june 2011 fbn

VirgniaFarm Bureau News June 2011

VaFarmBureau.org

HIGH TUNNELS EXTEND SEASONS,EXPAND CROP OPTIONS

Departments5 Your Membership Advantage

25 In the Garden

26 Good for You!

27 Taste of Virginia

29 Member Marketplace

Contents8 High tunnels extend seasons, expand crop options

High tunnel use on Virginia farms has resulted in extended growing seasons and Virginia-grown papayas.

16 Extension and its services remain a Farm Bureau priority Farmers all over the state say they need and value the services of Virginia Cooperative Extension. That’s why Farm Bureau has been working to keep Extension sufficiently funded and viable.

22 Glass is always half-full for award-winning agency manager “It’s about teamwork and family” an award-winning Virginia Farm Bureau insurance agency manager says of his work. In his spare time, it’s all about cooking from scratch.

Virginia Farm Bureau News (USPS 017-763)(ISSN 1525-528X) is published six times ayear, January, March, May, June, August, September/October (combined issue).It is published by Virginia Farm Bureau Federation, 12580 West Creek Parkway,Richmond, VA 23238. Periodicals postage rate is paid in Richmond, VA. The annualsubscription rate is $1.42 (included inmembership dues).

Postmaster: Please send changesof address to, Virginia Farm Bureau Federation, Farm Bureau News, P.O.Box 27552, Richmond, VA 23261-7552;fax 804-290-1096. Editorial and businessoffices are located at 12580 West Creek Parkway, Richmond, VA 23238. Telephone804-290-1000, fax 804-290-1096. E-mail address is [email protected]. Office hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.,Monday through Friday.

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.

All advertising is accepted subject to the publisher’s approval. Advertisers mustassume liability for the content of their advertising. The publisher maintainsthe right to cancel advertising for non-payment or reader complaints aboutservices 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 Editory

Kathy Dixon Sr. Staff Writer/Photographer

Sara Owens Staff Writer/Photographer

Bill Altice Graphic Designer

Maria La Lima Graphic Designer

Cathy Vanderhoff Advertisingf

On the CoverEmmett Snead of Caroline County first began using high tunnel structures to grow tomatoes (Photo by Sara Owens).

8

virginia farm bureau federation

Officers Wayne F. Pryor, PresidentEdward A. Scharer, Vice President

Board of Directorsdirector district county

Emily Edmondson 1 TazewellArchie B. Atwell 2 SmythEvelyn H. Janney 3 FloydGordon R. Metz 4 HenryStephen L. Saufley 5 RockinghamyPeter A. Truban 6 ShenandoahThomas E. Graves 7 OrangeH. Carl Tinder Sr. 8 AlbemarleHenry E. Wood 9 BuckinghamJoseph H. Williams 10 PittsylvaniaJ. M. Jenkins 11 LunenburgW. Ellis Walton 12 MiddlesexM. L. Everett Jr. 13 SouthamptonDavid L. Hickman 14 AccomackJanice R. Burton * HalifaxRobert Harris ** Pittsylvania

*Women’s Committee Chairman**Young Farmers Committee Chairman

Virgniaarm Bureau News

ggVolume 70, Number 4June 2011

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publication scheduleProducer members will receive their next issue of Farm Bureau News in August. The magazine isspublished six times a year.

VirginiaFarmBureau.com june 2011 3

Noteworthy QQuote

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Augusta County dairymanDaDann HoHolslsiningegerr, faftter

an April 19 meeting ofof S Shehenanandndoaoahh VaValllleyey dairy farmers and U.S.

Environmental Protection AgAgenencycy o offfficiciaialsls..

The 2011 Virginia Farm Bureau Federation Annual Convention will run from Tuesday,Nov. 29, through Thursday, Dec. 1, reflecting a change from the Monday-through-Wednesday schedule used in recent years.

The event will be held at the Norfolk Waterside Marriott hotel.Agenda details and registration information will be available this fall.

Thomas Sanford dies; was former Farm Bureau treasurer, accountant

Thomas J. Sanford of Richmond, who worked for Virginia FarmBureau for 39 years, died April 19. He was 87.

Mr. Sanford was hired as director of accounting and treasurer for all of the Virginia Farm Bureau companies in 1950. In 1988he assumed the role of director of fiscal services until he retired in 1989.

He also served as director of the Information Services Department. During those years, his duties as treasurer included many other tasks that are performed today by other departments, said Peggy McClelland, assistant treasurer and

financial reporting manager. McClelland worked with Mr. Sanford for 20 years.McClelland said Mr. Sanford loved the Farm Bureau federation and its mission.“Even though he was responsible for the financials of all of our companies, the

one document he would request from me each year after his retirement was not thefinancials but the voting delegate handbook. I even provided him a copy just last year.He always wanted to stay on top of the resolutions.”

Mr. Sanford is survived by four siblings, four children and 11 grandchildren.

Annual Convention will start on Tuesday this year

>> save the date

Sanford

Virginia Farm Bureau Federation’s annual convention will return to Norfolk for the first time since 2005.

4 Virginia Farm Bureau News SaveOurFood.org

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GROUP INSURANCEAsAs a bb iusinesness os ownewn r, youyou knk knowowow howhowhow th the e cost of heallthth insinsuraurancence is k skyroyrockecketinting. g. Lete Farm BBureureauau comcomparp e plans from multiltipleple carriers and offer objectitive, e perpersonson-toto-pep rsonguidance as you make your decisions.

VVirginia FaaFarm Bureau Ser Servicevice Cor Cor Corporaporationtion is is an indeppendent authorized agent in Virginia for Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield. Anthem Health Plans of Virginia, Inc. trades as Anthem Blue Crossss and and Blu Blue She Shieldield in in ViVirggiiniania, an, and itd its service area is all ofofofVirgVirginia excepteptept for fo the City of Fairfax,f the the Tow Town ofn of Vie Viennanna, andd and hthe the are area eaa east ost of Sf Stf Stateate RRoutRoute 12e 12 A3 A3. A hnthenthe Blm Blm Bl Cue Cue Crossross dand and BlBlu Blu She She Shi ldieldield dand and iits its ffiaffi affililiatliat d Hed Hed HMO HMO HMO H lealtealthKhKeehKeeperspers In, Inc ac. are ire indepndependeendent lnt licenicenseessees of of hthe BlBlue C Cross Blue Shield Association.on.on. ®A®ANT®A HEM is ais a regregisteist red trademarmark Tk. Tk. The Bhhe Blue lue ue Cross and Blue Shield names and symbols are registered marks of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. For exclusions, limitations, terms under which the ppolicy may y bey concon continutinued ied in fonn forceerce dor dor diiscontinued, costs ats annd comppletelet detetailsails of of the t coverage, call or write your insurance agent or the company, whichever is applicable.

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U T H O R I Z E D G E N TA AN D E P E N D E N TI

YF Summer Expo will be in Southampton County

Virginia Farm Bureau Federation Young Farmers will gather July 29 and 30 in Southampton County for their annual Summer Expo.

The event is open to anyone ages 18 to 35 and is gearedtoward people who support agriculture through production,education, promotion and leadership.

This year’s event will include tours of farm equipmentmanufacturers Amadas Industries and the Tidewater AgriculturalResearch and Extension Center in Suffolk.

