NEWS FROM VNLA
LEGISLATIVE Year In Review
L
egislative advocacy is quite possibly the most important membership benefit that you don’t really even know about. As a year in review, we will share a few of the many things our board and members do throughout the year to promote our industry and advocate on those issues that impact us daily. These issues are ever-evolving and do not just stop at H-2A and H-2B labor, transportation, invasive species and noxious weeds, pollinator protection, research funding, regulation and deregulation of licensing, state and local ordinances impacting water quality and usage, land use, taxes, groundwater and rainwater harvesting and now even solar farms. It seems that our volunteers are working yearround to help protect the interests of our members. From the late evening of the VAC Legislative Appreciation Banquet to the early morning bill reviews during the General Assembly, Legislative Advocacy begins when most of us kick off our year, at MANTS. In fact, our legislative volunteers go back and forth from Baltimore to Richmond and often back again that week. Part of our advocacy is not only to educate but to thank our legislators who we often turn to in our efforts to incite change. In 2019, we were fortunate to have State Senator Ryan McDougle join us for a portion of the Banquet, which is said to be the highlight of the General Assembly. Former Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Basil Gooden also joined us and is all too familiar with what impacts our industry. Over the summer, we were honored to
have Delegate Rob Bloxom attend our Field Day at Eastern Shore of Virginia Nursery, which is in his district. It is not all banquets and photo ops, though. Board and member volunteers log thousands of miles throughout the year, making trips to Richmond and Capitol Hill to represent our industry in fly-ins, State and National Policy Meetings and are often turned to with important decisions on how to rewrite a bill to protect our members. Our Legislative Policy Committee, chaired by Seana Ankers of Meadows Farms, includes board members, as well as passionate members of our association who see the importance of taking time to help educate members of the state and local government on the true impact of policies, especially ones having to do with our industry’s largest concern — labor. While Seana Ankers represents us throughout the entire year in all areas, this is a committee that truly cannot function as a committee of one. In order to make a difference, we need the individual stories that members share with our legislators and knowledgeable representation at various working groups. Cecelia Palmer of Shade Tree Farms and West Winds Nursery often participates in fly-ins and has represented us in the Pollinator Protection Strategy Meeting. Our President, Brent Hunsinger, is the previous committee chair and still attends various committee meetings and working groups. He and Seana have represented us at the Virginia Solar Stakeholder Meetings, as well as
March 2019 Virginia Agribusiness Council National Policy Meeting
Left to Right: Seana Ankers, VNLA Legislative Policy Chair, Meadows Farms; Kyle Shreve, VAC Executive Director; Danny Shreckhise, Shreckhise Nursery; Beck Stanley, VAC Director of Government Affairs; Jim Saunders, Saunders Brothers; Doug Phillips, Phillips and Turman Tree Farm.
8 • VNLA News • Winter 2019
