The details of the 2012 farm bill are being ironed out in Congress now, as much of the current law in the 2008 farm bill expires in 2012.

National farm policy must strike a balance between the need for a strong, effective safety net to protect farmers and ranchers against catastrophic revenue losses and fiscal soundness for the nation, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation.

Farmers said their Jan. 24 visits to members of the General Assembly during Legislative Day were a critical step in securing a constitutional amendment to protect private property.

Allowing Sunday hunting would create a lose-lose situation for Virginia citizens, and the state’s largest farm advocacy group continues to oppose it.

U.S. farmers are watching as House-approved HR 1633, the Farm Dust Regulation Prevention Act, settles in the Senate for consideration.

Virginia Farm Bureau Federation leaders will tell their state legislators which issues matter most to the state’s farmers during the annual VFBF Legislative Day on Jan. 24.

Virginia representatives will join more than 5,000 Farm Bureau members from across the nation in shaping policies important to farmers and ranchers Jan. 8-11. 

Farmers and others who drive commercial motor vehicles will be subject to stricter rules governing the use of hand-held mobile phones starting Jan. 3, 2012.

In federal farm policy recommendations sent to Congress on Sept. 29, the American Farm Bureau Federation said continuing most current federal farm programs is the best way to ensure a farm safety net that works for all commodities and regions of the country.

The Virginia General Assembly has passed a new redistricting plan for state electoral districts and will be tackling federal voting districts later this summer.

A constitutional amendment to tighten the definition of public use under eminent domain passed in the General Assembly this year.

Why are rural Virginians concerned about political redistricting?

The 2012 Farm Bill will provide a safety net for U.S. agriculture, and that’s important for Americans in general, a U.S. Department of Agriculture official noted March 17 at Virginia’s third annual Agricultural Trade Workshop.

Virginia farmers recently explained to their state legislators why they have been fighting proposed federal water quality regulations and why they want to see Virginia’s constitution amended.

Farmers from all over Virginia met with their state senators and delegates Jan. 25 during Virginia Farm Bureau Federation’s annual Legislative Day.

Virginia Farm Bureau Federation’s producer members are closely watching a General Assembly bill that would allow farmers to kill deer, elk or bears that are in the act of damaging their crops or farm property.

Gov. Bob McDonnell and Rep. Randy Forbes are among the supporters of a U.S. House of Representatives bill that they say takes a reasonable approach to Chesapeake Bay improvement efforts. They explain on The Real Dirt that legislation co-sponsored by Virginia Rep. Bob Goodlatte strikes a better balance for farmers and actually would do more to improve and protect the bay than another bill being considered by the U.S. Senate.

Wise County farmer Starling Fleming is one of many Virginia farmers opposed to the reintroduction of elk into the state.

After months of negotiations, the U.S. Senate is set to begin debating a bill to reform the federal estate tax.

Virginia AgPAC, the political action committee of Virginia Farm Bureau Federation, has endorsed Tony Wilt in the June 15 special election to fill the 26th District seat in the House of Delegates.

The Virginia Farm Bureau Federation is urging the state Senate to support a bill that would order courts to take into account any restriction, change or loss of access to property when assessing damages with regard to eminent domain compensation.

Farmers from across the commonwealth will gather Jan. 26 to meet with their state senators and delegates on Virginia Farm Bureau Federation’s annual Legislative Day.

Farmers from all over Virginia will meet with their state senators and delegates Jan. 26 for Virginia Farm Bureau Federation’s annual Legislative Day.

Among Virginia Farm Bureau Federation’s accomplishments at this year’s General Assembly were protecting Virginia’s waterways and continuing to preserve farmland.

Virginia Farm Bureau Federation, the commonwealth’s largest farmers’ advocacy organization, is rallying its members in opposition to President Obama’s proposed phase-out of government payments to farmers.

Expanding the resources available for farmers to improve their environmental practices tops the list of legislative priorities for the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation this year.

Virginia farmers and their counterparts nationwide began signing up late last month for programs that under the new federal farm policy will deliver some certainty for the 2008 crop year.

Members of the House and Senate stood up for America’s farmers and ranchers last week, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation. The organization said new federal farm policy approved on Capitol Hill gives U.S. producers assurance and stability at a time when domestic food security is more important than ever.