There also will be tours of Stihl’s plant in Virginia Beach and the Wakefield Peanut Co.

There is no registration fee. Registration includes all programevents and most meals. Participants are required to make andpay for their hotel arrangements and any optional tours.

Agenda and registration information is available atVaFarmBureau.org/youngfarmers and from the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation Women and Young Farmers Department at804-290-1032.

Farm Bureau- and food-related topics are focus of e-newsletter, video blog and social media presence

If you haven’t signed up to receive Connections, Virginia FarmBureau’s monthly e-newsletter for its Save Our Food campaign,look for sign-up links on many of the pages at SaveOurFood.org.

Connections delivers a broad range of articles compiled by Farm Bureau staff about farming and food issues and their impact on the foods consumers choose for their families.

Also, get The Real DirtFarm Bureau uses The Real Dirt, its video blog on YouTube

(TheRealDirtVA) and VaFarmBureau.org, to share insights into issues of concern to the organization’s producer members.

Become a farm followerKeep up with Virginia’s largest farm advocacy group via Twitter

(twitter.com/VaFarmBureau(( ) and Facebook (facebook.com/VaFarmBureau), and get Farm Bureau’s latest articles, video of the week and more.

>> save the date


Your Membership Advantage

Members get competitive grain prices, payment options and transportation

Virginia Farm Bureau Federation has offered grain marketing services to producer members since 1972 and currently offers competitive options for barley, corn, oats, soybeans and wheat.

The VFBF Grain Division is a fully licensed and bonded dealer. Producers have the option of cash sales, forward cash contracts, deferred-payment contracts, guaranteed minimum price contracts and basis contracts. Farm Bureau guarantees payment, and staff can arrange transportation for each sale.

Dairy and livestock producers can purchase feed ingredients through the Grain Division. Products currently available are cottonseed, distillery grains, gluten feed, hominy,soyhulls and soybean meal, all delivered directly to the buyer’s farm.

Members also can call the Grain Division during office hours to get market quotes.For more information call Grain Manager David Coleman at 800-233-8323.

Farm Bureau members save at hotels all over North America

Making travel plans for this summer?Your Farm Bureau membership gives you

access to two programs offering significant savings at thousands of hotels in NorthAmerica.

Advance reservations are required, andblackout dates may apply.

Wyndham Hotel GroupThe Wyndham Hotel Group discount

program covers stays at 7,000 Baymont Inn & Suites, Days Inn, Hawthorne Suites,Howard Johnson, Knights Inn, MicrotelInns & Suites, Ramada, Super 8 Motel,Travelodge, Wingate, and Wyndham Hotels and Resorts locations. The discounted rateof 10 percent less than the “Best Available Rate” publicly available on the Internetis subject to availability at participating locations.

Simply call 877-670-7088 (or 800-889-9707 for Super 8) to make your reservation, and give your Virginia Farm Bureau IDnumber—67496. Then, be prepared to show your current Farm Bureau member card when you check in.

You also can visit Wyndham.com for reservations and other information.

Choice HotelsThe Choice Hotels discount program

offers savings of 20 percent at more than 5,000 Clarion, Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites,Econo Lodge, MainStay Suites, Quality Inn,Rodeway Inn, Sleep Inn, and Suburban locations.

Simply call Choice Hotels Internationalat 800-258-2847, and give your VirginiaFarm Bureau ID number—00800605—when you make your reservation. Be prepared to show your Farm Bureau member card whenyou check in.

You also can visit ChoiceHotels.com for reservations and other information.

Your membership helps Farm Bureau enhance members’ lives by

promoting and supporting agriculture. It also affords you access

to a variety of benefits and services available to members of your

immediate household. For more information or details on all of

your Farm Bureau member benefits, contact your county Farm

Bureau office or visit VaFarmBureau.org/Benefits.

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Virginia Farm Bureau members have an opportunity to receive free tickets to seven different concerts at Farm Bureau Live at Virginia Beach, formerly the Virginia BeachAmphitheater.

Details are available at FarmBureauLive.com. Tickets will be released on a first-come, first-served basis and are limited to 1,000 tickets at each designated show.

Additionally, members who buy lawn seating tickets to concerts at the amphitheater can get a free lawn chair rental simply by showing their membership cards.

Farm Bureau’s Save Our Food campaign is the sponsor of the venue’s CountryMegaticket—a series of six big-name country concerts.

The Megaticket line-up features Brad Paisley on June 3, Rascal Flatts on June 19,Tim McGraw on July 9, Toby Keith on July 23, Kenny Chesney on Aug. 4 and Jason Aldeanon Sept. 11.

Special package pricing is available for the concerts, and tickets can be purchased at megaticket.com.

Get free concert tickets!®


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More than 5,000 people found VirginiaFarm Bureau’s 2010 Save Our FoodSummer Festival to be a cool family funoption on a scorching-hot day.

This year, the festival will return, with a new name: the Virginia Food & Wine Festival. It will run from noon to 5 p.m. on July 24 in the air-conditioned Farm BureauCenter at The Meadow Event Park.

Guests will be able to sample lots of Virginia foods and wines, enjoy live music and children’s activities and watch some of Virginia’s top barbecue teams compete.

Details and driving directions areavailable at SaveOurFood.org, in the “Connect” section.

Save Our Food festival returns

>> save the date


By Sara Owens

Some producers call them “tall tunnels.” Others call them “hoop houses.”

While the structures’ name—and size—may vary, several Virginia producershave been using high tunnels for years to extend their growing seasons in a cost-effective way.

“If it’s 32 degrees outside, it’s 42 degrees inside”

Dennis Dove and his wife, Tenley Weaver, of Full Circle Organic Farm inFloyd County use “hoop houses” to raiseorganic produce.

Dove purchased his first high tunnel atan auction in the early ’90s.

“We didn’t know what to call them then. They’re just unheated structures that used sheets of plastic instead of glass, that hada hoop frame, like a greenhouse,” he said.

By adding one layer of plastic, Dove saidhe can change the climate by 10 degrees.

“If it’s 32 degrees outside, it’s 42 degrees inside the tunnel.”

Dove said plant diseases are “almost non-existent, because the high tunnel is well-ventilated and the plants are not sprayedwith water from above.”

His trickle irrigation system operateswith little labor and uses lines that run under the rows, keeping the plants’ leaves dry.

“It gives me the capacity to slow trickle at the right time, the right place and using the right amount of water,” Dove said.

For example, cherry tomatoes do notneed a lot of water, and they bear sweeterfruit when water is withheld.

Dove said it is important for new growers to look at what’s involved with high tunnels and determine what isneeded for a successful crop.

“Starting slower is definitely better,” hesaid. “You can’t keep up with it all if you do too much at first.”

High tunnels extend seasons, expand crop options

Dove said he has learned a lot over the years, including how to rotate crops so that he has decent production 10 monthsout of the year.

“People are hungry for greens during the cooler parts of the year, and this helpsfill an increasing demand for local cold-season crops.”

Farmers also are able to hold their place at farmers’ markets by having early and late produce.

“If you bring your early or late crop,

people will recognize you and remember your quality during the peak season,”Dove said.

