Janice R. Burton

State Women's Committee Chairman

Janice R. Burton of Halifax County was elected Dec. 4 to chair the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation Women's Committee. Elections of officers and directors were held at the organization's 77th annual convention in Hot Springs.

The VFBF Women's Committee chairman also serves on the VFBF Board of Directors. The position previously was held by Helen B. Neese of Shenandoah County.

The committee provides leadership and service opportunities for farm women and encourages participation in agricultural and rural community issues. It also sponsors events that help educate the non-farming public about agriculture.

Mrs. Burton, who grew up on a farm in Halifax County, has served on the state Women's Committee since 1994, representing the counties of Amelia, Brunswick, Campbell, Charlotte, Halifax, Lunenburg, Mecklenburg, Nottoway, Pittsylvania and Prince Edward. She has been committee vice chairman for six years.

She also is a member of the resource advisory committee of the Virginia Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom.

She and her husband, Thomas M. Burton, are retired tobacco, dairy and small grain producers who currently lease their farmland in Scottsburg for vegetable and cattle production. Before retiring, they also operated an agriculture supply business and they manufactured liquid fertilizer. In addition, Mrs. Burton worked as a secretary for the Virginia Cooperative Extension for 30 years.

She helped organize the Halifax County Farm Bureau Women's Committee in 1988 and served as committee chairman for six years.

Elsewhere in her community, Mrs. Burton chairs the Lake Country Area Agency on Aging Board of Directors and is a member of the American Business Women's Association, and she has been involved in the Crime Stoppers organization. She is a deacon, preschool department director and choir member at Bethel Baptist Church in Scottsburg and chairs the church's annual Harvest Day fund-raising event.

In her spare time, Mrs. Burton enjoys golf and antiquing.