November 5, 2009

Farmers’ concerns about bay plan to be outlined on farm show

HARRISONBURG—Virginia farmers’ concerns about the proposed reauthorization of the Chesapeake Bay Program will be a focus on an upcoming broadcast of Virginia Farming.

Wilmer Stoneman, associate director of governmental relations for Virginia Farm Bureau Federation, will be the guest of Virginia Farming host Jeff Ishee on the commonwealth’s only weekly farm television program.

Virginia Farming will air at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 20 on Harrisonburg-based public television station WVPT and then repeat at noon on Nov. 21 and 22. It also will air at 11:30 a.m. on Nov. 21 on WBRA in Roanoke and at 1 p.m. on Nov. 22 on WCVE in the Richmond and Charlottesville areas.

The show also can be viewed on RFD-TV and online at wvpt.net/vfvideos.html.

Farm Bureau members in Virginia have been alerting their representatives in Congress to the potential negative impact on agriculture of proposed changes to the bay program. More than 60 percent of Virginia’s land mass is in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

Stoneman has noted that the changes, if successful, could serve as the model for every water source that might be subject to similar requirements, with limited farmer input. “Given the economic impact of agriculture in Virginia and other bay states,” he said, “we believe they are ill-advised and potentially disastrous.”

Contact Stoneman at 804-290-1024.

NOTE: Farm Bureau members will hold a news conference at 9:30 on Dec. 2 during the final general session of the VFBF Annual Convention at the Richmond Marriott. Producer members will outline why they believe proposed changes to the Chesapeake Bay Program are potentially devastating.