He is enthusiastic about the future.“I’m not as nimble as I once was, and

using high tunnels allows me to operate the farm a lot easier by myself and will help extend my farming career,” he said.“I used to say I would farm until I was70—now I think I can push it to 80. It’sreally a great thing.”

HIGH TUNNELS

Left page: Floyd County farmers Dennis Dove and Tenley Weaver use high tunnel structures to grow produce, herbs and edible flowers. Over the years they have learned how to rotate crops for good production 10 months out of the year. This page: Dove said using high tunnels will allow him to extend not only growing seasons but also his farming career. “Now I think I can push it to 80,” he noted.

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Easy to build, “but you can’t go off and leave it”

Emmett Snead of Snead’s Farm in Caroline County started using high tunnels“for the love of tomatoes, and secondly tomake money.”

Anyone, he said, can build a high tunnel,“you just have to start.”

Snead is able to get two tomato crops each year. He can harvest as many of histomatoes off a high tunnel as he can off one acre planted outdoors.

He typically harvests his early tomatoesin May and continues to harvest until the first hard freeze, sometimes intoDecember.

Snead plants the tomatoes withhomemade cedar stakes and uses different-colored plastic bed covers—red for early tomatoes and aluminum-colored for late tomatoes.

White or aluminum plastic keeps plantscooler during warm weather and also reflects light, confusing some pests that fly to the top of the high tunnel and die from the extreme temperatures.

Snead keeps bees in his tunnels to aidin pollination and uses a drip irrigation system. He typically waters 2 hours a day.

“You decide when they drink, notnature,” he said. “Tomatoes that are grown outside, when they receive too much water they split open before they’re even ripe.”

Snead said high tunnel farming is morework than growing outdoors, but it’s rewarding.

“You really have to baby-sit a hightunnel. You can’t go off and leave it,” he said. “If you go away that will be themorning that it’s hot, and you’ll end up with fried green tomatoes.”

Snead recommends new growers start slowly with high tunnels, putting up one small tunnel instead of two.

“They’re a lot of work, but there are many benefits too.”

Upper photo: Producer Emmett Snead of Caroline County grows two crops of tomatoes each year in his high tunnels. Lower photo: Snead’s high tunnel environments include drip irrigation and bees to help with pollination.

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V irginia State University’sRandolph Farm is conducting extensive research for Virginia

Cooperative Extension on high tunnelsand their value to Virginia producers.

“Growers are interested in extending their growing season, especially those withlimited resources and smaller spaces,” saidChris Mullins, Extension greenhouse crops specialist at VSU.

High tunnels can be utilized for a variety of different types of crops.

“A grower may plant a perennial berry,annual tomato, collard greens or lettuce and grow those through the winter,” Mullins said. “Then they may grow something else in the spring and summer and keep the tunnel utilized all the time.”

Producers can easily get two production cycles a year from one tunnel, but “there is a learning curve involved in using any type of protective culture,” Mullins said.

Growers also need to use creativemarketing to make high tunnel growing successful, said Dr. Reza Rafie, an Extension horticulture specialist at VSU.

“You will not make money if you aren’t aggressive or proactive,” he said. “You willget the best prices earlier or later in theyear, but only if you understand how themarket works.”

VSU is always looking for alternative crops to assist growers in making moremoney. High tunnel structures open up new opportunities, Rafie said. High tunnels at Randolph Farm are being used

to experiment with subtropical fruits suchas mango, papaya and lychee nuts.

“Using a high tunnel structure, we wereable to produce the first Virginia-grown papaya,” Rafie said. “It’s never been donebefore.”

Rafie said that part of VSU’s research and Extension project is to test-market high tunnel-grown crops and see if early-and late-season harvests can bring in premium prices for growers.

Since 2009, VSU has obtained several grant projects to assist with theproduction and marketing of berry crops. The university is working with 20 smallVirginia farms in producing and marketing crops that include high tunnel-grownblackberries and raspberries.

High tunnels are high priority at VSU’s Randolph Farm

HIGH TUNNELS

Greenhouse crops specialist Chris Mullins (left) and Dr. Reza Rafie, horticulture specialist, examine raspberry plants in a high tunnel at Virginia State University’s Randolph Farm.

photos by sara owens

Papayas are among experimental crops being grown in high tunnels at VSU. So are mangoes and lychee nuts.


HIGH TUNNELS

Facts:• High tunnels cost on average $3 per square foot for

materials and $1-$2 per square foot for construction. You can buy a high tunnel kit and have it installed or install it yourself, or you can build your own from scratch.

• The average size of a high tunnel is 20 to 30 feet wide by 96 feet long.

• To control the temperature in a high tunnel, open up or drop the sides to cool the tunnel and raise or cover the sides to warm it.

• Some producers choose to use backup energy sources such as propane or electric heaters to get through cold snaps.

A closer look at high tunnels …

Why use high tunnels?• To extend growing seasons

• To experiment with different crops

• To save space

• To pay less than the cost of a greenhouse

• To avoid some plant disease and pest problems

• As part of a best management plan because there is little to no pesticide or fertilizer runoff


Virginia’s horse industry has an annual economic impact of $1.2 billion, according tostudy findings announced March 17 by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

The study was prepared by the University of Virginia Weldon Cooper Center for PublicService and funded by the Virginia Horse Industry Board.

Virginia has “a rich history and a long legacy of great horses, famous horsemen and horsewomen, ideal conditions and resources for raising horses and an establishedinfrastructure for a variety of equine activities,” said Spencer Neale, a commodity marketing specialist for Virginia Farm Bureau Federation. “All of this, coupled with our large population base, is what allows the industry to generate such significant economic activities.”

The largest areas of economic impact continue to be in Northern Virginia, with more than1,600 horse-related jobs in Fauquier and Loudoun counties. The largest employment impact is in Rockbridge Country, home to the Virginia Horse Center.

The horse industry in Virginia generates $65.3 million in state and local taxes, with more than 50 percent of that figure representing state taxes.

Nearly 1,200 horse shows and events were held in Virginia in 2010, generating $25 million in revenue, and about 939,000 people attended Virginia horse shows and competitions last year. Out-of-state participantsspent an average of $3,100per event.

The commonwealth is ranked 12th nationwide for the number of horses. The 2007 Census of Agriculture found that, while the overall number of farms in Virginia decreased between 1997 and 2007, the number of farms withhorses increased from10,972 to 13,520.

The post-2007 economic downturn has had an impact on the equine industry, both in Virginia and nationwide, Neale noted. “A large percentage of horses are owned and kept for pleasure, and many of the related expenses beyond feed,veterinary care andpasturing or stabling are somewhat discretionary.However, the Virginiahorse industry is here tostay; it is an ingrained and important part of our economy and our agricultural heritage and—like all economic sectors—experiences cyclical ups anddowns.”

Viewing Virginia

Infrastructure helps state horse industry have $1.2 billion impact

Honeybees continue to struggle, state apiarist tells farmers

One of Virginia’smost valuable agricultural assets, thehoneybee,continues to struggle tosurvive.

Diseaseproblems,a syndromecalled colony collapse disorder, and cold weather hit the state’s bee population hard againlast winter.

