News Release:

Virginia Farm Bureau set for 2007 Annual Convention

"Feeding the World: Agriculture Matters" will be the theme of the 82nd Virginia Farm Bureau Federation Annual Convention, scheduled for Nov. 25-28 in Chantilly. That theme succinctly captures both the event’s subject matter and significance.

Governor Tim Kaine leads the list of distinguished speakers for the convention. The governor will speak at the Nov. 27 Fellowship Luncheon.

Bob Stallman, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation, will deliver the keynote address, "Trade Matters to American Farmers," at Monday’s opening luncheon. Stallman, a rice and cattle producer from Columbus, Texas, is serving his fourth term as AFBF president. Earlier this year he was appointed to the White House Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations, the committee at the top of a multi-tiered system to advise the president and Congress on proposed trade agreements. He previously served on the Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee for Trade.

According to the AFBF, agriculture is the top U.S. export; about 17 percent of raw U.S. agricultural products are exported annually. A quarter of the world’s beef and nearly a fifth of the world’s grain, milk and eggs are produced in the United States. One in three U.S. farm acres is planted for export, and 25 percent of gross farm income comes directly from exports.

About 280 voting delegates representing Virginia’s 88 county Farm Bureaus will be on hand. Delegates also will elect members of the VFBF board of directors to represent producer-members in four of 14 regional districts.

On Monday afternoon convention participants will attend a pair of educational conferences. AFBF’s Betty Wolanyk will present "Addressing Misconceptions About Agriculture," while Dean Merrilees of the Australian Embassy and Laurant Javudin representing the European Union will share their insights on the developing 2007 Farm Bill. The session is dubbed, "Why Not The Farm Bill?"

Special programs will recognize the winner of the annual VFBF Outstanding Young Agriculturalist Award, as well as the new Virginia Farm Bureau Ambassador and Youth Essay Contest winners. A new Farm Woman of the Year, winners of the VFBF Young Farmer Achievement Award and Excellence in Agriculture Award, and the winner of the annual Young Farmer Discussion Meet also will be honored.

Voting delegates will determine Farm Bureau’s state-level policies for 2008. The annual policy development process started at the county Farm Bureau level this past spring.

With 148,000 members in 88 county Farm Bureaus, VFBF is Virginia’s largest farm organization. Farm Bureau is a non-governmental, nonpartisan, voluntary organization that supports its members through legislative lobbying, leadership programs, commodity marketing and risk management services, insurance products and other benefits.