October 15, 2009

Down Home Virginia to focus on Chesapeake Bay regulations

RICHMOND—Congress will soon be reauthorizing the Chesapeake Bay Program, and Virginia Farm Bureau members are upset that much of their current efforts to protect the bay are not being counted by the same government agencies that are proposing new mandatory regulations on farmers.

That’s just one of the stories that will be featured in November on Down Home Virginia, the nation’s longest-running monthly television program produced by a state Farm Bureau. The award-winning show airs on 45 cable systems and three broadcast stations in Virginia, as well as nationwide on RFD-TV, a satellite channel carried by Dish Network, DirecTV and many cable systems. It’s also available online at VaFarmBureau.org.

“Farm Bureau members have spent a great deal of money in recent years installing practices to reduce their impact on the bay watershed,” said Wilmer Stoneman, the organization’s associate director of governmental relations. “But many of those measures simply haven’t been counted by the current bay model, which blames agriculture for up to 50 percent of the pollution load in the watershed.

“Before Congress passes expensive and costly regulations on Virginia farm families, we need to make sure our scientific facts are accurate and we’re taking the correct steps to reduce runoff, not just pointing fingers.”

In addition to the bay story, Down Home Virginia will visit the only restaurant in Brunswick County where you can buy a bowl of Brunswick stew; Chef John Maxwell will prepare a pumpkin and crab soup for the holiday season, and horticulturist Mark Viette will have tips for selecting deer-resistant plants.

Check local cable listings for the show times in your area, or visit VaFarmBureau.org for a list of participating stations.

Contact Norm Hyde, VFBF video producer, at 804-290-1146.

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.