“This past year we’re probably seeing higher losses than the year before,” said Keith Tignor, state apiarist with the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. “We’re still surveying, and it will be a few months before we know exactresults. But informally we’re hearing of lots of bee losses.”

Winter honeybee losses have averaged 31 percent over the past decade, according to statistics reported by Tignor to the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation Emerging Agricultural Enterprises Committee.

A rapid decline in commercial honeybee operations has made it more difficult to maintain a viable honeybee population in Virginia, he said. In 1950 the state had83,149 bee colonies, but in 2010 that number had declined to 5,000.

VDACS and Virginia CooperativeExtension are working to change that through education and encouraging more Virginians to raise and keep bees.Beekeepers and people interested in raising bees are encouraged to visit the Virginia Pollinator website at vdacs.virginia.gov/plant&pest/pollinator.shtml.

“We’re also encouraging beekeepers to look for local queen supplies and for local bees to start new colonies with,” Tignor said. “That will help us get bees that are acclimated to our climate, our winters and summers, our rainfall and droughts."

In 1950 Virginia had 83,000 commercial bee colonies. Last year it had 5,000.

The most recent Census of Agriculture found more than 13,500 Virginia farms had horses. Equine events in the commonwealth generated $25 million in revenue in 2010.


There is a lot more to towing a trailer than just hitching it up and taking off.

“It’s important that the hitch on the tow vehicle be connected to the frame of the trailer with the proper size ball mount and ball,” said Jimmy Maass, safety manager for Virginia Farm Bureau. “It’s equallyas important to make sure the load youare hauling, such as hay, is tied downproperly.”

According to Virginia’s trailer laws, afifth wheel, drawbar, trailer hitch or similar device must be structurally adequate for the weight being drawn and properly secured and mounted. It also should provide for adequate articulation at the connection without excessive slack, and have a locking device that prevents accidental separation of the trailer and passenger vehicle.

Users also should use a padlock to secure a tongue-locking device; however, apin and safety clip would work too, Maass said.

Reflectors or reflective material are required to be displayed on the rear of a

trailer. Every utility trailer that does not require state inspection should have twoor more reflectors or at least 100 square inches of solid reflective material.

When transporting objects on a trailer it is important that the load be properlysecured. To make sure you travel safely with hay, follow the following safety tips:

• Check all straps and chains for frays, breaks and tears, and replace them if they are damaged. Straps are cheap com-pared to the loss of a load.

• Make sure you have enough straps or chains to hold the load you are carrying.

• Be sure the points to which you tie or connect the straps or chains are strong enough to support the load if it moves.

• After driving a few miles, stop and check straps or chains to make sure they haven’t come loose.

• If the bales are round, make sure they are strapped so they will not roll off thewagon or trailer.

Tow trailers safely, securely

When it’s hot and dry outside, conditions are ideal for machinery fires.Keeping all farm machinery equipped with a fire extinguisher could make the difference

between saving the equipment and watching it burn. In addition, you’ll save insurancepremium dollars and help keep your rates as low as possible.

Virginia Farm Bureau Safety has a program to assist members in protecting certain pieces of farm equipment from loss by fire by providing, at no cost to members, one 10-pound ABC-type fire extinguisher with a mounting bracket for each piece of eligible equipment insured by Farm Bureau. Eligible equipment includes self-propelled grain combines; self-propelled haybines; self-propelled forage harvesters; self-propelled cotton pickers; self-propelledpeanut combines; and track-type bulldozers.

In addition, should the extinguisher be used, or leak down for any reason, Farm Bureau will have it recharged at no cost.

Members also can purchase the following fire extinguishers and mounting brackets at areduced rate:

• 2½-pound ABC fire extinguisher with bracket;• 5-pound ABC fire extinguisher;• 10-pound ABC fire extinguisher with wall hanger;• 10-pound ABC fire extinguisher with mounting bracket;• 2½-gallon water fire extinguisher (empty); and• 2½-gallon water fire extinguisher mounting bracket;

Contact your county Farm Bureau office to find out more and to be sure your equipment is properly insured.

Fire extinguisher program helps protect farm equipment

‘It’s important thatthe hitch on the tow vehicle be connected to the frame of the trailer with theproper size ball mount and ball.’

— Jimmy Maasssafety manager, Virginia Farm Bureau


Extension agents are integral part of agricultureBy Kathy Dixon

T here are farmers in Madison and Orange counties who say they

couldn’t farm without the help of their Virginia Cooperative Extension agents.

“Even though there’s a wealth of knowledge on the Internet, it’s all aboutsaving time,” said Kevin Powell, cattlemanager at Duck Farm Inc. in MadisonCounty. “I can call Steve and Brad, and they can come out to my farm and identify problems; you can’t do that witha computer.”

Powell and others say Extension agriculture and natural resources agentsBrad Jarvis in Madison and Steve Hopkins in Orange are an integral part of the local ag community.

The duo provides a snapshot of agriculture Extension work being done across the state.

Graves Mountain Lodge in Madison County is a farm-to-table operation thatuses Extension expertise for all aspects of the business, from orchard production tofood safety.

“We depend on their advice for everything,” said owner Jim Graves. “My father used Extension knowledge, I useExtension and my sons use Extension.”

The farm has been the site of testplots for corn and fruits, and the Graves family has served as hosts for educationalExtension programs on their property.

Agents help solve problemsExtension agents are working with the

Graveses on an integrated pest managementprogram in their apple orchards. The focuslast year was on oriental fruit moths, butthis year it’s on brown marmorated stinkbugs, said Lynn Graves, who manages the orchards.

In order to improve the effectiveness of chemicals applied to the apples, it’s critical to spray only at certain stages of the insects’ life, Jarvis explained. Using weather data and information frompheromone traps, he can predict the besttime to treat for the pests.

The Graveses are among farm families that ANR Extension agents assist on a regular basis.

“Both of these guys are programmedin my phone,” said Joe Johnson, owner of Clover Hill East, a beef cattle, grain and hay farm in Madison County. “An Extension “agent’s knowledge is invaluable.”

When Johnson was having troublegrowing orchardgrass, Jarvis found the problem—bill bugs—and told him how to treat them. Hopkins has helped him markethis beef cattle through the Central Virginia Cattleman’s Association, which Hopkinsformed in 1998.

“We need local agents who understand the area and the farming that’s done there,” Johnson said.

“Definitely better off ”due to services

In Orange County, dairyman MonkSanford said Hopkins “has been excellent athelping me identify problems like noxiousweeds and disease in my crops.

“I am definitely better off because of my Extension agent.”

When Sanford’s oat crop was being decimated by barley yellow dwarf,Hopkins discovered there were no otheroat varieties resistant to the virus, so hesuggested Sanford switch to wheat.

“In the region where I live, Extension isan integral part of the farming community,” Sanford said.

Meetings help Extension reach many

Since Extension agents can’t visit every farm in their county on a regular basis, they hold meetings periodically to reach a larger audience. “We do a lot of one-on-one work, but producer meetings allow us to reach more people,” Jarvis said.

The topic of the meetings depends on current issues. At a late-April meeting at the Northern Piedmont Agricultural Research and Extension Center inOrange, farmers heard from a nationalexpert on the advantages of cross-breeding beef cattle, and Jarvis shared theresults of recent forage and orchardgrasstrials at the AREC.

