There are many factors to consider before starting a new farm enterprise. Financial management is an important component in the startup and decision-making processes for beginning farmers. The purpose of this series of publications is to inform Virginia agribusiness owners and managers about farm financial risk management tools, techniques, and resources available to help them prepare and use a financial systems approach for their operations.

There are many factors to consider before starting a new farm enterprise. Financial management is an important component in the startup and decision-making processes for beginning farmers. The purpose of this series of publications is to inform Virginia agribusiness owners and managers about farm financial risk management tools, techniques, and resources available to help them prepare and use a financial systems approach for their operations.

There are many factors to consider before you start a new farm enterprise. Labor issues are often underemphasized in the decision-making processes of beginning farmers. It is important to consider who you will hire, where you will find help, how you will manage your employees, and what legal matters are relevant to your farm.

Deciding what career to begin after discharging from the military is an important decision. Because agriculture can often bring a new sense of purpose and leadership to a veteran’s life, many are choosing farming as their new career. Military veterans offer unique skill sets and discipline that are needed in the rigorous daily life of a farmer.

The purpose of the Introduction to Whole Farm Planning module is to help beginning farmers and ranchers in Virginia make informed farm planning decisions by introducing them to the whole farm planning process.

The Land Acquisitions and Tenure module is designed to help beginning farmers and ranchers develop and implement their farmland tenure and transfer goals as part of the whole farm plan. Established farmers who are planning for the transfer of their farm may also find this module useful. The module includes concepts, worksheets, and examples to help you assess your resources and preferences for successful start-up planning.

Starting a farm is an exciting yet challenging opportunity. As with any new undertaking, there is a lot to think about before beginning a farm venture. Gaining access to farmland, viable markets, capital and credit, as well as hands-on training and resources are some of the most important startup issues to consider as part of the planning process. You are likely asking yourself, “Where do I begin?” The purpose of this resource is to help newcomers make informed decisions at the start of the planning process. This “quick guide” is primarily designed for beginning farmers and ranchers, but service providers will also find this resource useful for answering questions about the farm startup process. This foundational work offers a valuable starting point on which to create a successful whole farm plan for a new agricultural venture.

The purpose of the Technical Assistance and Resource Directory is to help beginning farmers and ranchers in Virginia know what resources and resource professionals are available to them as they plan their new farm or ranch. The service and resource professionals featured throughout this directory are Coalition partners and are excellent points of contact for beginning farmers/ranchers and other service providers. The Virginia Beginning Farmer & Rancher Coalition Program is a state-wide and coalition-based Extension program housed in Virginia Tech’s Department of Agricultural and Extension Education.

This Virginia Farm to School Resource Guide is designed to help cultivate connections between the many diverse stakeholders that support the Virginia Farm to School Program. This guide is intended to help facilitate locally and regionally-grown Virginia foods to school cafeterias and school-based meal programs. It contains research-based information, resources, and advice that can help start or expand a Farm to School initiative in your community. Farm to School programs locally and nationally come in many different shapes and sizes that are ultimately unique to the communities that develop them. Stakeholders that may find this guide helpful include: Virginia school nutrition directors, farmers, food distributors, Virginia Cooperative Extension professionals, and other school-based and agriculture-based educators and service providers interested in Farm to School programs.

With funding from the USDA Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program in fall 2010, the Virginia Beginning Farmer and Rancher Coalition Program aims to meet the expressed needs of Virginia’s beginning farmers and support the development of social networks through which they can gain vital skills, information, technical assistance, and business capacity for long-term agricultural viability (see www.vabeginningfarmer.org).

Virginia’s food system directly impacts the survival and viability of farms and farmland; the economic development of rural and urban communities; the care, restoration, and resilience of ecological resources such as local waterways; and critical health issues. We use the language of community, local, and regional food systems to broadly define a complex and interconnected set of systems and pathways that comprise sustainable food production, processing, distribution, consumption, and waste management to bring about social, economic, and ecological change that benefits all residents.

As it is every year at this time, it’s finally spring and the grass is growing. What is different about this year though, is that the kids are home. It might seem like a good idea to send them outside to do some yard work while practicing social distancing—and it is! Fresh air and exercise can help ease the stress of being cooped up inside for months on end.

Extension agents are closely involved in advising farmers and farm families on identification and mitigation of financial risks unique to the agricultural industry. Financial decisions are often time-sensitive and complicated, and the source of many sleepless nights to farmers and advisors alike. This tool is intended for use as a communication aid to foster safe, productive conversations between farmers and service providers. It is designed to complement related resources aimed at supporting the mental health of our farmers who make tough decisions under conditions of uncertainty on a daily basis.

Farmers nationwide are experiencing socio-economic crisis and Virginia’s farmers are no exception. Farmers in Virginia are under immense stress due to various threats including social threats (within the family or community), economic threats (including land or market loss and associated financial stress), political threats (such as systemic discrimination, racism, and disadvantageous political policy), and environmental threats (like drought, flooding, or pest infestation). Farmers in Virginia experience overwhelming feelings of stress and may encounter associated mental health issues due to the current crises and the threats they face.

AgrAbility Virginia promotes safety, wellness, and accessibility on the farm through education, rehabilitative services, and assistive technology. AgrAbility Virginia is a partnership program between Virginia Tech, Virginia State University, Virginia Cooperative Extension, and Easterseals UCP. AgrAbility Virginia is funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA). As a statewide program, AgrAbility Virginia works closely with Virginia's rehabilitation and agricultural service delivery system to increase organizational capacity and provide the best quality education and services for farmers across Virginia. AgrAbility Virginia works in partnership with the Virginia Department of Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) and others to make recommendations for farmers regarding assistive technologies and new farm procedures and protocols that will make farming more comfortable and safer.

You are likely asking yourself, “Where do I begin?” The purpose of this tool is to help you gather a solid basis of information as you consider your “start-up” situation. Once you have completed as much as you can of this worksheet (or if you have any questions along the way), please bring it to your local Virginia Cooperative Extension office to get guidance on where to go next: http://www.ext.vt.edu/offices/index.html. Good Luck! We look forward to helping you bring your farm vision to life!

Grape acreage and production have been steadily increasing in the US. In 2010 there were approximately 23,000 farms with a total of 944,800 acres producing grapes. Ninety percent of these farms are smaller than 100 acres and about 16,000 of these were vineyards. California accounts for about 90% of the total production in the US. The next two largest grape producing states are Washington and New York and they produce approximately 6% and 2% respectively (NASS-USDA, 2014)

In 2012, Delegate Delores McQuinn introduced House Joint Resolution 88 and then in 2013 reintroduced House Joint Resolution 646 to request that the Virginia General Assembly review the issue of food deserts in Virginia. The Honorable William Howell, Speaker of the House of Delegates of the Virginia General Assembly, commissioned Alan Grant, dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Virginia Tech, and Jewel Hairston, dean of the College of Agriculture at Virginia State University, to conduct a study of food deserts in the Commonwealth of Virginia.