Is the Virginia Farm Bureau in favor of the proposed feed check off program?
We dont have an official position, yet. Our equine advisory committee has made a recommendation that we support the feed checkoff, but thats going to have to work its way through our process in order to become an official position. Our direction at the state level on policy issues is developed from the county level up by our producer members. County Farm Bureaus submit policy recommendations, usually in the summer or fall. These are voted on by our members at our annual meeting after Thanksgiving. Then we have our policy positions for the year ahead. This grassroots involvement reinforces our credibility with legislators because they know that hundreds of farmers across the state have discussed issues thoroughly before they become Farm Bureau policy. In the meantime, we will continue our work and discussion with an industry coalition that has been looking at the feed checkoff concept for several months now.
