On March 16, 2016, members of the Virginia Agriculture Association of Extension Agents convened from all parts of the commonwealth to welcome the National Association of County Agriculture Agents Board members and their spouses to the 2016 Spring Board meeting in our home state of Virginia. The 2016 NACAA Spring Board meeting is one unlike any other meeting for several reasons. First, as this is the last meeting held prior to the annual meeting and professional improvement conference, it is a great opportunity for business and fellowship. Secondly, it allows the NACAA president to choose a host state in the country. We are proud that our current president is Cynthia Gregg, the agriculture and natural resources Extension agent for Brunswick County. With that said, it is natural and humbling that she selected Virginia as the showcase state.
The meeting was held at Renwood Farms in Charles City, Virginia. Renwood Farms is owned by David, John, and Jeff Hula, third generation producers who started their seed business in 1937. At Renwood Farms, the Hula’s continue the long tradition of providing high-quality cereal and soybean seed to the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern farming communities. The environment of Renwood Farms is one of sincerity and humility as they continue to produce a variety of wheat, soybean, barley, and oat seeds in addition to wheat seed varieties, seed treatments, and inoculants.
The tour stops for the meeting were Montague Farms, a tofu and edible soybeans exporter located in Windsor, Virginia; Felt’s Hams in Ivor, Virginia, which cures pork products for the retail market; and Wakefield Peanut Company, where seed peanuts are bagged and shipped to local growers. The meeting concluded in Williamsburg, where we had dinner at Renwood Farms in Charles City, Virginia. This farm is the home of the Hula Family, and David Hula was the National Corn Yield Champion in 2015 with a yield of 532 bushels per acre. The delicious meal was prepared by Virginia Agriculture Extension Agents.
– Brittany Council