Save the Date!
worked with several Farm Bureau departments to capture farm pictures for social media posts, marketing materials and the VFBF website. Jennifer Jones will lead a workshop on managing family dynamics. Jones is a trainer with Generation NEXT and the founder of GROUND, an advisory service that helps families navigate succession planning.
Also on the agenda
VFBF Annual Convention to highlight organizations’ longevity and impact “95 Years and Still Growing” is the theme of the 2021 Virginia Farm Bureau Federation Annual Convention, to be held Nov. 29 through Dec. 2 at The Williamsburg Lodge. VFBF has been an important voice advocating for the state’s farmers since 1926, and this year’s convention will celebrate the organization’s 95th anniversary by highlighting its longevity and impact. The convention is open to all Farm Bureau members. All attendees, including credentialed voting delegates, should register for hotel accommodations and meals online at vafb.swoogo.com/convention2021.
Featured speakers
U.S. Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Dr. Jewel H. Bronaugh will be the keynote speaker during the Farm to Table Luncheon on Nov. 30. Bronaugh was appointed the 16th commissioner of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services in 2018 by Gov. Ralph Northam and previously served as the Virginia state executive director for the USDA Farm Service Agency. In 2019 she launched the Farmer Stress Task Force to raise awareness and coordinate resources to address farm stress and mental health concerns in Virginia. She also helped establish the Virginia Food Access Investment Fund and Program, the first statewide program of its kind to address food access within historically marginalized communities. Other speakers include Sam Kieffer, American Farm Bureau Federation vice president of public affairs, who will discuss national policies with county Farm Bureau delegates on Dec. 1. Other speakers had been invited but had not been confirmed at press time.
Workshops
The Nov. 30 and Dec. 1 general sessions will include important legislative updates, remarks from invited guests and policy discussion. It is during the annual convention that delegates from each county Farm Bureau help shape VFBF state and federal policies for the coming year. There also will be elections for directors to represent Districts 2, 5, 8, 11 and 14. In addition, the winners of the 2021 Journalism Awards will be recognized for their thorough, fair and balanced agricultural news coverage during the Nov. 30 luncheon. Judging will take place Nov. 30 for the VFBF Young Farmers Achievement Award. The winner, and the winner of the Young Farmers Discussion Meet, will be announced at breakfast on Dec. 1. A Dec. 1 awards banquet will include presentations of VFBF Distinguished Service Awards and County Farm Bureau Awards of Excellence.
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95 Years and Still Growing
Attendees can choose from four educational workshops on Nov. 30. Workshop topics include smartphone photography, managing family dynamics, rights of way, and mental health. Jonathan Mayo, owner of Jonathan Mayo Photography, will share his expertise on taking photos and videos with smartphones to capture emotion. Mayo has
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