“This research station provides independent testing that compares variety A with variety B. If they didn’t, thecompanies that produce the seed would skew the statistics,” said Ted Haberland, manager of Glenwood Agriculture Co. inOrange County. “We need the independent knowledge that Extension provides.”

Virginia Cooperative Extension Agent Steve Hopkins (left) and Madison County producer Joe Johnson checked orchardgrass for bill bug damage. Johnson has speed dial numbers on his phone for both local agriculture Extension agents. “An Extension agent’s knowledge is invaluable,” he said.


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“ We need local agents who understand the area and the farming that’s done there.”

— Joe Johnson, Clover Hill East

Extension “is an integral part of the farming community,” said Orange County dairyman Monk Sanford (left), shown examining his wheat and crimson clover with Hopkins. When Sanford had trouble with weed and crop disease problems while growing oats, Hopkins recommended he switch to wheat.


William Graves, 10, of Madison County, is training Dead Eye, his 4-H show pig, for the county fair. This is William’s first year in 4-H, an Extension program that teaches youth a variety of leadership, citizenship and life skills.


By Kathy Dixon

Controlling gray leaf spot disease on corn, predicting annual diesel

fuel use and using GPS to fertilize a field are just drops in the bucket of services provided by Virginia Cooperative Extension.

Through its county offices andspecialized agents, Extension brings the resources of Virginia’s land-grant universities—Virginia Tech and Virginia State University—to farmers and consumers alike.

“When Extension was established,it was created to address a spectrum of needs; from production on the farm toconsumption at the table,” said Dr. Edwin Jones, director of Virginia Cooperative Extension and associate dean of Virginia Tech’s College of Agriculture and LifeSciences. “Extension was all about how toimprove the lives of people, and it’s still about that.”

The Hatch Act of 1887 created theagricultural experiment station programand authorized direct payment of federal grant funds to establish research centersat the state’s land-grant institutions. Thefirst U.S. Extension agent, Seaman Knapp,visited Texas farmers in 1903 to discuss the spread of the cotton boll weevil and began demonstration farms to research how tocombat the pest.

Three years later, Knapp came to Virginia and asked T.O. Sandy of Burkeville to start a demonstration farm in Virginia.

Today, Extension staff deliver educational programs to Virginia citizens through a network of 106 county and city offices,six 4-H educational centers and 12Agricultural Research and Extension Centers. Extension is funded throughthe cooperative efforts of local, state andfederal governments.

There are four main program areas under the umbrella of Extension.Agriculture and natural resources is

focused on helping farmers be moreproductive; family and consumer sciences focuses on the health and nutrition of Virginia consumers; 4-H teaches youthleadership skills; and community viability concentrates on strengthening the economic viability of communities.

For farmers, research conducted at Virginia Tech and VSU and at the ARECs can be vital to their operations.

“Research has to be translated intopractical application,” Jones said. And that’s what local Extension agents do for farmers.

Likewise, family and consumer scienceExtension agents interpret ground-breaking nutritionand health research and apply it for those living in their communities.

“Extension helpsfarmers be profitable, helps the community be healthy and helpsyouth with leadership development,” Jones said.“Local agents create trustin the knowledge that’stransmitted.”

Many farmers get training from their local Extension agentson soil testing or pest identification. Some getfinancial planning orfarm transition help fromExtension as well.

Young people ages 5 to 19 who participate in 4-H learn leadership, citizenship and an array of life skills.

An important part of Extension’s ability to meet the needs of Virginians isthrough the use of trained volunteers, Jones said.The Virginia Associationof Adult 4-H VolunteerLeaders Inc. and the Virginia Master Gardeners

are just two examples of volunteers who extend the universities’ reach. The positions require little funding other than the cost of initial training provided by the state.

And now, in the atmosphere of funding cuts and re-allocations, maintaining an Extension presence in all Virginia localitiesis of high importance, Jones said.

He has been the Extension director sinceApril 1 and is looking forward to engaging Extension’s many stakeholders “to ensure a vibrant future for Extension in the new era of constrained financial resources.

“We’re all in this together,” he said.

Extension provides numerous services to farmers and consumers

Extension agent Brad Jarvis (left) recently helped Madison County producer Lynn Graves install a mate interruption trap to help prevent orchard damage by pests.


Local Extension offices and agents are a Farm Bureau priority By Kathy Dixon

B efore Tazewell County had its current Virginia Cooperative Extension

agriculture and natural resources agent, there were several years when the county’s farmers had no one to help diagnose production problems.

Part-time farmer Eric Whitesell experienced that with a crop of grapes.Something was ruining the fruit, but hedidn’t know what, and he didn’t have anExtension agent to help him identify the problem.

“Without an examination, it is impossible to make a diagnosis, much less prescribe a treatment,” said Whitesell, president of the Tazewell County Farm Bureau.

In order to realize the benefits of agricultural research that is conducted atVirginia’s Agricultural Extension Research Centers, “you need a human being who cancome out to the farm and tell you how you can apply that research,” Whitesell said.

That’s why Tazewell County pushedfor an ANR Extension agent after that position was vacant for several years. Itjoined other counties and the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation in pressing the General Assembly for full funding for Virginia Cooperative Extension programs.

Amidst threats to cut the number of agents, the Extension budget and the funding for various research programs, FarmBureau lobbyists and members worked toconvince legislators of the importance of local Extension agents and offices.

“We have asked the General Assembly toensure that local Extension offices house at least one agriculture Extension agent, one 4-H agent and one secretary and that those positions are funded,” said Martha Moore, VFBF vice president of governmentalrelations. “Extension helps farmers remain profitable, and the agents translate complex research information into practical, hands-on application for farmers.”

In 2003, Extension and the ARECs faced a huge budget reduction, which has influenced the amount of staffing.

Extension is treated as a separateagency for funding purposes and relies on dedicated state, federal and local support. It can’t be supported by student-generated revenues and falls under the direction of Virginia Tech’sboard of visitors.

The General Assembly has supportedbuilding back the losses, but state budget cuts in 2007 eliminated most of the gainsthat had been made, Moore said.

In 2010, Virginia Tech proposed a restructuring plan for Extension, butVirginia farmers “felt the proposed planabandoned the emphasis of the localdelivery of service,” Moore said.

Since then, Virginia Tech’s president has suspended the restructuring plan,committing to further engage internal and external stakeholders in developing a restructuring plan to meet the challengesof limited resources.

Smyth County beef cattle producer C.W. Pratt said he uses Extension research on a daily basis. “My Extension agent was extremely instrumental in helping me develop a program stressing the importance of producing superior genetics through breeding, selection,record-keeping and performance testing in establishing my purebred Angus herd,”Pratt said.

He said Extension agents are helpful to beginning farmers as well as established farmers. “This is why I feel it is extremely important to have an Extension agent in every county.”

Rob Hall, a Northumberland County corn and soybean farmer who recently losthis ANR Extension agent, agreed.

“An Extension agent is someone close by who can provide information we needto farm more productively,” Hall said.“I live about a quarter-mile from the Northumberland Extension office, and I could go there and ask an agent to comeout and look at a problem in the field.”

If they don’t replace the Northumberlandagent, someone from nearby Essex County will have to provide service, which “spreadsthem thin,” Hall said.

