The Shadow
RICHMOND—The commonwealth’s largest private industry is well represented on the national level by Virginia Farm Bureau Federation agricultural leaders.
Appointees to three of American Farm Bureau Federation’s 11 Issue Advisory Committees provide input and recommendations to the AFBF board on policy-related actions for specific agricultural topics, from farm labor to environmental quality. They recently assembled in Washington to discuss key issues and advise the AFBF board on policy-related actions, and two of them shared feedback with the VFBF board of directors.
“We comb through the AFBF policy book and make recommendations as experts in our field, which is humbling,” said Dr. Amanda Weakley-Scott, a Madison County livestock veterinarian who serves on the AFBF Animal Health Issue Advisory Committee. She and her husband, Roger, also raise beef cattle and poultry. “While I serve as a veterinarian, I’m always learning. It’s neat to hear the different perspectives of animal health experts across the nation.”
Among the issues her committee discussed were avian influenza control; passing a 2025 Farm Bill and how nutrition assistance program cuts in it may impact farmers and rural communities; Federal Drug Administration rules on livestock drugs; and farm security.
VFBF board member Barry Bates, an Essex County cattle and grain farmer, briefed his state cohorts on regulatory challenges addressed by AFBF’s Environmental Water Issue Advisory Committee.
“Several of those issues pertain to Virginia,” he said.
The committee discussed the threats of “forever chemicals” contaminating farmland; pesticide policies; protection of threatened species; updates to nitrate standards; and the Waters of the United States federal rule.
“WOTUS conversations could have taken all day,” Bates noted. “The more you read, the more complicated it gets, the more questions you come up with.”
They also heard updates from congressional four corners representing the House and Senate Committees on Agriculture.
“Their major goal right now is trying to get a farm bill passed,” Weakley-Scott said. “But we’re thinking with funding and program cuts, it may or may not happen. It’s not an optimistic outlook, but we’re still hopeful.”
Weakley-Scott was among several Virginia farmers invited to the first roundtable at the U.S. Department of Agriculture with newly appointed U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins in February to discuss avian flu; expanding access to capital for young farmers; lowering input costs; and disaster relief. Rollins pledged to address these challenges, with reassurance that she would honor the financial commitments made to farmers.
“Our voices were heard just before she ran over to the White House for a meeting with President Donald Trump,” Weakley-Scott said. “Having the background in VFBF Young Farmers competitions like Discussion Meet prepared me for opportunities like this. Otherwise, being at that table would have been very intimidating!”
