The Virginia Farm Bureau Federation Young Farmers Committee honored Edward A. Scharer of Albemarle County Nov. 29 with its 2011 Warren Beach Award for his long-standing support of the VFBF Young Farmers Program.

Scharer, a cattle, hog, row crop and forage producer, is serving his third term as VFBF vice president. Before he was elected to that office he served three terms on the VFBF board of directors, representing Farm Bureau producer members in the counties of Albemarle, Fluvanna, Goochland, Greene, Hanover, Henrico and Louisa. He currently chairs the VFBF Land Use Advisory Committee and National Affairs Committee and serves on the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation AgPAC board of trustees.

“Mr. Scharer has always been a huge supporter of our efforts to grow the Young Farmer Program in Virginia,” said Young Farmers Committee Chairman Robert Harris. “He attends all of our functions and meetings and has always been a resource we could turn to for whatever we needed.”

Scharer received the award at the 2011 VFBF Annual Convention in Norfolk. It is named for a veteran Farm Bureau leader whose support of young farmers is legendary.

In addition to his Farm Bureau involvement, Scharer is a member and past chairman of the Virginia Pork Industry Board and serves on the board of the Virginia Foundation for Agriculture, Innovation and Rural Sustainability. He is president of the Southern States Cooperative Charlottesville Board and is a past director of the Thomas Jefferson Soil and Water Conservation District and the Blue Ridge Farm Credit Bank.

The 1964 graduate of Rutgers University has been farming in Virginia since 1973. He and his wife, Tracy, have two grown children and four grandchildren.

With more than 150,000 members in 88 county Farm Bureaus, VFBF is Virginia’s largest farmers’ advocacy group. Farm Bureau is a non-governmental, nonpartisan, voluntary organization committed to protecting Virginia’s farms and ensuring a safe, fresh and locally grown food supply