Virginia has 12 Agricultural and Extension Research Centers. They frequently are used for field days, demonstrations and other producer events.

Virginia Farm Bureau has worked to impress upon elected officials the importance of maintaining local Extension agents and offices.


“ Without an examination, it is impossible to make a diagnosis, much less prescribe a treatment.” — Eric Whitesell, Tazewell County farmer

Extension programs are funded through cooperative efforts of local, state and federal governments.


glass is always half-full for positive, award-winning agentBy Sara Owens

The glass is always half-full for Clay Francis.“I’m not a worrier. I just get in and get

the job done,” Francis said.The sales management team of Virginia

Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Co.recently named Francis the winner of the 2011 Ralph Stokes Award.

The award is the top recognitiongiven annually to an insurance professionalwho has a high degree of integrity, offers Farm Bureau members excellent serviceand has earned the respect of his or her peers.

“To be nominated by your peers, thepeople you work with, is kind of cool,” Francis said. “It never crossed my mind for one minute, one second, that I’d win. I am honored, but humbled.”

Ray Leonard, a regional sales manager, saidthat Francis “truly embodies the core valuesRalph Stokes lived by—service and success.

“While most think of Ralph as a dedicated agent who provided his members with superior service, Ralph was also a very competitive agent who was determined to be successful and to be a winner,” Leonard said. “For more than 25 years, Clay Francis has not only providedhis members with great service, but he has also achieved a level of success that few others have been able to match.”

Francis began his career at Farm Bureauin 1985 as an agent in Southampton County. He became an agency manger in 2000.

Francis has always won professionalawards—so many that he can’t keep track of them all. One in particular stands out,though. In 1999, he was named Virginia Farm

Bureau’s Employee of the Year—one of only two agents who has received the award.

After Hurricane Floyd in 1999, the Southampton County Farm Bureau officewas out of commission. Without being asked, Francis took steps to run the office out of his home.

“The office wasn’t flooded, but all around Franklin flooded and the office was without phone lines,” he said. “I lived in Capron, and our phone lines came throughEmporia. They worked, so I ran the office out of my home by generator.

“You have to be adaptable. It’s aboutteamwork and family. You don’t desertyour children, and you don’t desert your employees or policyholders.”

Francis holds a bachelor’s degree ineconomics from Old Dominion University. He grew up in Capron and continues

Ralph Stokes Awardp

“I am honored, but humbled,” said Ralph Stokes Award winner Clay Francis of Southampton County. He’s shown with his wife, Maryanne, and Scarlett, their Yorkshire terrier.

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Award namesake died earlier this year

Retired agent Ralph Stokes of Smyth County, for whom Virginia Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Co.’s Ralph StokesAward is named, died Feb. 28.

Mr. Stokes sold Farm Bureau insurance for 32 years.

“He was and will remain a FarmBureau legend,” said Donnie Knowlson, senior vice president of sales and marketing.

Farm Bureau established the annual Ralph Stokes Award forinsurance professionals in 1986, the same year Mr. Stokes retired.

to live in Southampton with his wife,Maryanne, and their Yorkshire terrier,Scarlett. They have two adult children,Joshua and Lindsey. Daughter Lindsey Rush is a member service specialist forHenrico Farm Bureau Inc.

When he isn’t in the office, Francis ishard at work in the kitchen.

“I’m a good cook,” he said with a laugh.“I’m reasonably good.”

During middle school and high school,Francis worked for a caterer. He now serves as a guest chef at Southern Sisters Bakery and Eatery in Courtland.

“When someone’s sick or out forsome reason, I step in. It’s a lot of fun.Everything there is made from scratch. It’s really great.”

Another of his passions is antiquing.“I love to collect antiques and find good

bargains at flea markets,” Francis said. “If someone I know is looking for a specific piece of furniture, I’ll find it.”

Francis also enjoys working in his yard and garden and entertaining friends and family at home.

Francis also enjoys cooking, and he sometimes subs for staff at a local café.

Stokes


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In the Garden

In Virginia, it’s easy to grow grapes in your backyard

Virginia’s wine grape industry is booming, but you don’t need a commercial vineyard to grow grapes at home.

“You only need a few grapevines to grow your own grapes,” said horticulturalist Mark Viette. “Grapes like full sun, and the existing clay soil in Virginia is excellent for growing grapes; however, you may still want to consider a soil test to make sure your soil is appropriate for grapes.”

Grapes grow best on multi-strand trellises in an area 25 to 50 feet long with plants about 6 to 8 feet apart.

“It is a good idea to install a drip irrigation system for your grapevines,” Viette said. “Drip irrigation only applies water to the grapes and only when they are dry.”

To keep pests away, he said, use a rotating fake owl to scare away birds and environmentally-friendly sprays for insects.

Grapes should be pruned in February.“They’ll be harder to cut back, since

there will be more growth at that time, but do not overly whack—just prune—cutting back about 30 percent of the growth,” Viette said.

The grapes’ sugar level should be checked with a Brix meter prior to harvesting in September.

“The Brix meter tells you the exact sugar content so you harvest at the right time,” Viette said. “You will see the fruits of your labor in about three to five years, and once established the grapes should be easy to maintain.”


Mark Viette appears on Down Home Virginia, Virginia Farm Bureau’s monthly television program. Viette and his father operate the Andre Viette Farm and Nursery in Augusta County and have a live radio show broadcast by more than 60 mid-Atlantic stations each Saturday morning. They also are members of the Augusta County Farm Bureau. Andre Viette currently serves on the organization’s board of directors, and Mark Viette is a former board member.

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“ Grapes like full sun, and the existing clay soil in Virginia is excellent for growing grapes,” horticulturist Mark Viette said.

To find the station nearest you that airs Down Home Virginia, or to view the show online, visit VaFarmBureau.org.


Good for You!

Fresh, seasonal produce can help you stay hydratedBy Kathy Dixon

Everyone knows drinking water helps keep you hydrated, but that's not the only way to do it.

Most fruits and vegetables containas much as 90 percent water, said Crystal Barber, a registered dietitian andVirginia Cooperative Extension family andconsumer sciences agent in Portsmouth.

“Summer is the perfect opportunityto enjoy locally grown produce and stay hydrated all at the same time,” Barber said.

Why is it so important to stay hydrated?“We could probably survive for weeks

without food; however, we could live only a few days without water,” she said.

Water constitutes about 65 percent of an adult’s body weight and a higher percentage of a child’s body weight. Muscle tissue is 75 percent water, and fattissue contains 10 percent water.

Water lubricates and cushions joints, carries nutrients and waste, regulatesnormal body temperature and maintains blood volume.

Experts disagree on how much water people should drink daily, and an individual’s needs will vary depending on what he or she is doing. Farm work can be as intensive as a vigorous exercise workout, Barber noted, and requireadditional hydration.

“My sources say men should get3.7 quarts of liquids each day, whichincludes water, other liquids and food,”Barber said. “Women need 2.7 quarts,children need about 1.5 quarts andpregnant women should ingest 3 quartsof water a day.”

Coffee, tea, sodas and alcohol are beverage options, but the caffeine and alcohol can dehydrate your body and should be consumed in moderation,Barber said. They increase fluid loss through increased urination and mightnot offer the best overall nutritional quality.

