enclosed: $ _____________ q S eptember (mailed to producer members) q Please place my ad in The Delmarva Farmer for 4 weeks at no additional cost to me.

Your ad will automatically be included in the online VFB Marketplace for free (Ads expire with membership).

Ad placement available for these issues only

*

VaFarmBureau.org / SPRING 2016

31

Helping Virginia agriculture grow stronger each year Virginia agriculture and forestry are year-round industries—and Virginia Farm Bureau’s commitment to farmers is year-round as well.

Your Farm Bureau membership supports local educational and safety events and provides assistance for farmers developing new or more strategic business plans. Additionally, it helps farmers engage in important dialogues with their communities and elected officials.

As a Farm Bureau member, you’re a Friend of the Farm—a supporter of agriculture and the Virginia way of life. We hope you will encourage family and friends to become Friends of the Farm as well.

Because the work never completely stops. It just changes with the seasons.

VaFarmBureau.org