Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., chairman of the Senate Agriculture subcommittee in charge of nutrition, said at a hearing today he wants the next farm bill to substantially increase incentives for farmers to grow fruits and.
A labor union representing agricultural workers in Ohio, North Carolina and Virginia says it isn t waiting around for federal immigration reform to continue pushing for undocumented workers rights. Nearly 200 delegates recently voted to re-elect union President Baldemar Velasquez to a 14th term. Velasquez said the Farm Labor Organizing Committee plans to focus on defending workers employed on some of the state s largest farms who often face wage and working-conditions exploitation. .
Farmers are facing record-high land prices due to a bevy of factors. According to a U.S. Department of Agriculture report, Virginia farm real estate prices have risen 8.5% in the last four years, and cost is not the only problem farmers face in trying to acquire land. .
Farmers in and around Virginia are working to educate children about agriculture and provide a deeper understanding of their work. These programs don t just teach kids about farming, but are designed for them to understand where their food comes from. Other goals include dispelling certain ideals about what farming is. .