Barber suggested lowfat milk,100 percent fruit juices, diet sodas,sports drinks and water with a slice of lemon. Of those, water is still the best option, she said.

Everyone loses water every day. If you don’t replace it, you can becomedehydrated.

Additionally, the body’s internaltemperature can rise when lost water is not replaced. That can lead to heat-related disorders such as heat cramps, heat exhaustion and even heatstroke.

So drink or eat up. Approximately81 percent of people’s daily water intake comes from beverages, with the remaining 19 percent coming from foods. Foodsthat are good sources of water include grapefruit, grapes, gelatin, lettuce, soups, strawberries and watermelon.

“My favorite way to stay hydrated is to create and then eat various salads with fresh vegetables, fruits and herbs and then chill out under a huge shady tree,” Barber said. “I regularly eat apples as asnack and marvel how after each bite thewater content hydrates my mouth andcleanses my teeth.”

Additional benefits to staying hydrated are improved complexion and muscledefinition. And if you’re trying to lose weight, water can help make you feel full and reduce the temptation to eat when you’re not hungry.

Symptoms of dehydration:• Confusion

• Dry mouth

• Extreme thirst

• Feeling dizzy or lightheaded

• Headache

• Little or no urine, or urine that is darker than usual

• No tears when crying

• Sleepiness or fatigue

Don’t wait until you notice symptoms of dehydration to act. It can be hard to recognize when you’re dehydrated, especially as you age. Actively prevent dehydration by drinking plenty of water.

Fruits like watermelon, strawberries, grapes and grapefruit are excellent sources of water.


TasteTT of Virginia

PASTA PRIMAVERA CELEBRATES ONSET OF SEASON ? ?

Primavera means “first of spring” or “best of spring.” This

pasta dish uses the best of early-summer vegetables.

Chef John Maxwell suggests blanching the vegetables ahead

of time and using whatever produce is in season when you

make the recipe. He used Virginia asparagus, black-eyed peas,

edamame (soybeans) and garden peas for the salad in the photo.

Pasta PrimaveraINGREDIENTS 6 ounces uncooked linguine or fettuccine

3 tablespoons butter

1 clove garlic, minced

1 medium onion, cut into thin wedges

¼ to ½ cup EACH of fresh seasonal vegetables (cherry tomatoes,edamame, black-eyed peas, garden peas, broccoli florets,asparagus, baby carrots)

¹⁄¹⁄8⁄⁄8⁄⁄ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

1 cup snow pea pods, blanched

salt and pepper to taste

¼ cup dry white wine or chicken, vegetable or beef broth

1 sprig fresh thyme

fresh basil leaves

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

½ cup toasted pine nuts

PREPARATION

Cook pasta for 8 to 10 minutes or until tender but still firm. Drainwell.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Stir ingarlic and onions. Cook and stir over medium-high heat for about2 minutes. Add the blanched vegetables, and stir until heatedthrough. Stir in the parsley and snow pea pods.

Add pasta, the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter, salt and pepper,wine or broth and herbs. Cover and cook 1 minute more. Sprinklewith Parmesan cheese and pine nuts before serving.

Chef John Maxwell appears each month on Down Home Virginia, Virginia Farm Bureau’s monthly television program, courtesy of Virginia Grown, a program of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. He’s also director of the Food Service Management Program at the Culinary Institute of Virginia in Norfolk.

To find the station nearest you that airs Down Home Virginia, or to view the show online, visit VaFarmBureau.org.

While named for its traditional spring ingredients, pasta primavera can include fresh seasonal vegetables from any time of the year.


AGRICULTURE IN THE CLASSROOMwww.agintheclass.org

Cows still don’t go to school—but that’s OK

As the Agriculture in the Classroom campaign notes, cows don’t go to school,but AITC supporters and volunteers madesure lots of agriculture information found its way into Virginia classrooms.

In the past 12 months, more than 2,000 teachers and pre-service teachers participated in AITC workshops; theyhave the potential to reach more than68,000 children and their parents.

“Our Virginia Agriculture Map remains AITC’s most-requested and –utilized teacher resource, and we are grateful to the Virginia Agricultural Council for their ongoing support for that,” noted Executive Director Karen Davis.

AITC also provided support andinformation for Farm Bureau volunteer activities in local schools. Volunteers havebegun sharing the book Ready, Set,GROW!WWand other materials that feature theFarmer Ben character. They also have readother agriculture-related books to children, and county Farm Bureaus have donatedmore than 300 Learning Barns to schoolsin their communities.

“Our fiscal year will end on June 30, andwe want to thank everyone who has shared financial support or volunteer time,” Davissaid. “You’ve helped make many, manychildren more aware of agriculture in their lives and their communities. And we allbenefit from that.”

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Virginia Foundation forAgriculture in the Classroom

261P.O. Box 27552, Richmond, VA 23www.agintheclass.org

Supporters help Agriculture in the Classroom provide educators with resources such as its popular Virginia Agriculture Map (left, top), and teachers who attend AITC workshops (left, bottom) learn about numerous hands-on classroom projects that reinforce lessons. Volunteers who read Ready, Set, GROW! to children during Agriculture Literacy Week include Dr. Charles Broaddus (right, top), a staff veterinarian for the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Todd Haymore (right, bottom).


2011 magazine classified ad schedule and policies

Members of Virginia Farm Bureau will receive one free 15-wordclassified ad per membership per year in Farm Bureau News, whichis mailed to producer members, or in Cultivate, which is mailed toassociate 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 $20for 16 to 30 words. Ads submitted without payment will be returned.We do not invoice for classified ads or provide proofs or tearsheets.

Ads with more than 30 words and ads from nonmembers willnot be accepted.

Use the form in this issue of Farm Bureau News 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 2011 dues are paid.

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 Cultivate (mailed to associate members only);• May Farm Bureau News (mailed to producer members only);• July Cultivate (mailed to associate members only); and• August Farm Bureau News (mailed to producer members only).

Finding your member numberWhen placing your ad, be sure to include your Farm Bureau

member number, which can be found above your name on the mailing label of your copy of Farm Bureau News. All member numbers will be verified.

MemberMarketplaceMemberMarketplace

Are your membership records current?If you’ve moved or acquired a new telephone

number, please call or visit your county Farm Bureau office to update your membership records.

Email addresses and cellphone numbers help your Farm Bureau agent reach you in instances where

prompt communication is important.

It’s Free!

For more information, visit VaFarmBureau.org/benefits/health.htmor contact your county Farm Bureau office.

(This is not insurance)

Virginia Farm Bureau prescription discount card is not an insurance benefit and cannot be combinedwith any other discount or insurance programs. The prescription discount card can deliver significantsavings on prescription drugs at CVS, Target, Kroger, K-Mart, Rite Aid, Walgreens, and hundreds of other pharmacies.

Save on prescriptions with your Virginia Farm Bureau

PHARMACY DISCOUNT CARD

Virginia Farm Bureau Prescription Discount Card

Farm Bureau Membership #: _______________________________________

Name:________________________________________________________

Date of Birth:___________________________________________________

RxBin#: 009265 • RxPCN#: AG • Group#: VAFB • CARD VALID FOR ENTIRE FAMILY

(Not Insurance)

For pharmacy use only: For additional information call Help Desk at 1-800-847-7147Members: visit VaFarmBureau.org/benefits/health.htm or contact your county Farm Bureau office.

