On July 28, I will be hosting a Ninth Congressional District Agriculture Conference at the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center in Abingdon, the purpose of which is to inform farmers and others interested in Southwest Virginia’s Agricultural Economy of new and exciting opportunities for marketing high quality, locally grown meats and produce. This new direction in our agricultural economy will enable our region’s producers to directly market and receive a fair price for their high quality products.

Recent research shows that consumers prefer to buy locally grown agricultural products, trusting more in their quality and safety. With the grocery and food service industries’ increasing interest in local products, Southwest Virginia’s farmers have more opportunities than ever before to market their high quality produce and meats directly to grocers, institutions, and restaurants.

Agriculture is an essential part of the economy of Southwest Virginia, and the production and marketing of locally grown meats and produce is vital to our continued success. There are currently 12,390 active farms in the counties that comprise Southwest Virginia. Our farm operators market $287 million in products annually, and they spend more than $254 million to do so. And for every one dollar that farming puts into the economy directly in the purchase of equipment, supplies and labor, five to ten times that amount flows through nearby communities in the purchase of goods and services at grocery stores, gas stations, and other local business establishments. In fact, the Virginia Cooperative Extension estimates that the total economic activity generated by farming in Southwest Virginia exceeds $1.7 billion every year.

Ensuring that our region’s farmers have ample opportunities to market their products has been a high priority for my office, and we have had some notable success in that regard. The purpose of the conference I am hosting on July 28 is to make farming families from throughout the region aware of several promising models and opportunities for local marketing of produce and meats with the goal of assuring the continued long term viability of their farming operations. The conference is the second conference I have held on this topic this year. The first occurred at New River Community College in Dublin in March.

Attendees to the July conference will hear presentations from a series of exceptional speakers who will offer extensive information on the strong local market that exists today for meats, fruits and vegetables grown in our region and on specific marketing models which local farmers are finding useful. The conference is presented in cooperation with several partners including: The Abingdon Feeder Cattle Association, Appalachian Sustainable Development, Grayson Landcare, The Landcare Center, Southwest Virginia Agriculture Association, the Virginia Cattleman’s Association, the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the Virginia Farm Bureau, the Virginia Tobacco Commission and the Virginia Cooperative Extension.

I strongly urge local farmers and community leaders to attend the conference in Abingdon on July 28 to learn more about this exciting new direction in Southwest Virginia’s agricultural economy. To register for the conference, or to receive additional information, please contact my Abingdon office at 276.628.1145 or register by e-mail at ninthnet(at)mail.house.gov.

Rick Boucher is Congressman for the 9th District of Virginia, which includes the New River Valley. You can catch his Capitol Commentary regularly on newrivervoice.com.