USE YOUR CARD TODAY. Just fill in the blanks above and cut out card.

Farm Bureau memberssave 10% and more on Grainger products• 10% off all Grainger catalog items (over 200,000)• 35% off Farm Duty Motors• 30% off select Safety Items• Up to 60% off Manufacturer’s List Price on Tools including: DeWalt, Stanley, Milwaukee, Proto, Blackhawk and Westward

Ordering is easy!On-Line, by telephone or directly at your Grainger branch location

Contact your county Farm Bureau office for important information!

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Important:We are not responsible for typographical errors or errors due to illegible handwriting (No refunds available). Classified ads carried inVVirginia Farm Bureau News and Cultivate do not constitute an endorsement by Virginia FarmBureau 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 1Use 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 2Indicate the issues in which you want yourad to run.

Step 3Select the category in which you want yourad to run (Pick one only).

Step 4Your first ad of 15 words or less is free with your membership. Pricing for additional ads:1–15 words $10/ad16–30 words $20/adAdditional 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.

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

• Ads submitted without payment will be returned.

Step 5Mail your ad (and payment) to:

Virginia Farm Bureau News / CultivateClassifiedsP.O. Box 27552Richmond, VA 23261-7552

• You also can fax your ad to 804-290-1096.• Or place it via the Virginia Farm

Bureau Web site at VaFarmBureau.org/Marketplace.

DeadlinesAds and cancellations must be received (not mailed) by the following deadlines:Issue DeadlineMailed to producer members August July 1

How to place your classified 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):T

1. ____________________________ 2. ____________________________ 3. _______________________________ 4. ______________________________ 5. __________________________________

6. ____________________________ 7. ____________________________ 8. _______________________________ 9. ______________________________ 10. _________________________________

11. ___________________________ 12. ___________________________ 13. _______________________________ 14. _____________________________ 15. _________________________________

Category in which adshould run (select only one):

❑ Crops

❑ Farm Equipment

❑ Hay/Straw

❑ Livestock

❑ Livestock Equipment

No other categoriesavailable

One free 15-word ad per membership per year; 2011 dues must be paid before placing ad.

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!

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Watch this!To view

Down Home Virginia, visit VaFarmBureau.org

Hoop houses and Extension services, on Down Home VirginiaVirginia farmers are adapting an old technology to extend their growing seasons. And Virginia

Cooperative Extension programs offer education and benefits for everyone, not just farmers. Plus,horticulturist Mark Viette has tips on using shade plants in your garden, and chef John Maxwell shares a tasty recipe for summer picnics. Those stories and more will be featured in the June edition of Down HomeVirginia, Virginia Farm Bureau’s monthly cable and satellite television show.

The award-winning show airs nationwide at 6:30 p.m. on the first Wednesday of each month on RFD-TV, as well as on 48 cable systems and three broadcast stations in Virginia. It’s also available online at VaFarmBureau.org.

Check local cable listings for the show times in your area, or visit VaFarmBureau.org for a list of participating stations.

Your county Farm Bureau office is your first point of contact for information on services and programs included in Virginia Farm Bureau’s Membership Advantage.

Addresses for county Farm Bureau offices, along with contact information for individual Farm Bureau insurance agents, are available online at FarmBureauAdvantage.com.

County Farm Bureau Offices

Accomack 757-787-4208

Albemarle 434-293-5775

Alleghany 540-962-3961

Amelia 804-561-2169

Amherst 434-946-5336

Appomattox 434-352-7851

Augusta 540-886-2353

Augusta 540-943-9820

Bedford 540-586-9103

Bedford 434-385-5239

Bland 276-688-4341

Botetourt 540-992-2062

Brunswick 434-848-3542

Brunswick 434-584-0290

Buckingham 434-983-2583

Campbell 434-332-5411

Caroline 804-633-9825

Carroll 276-728-4103

Carroll 276-236-7210

Charles City-James City-New Kent-York 804-966-2310

CC/JC/NK/YK 757-564-3929

CC/JC/NK/YK 757-595-7143

Charlotte 434-542-5822

Chesapeake 757-546-8000

Chesterfield 804-748-5467

Chesterfield 804-639-4070

Clarke 540-869-8650

Craig 540-864-6428

Culpeper 540-825-0682

Cumberland 804-492-4621

Dinwiddie 804-469-3726

Essex 804-443-3733

Fauquier 540-347-3172

Floyd 540-745-2021

Fluvanna 434-842-3411

Franklin 540-483-9225

Franklin 540-721-7047

Franklin 540-483-4708

Frederick 540-869-8650

Giles 540-921-1777

Giles 540-626-3201

Gloucester-Mathews 804-725-3555

Gloucester-Mathews 804-642-3602

Goochland 804-556-4119

Goochland 804-290-1502

Grayson 276-773-3091

Grayson 276-236-7210

Greene 434-985-7057

Greensville 434-634-9471

Halifax 434-572-4529

Hanover 804-798-6534

Hanover 804-730-8730

Henrico 804-270-6400

Henrico 804-737-4999

Henry 276-638-7760

Highland-Bath 540-468-2605

Isle Of Wight 757-242-6730

Isle Of Wight 757-365-0400

King George 540-775-9650

King and Queen 804-769-2580

King and Queen 804-785-9431

King William 804-769-2580

Lee 276-346-2363

Loudoun 540-751-1111

Loudoun 703-858-0545

Louisa 540-967-1370

Lunenburg 434-676-2451

Madison 540-948-3311

Mecklenburg 434-738-6141

Mecklenburg 434-584-0290

Middlesex 804-776-6886

Montgomery 540-382-8161

Montgomery 540-961-4086

Nansemond 757-934-2321

Nelson 434-263-8328

Northampton 757-678-5158

Northumberland-Lancaster 804-580-4422

Northumberland-Lancaster 804-435-0083

Nottoway 434-292-4389

Orange 540-672-3447

Page 540-743-5082

Patrick 276-694-7108

Pittsylvania 434-432-2381

Pittsylvania 434-792-7484

Powhatan 804-598-3081

Powhatan 804-897-4989

Prince Edward 434-392-3050

Prince George 804-541-0559

Prince William-Fairfax 703-368-6813

Pulaski 540-674-5119

Rappahannock 540-987-8225

Richmond 804-333-4410

Roanoke 540-342-2626

Roanoke 540-562-3710

Rockbridge 540-463-3603

Rockingham 540-434-6778

Russell 276-889-1119

Russell 276-596-9036

Scott 276-386-7411

Shenandoah 540-459-4019

Smyth 276-783-6148

Southampton 757-653-9341

Spotsylvania 540-786-7575

Stafford 540-899-9454

Surry 757-294-3285

Sussex 434-246-3531

Tazewell 276-988-6556

Virginia Beach 757-426-6115

Virginia Beach 757-467-0603

Warren 540-635-4074

Washington 276-628-7135

Washington 276-466-3987

Westmoreland 804-493-8004

Wise-Dickenson 276-328-8274

Wythe 276-228-4042

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