Virginia Sustainable Farms and Agribusiness Education
An educational on-demand webinar series for farms and agribusinesses
“Sustainability” has become a buzzword, overused and often misunderstood. While resource conservation and environmental protection are important components, long-run economic viability and social responsibility are also essential in developing and maintaining a sustainable farm or agribusiness.
Watch our on-demand webinar series below developed by the Virginia Tech Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics as we get to the heart of what sustainability is and what it looks like for your farm and agribusiness.
We share insights on how to improve your farm’s or agribusiness’ economic, environmental, and social responsibility and to market the sustainable practices you undertake. The content presented draws on current and cutting-edge research findings on sustainable farms and food generated by researchers and industry partners within Virginia’s SmartFarm Innovation Network. The program will support both beginning farmers in search of basic information about business management, and long-time farmers seeking to improve their economic viability, environmental sustainability, or social responsibility.
John Bovay, Assistant Professor
John Bovay is an assistant professor in Food and Agricultural Policy. Much of his work focuses on the economics of regulation, with applications to the topics of food-safety regulation, food labeling (including labeling of genetically engineered food), and food waste. He strives to be actively engaged with agricultural producers, organizations, and commodity groups in Virginia and the Mid-Atlantic to ensure that these groups have access to a timely economic analysis of relevant policies.
Topic |
Presenter |
Video link |
Business goals and sustainability |
John Bovay |
|
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) as a business strategy |
John Bovay |
|
Profit and cost |
John Bovay |
Profit and cost Zoom recording Coming soon |
Pricing strategies |
Tim Pierce |
|
Animal welfare standards and marketing |
Leonie Jacobs, John Bovay |
|
Crop insurance |
John Bovay |
|
Non-GMO, GMO, and bioengineered food labeling requirements |
John Bovay |
Non-GMO, GMO, and bioengineered food labeling requirements Zoom recording |
Greenhouse horticulture |
Rosa Raudales (University of Connecticut) |
|
Essentials of marketing farm and food products |
Tim Pierce |
Essentials of marketing farm and food products Zoom recording |
Direct marketing to consumers through farmers' markets and other channels |
Zoë Plakias (The Ohio State University) |
Direct marketing through farmers' markets and other channels Zoom recording |
Government and private third-party quality labels |
John Bovay |
Government and private third-party quality labels Zoom recording |
Business financing |
Jenny Ifft (Kansas State University) |
|
Wind, solar, and geothermal energy production on farms |
Josh Ignosh |
Wind, solar, and geothermal energy production on farms Zoom recording |
Food safety regulations |
John Bovay |
|
The American Rescue Plan: Farms, Food, and Families |
John Bovay |
|
Food waste, food prices, the environment, and hunger |
John Bovay |
Food waste, food prices, the environment and hunger Zoom recording |
Understanding income statement and balance sheets |
Travis Mountain |
Understanding income statements and balance sheets Zoom recording |
Food insecurity and hunger in Virginia |
Tim Pierce |
|
Sustaining agriculture with farm labor uncertainty |
Diane Charlton (Montana State University) |
Sustaining agriculture with farm labor uncertainty Zoom recording |
Conservation incentives for farmers |
Maria Bowman (USDA ERS) |
|
Retirement planning considerations for farmers |
Travis Mountain |
Retirement planning considerations for farmers Zoom recoding Coming soon |
Futures markets and price risk management |
Heidi Schweizer (North Carolina State University) |
|
Managing Post-Pandemic Risk in the Green Industry |
Charlie Hall (Texas A&M University) |
|
Matching SNAP benefits at farmers' markets: Experience from New England |
Sara John (Tufts University) |
|
Consumer marketing and food sustainability |
Brandon McFadden (University of Delaware) |
|
Cattle Producer Preferences for Bull EPDs and Cattle Genomic Testing |
Karen DeLong (University of Tennessee) |
Beef cattle and EPDs Zoom recording
|
The Virginia Sustainable Farms and Agribusiness Education Initiative is supported by USDA/NIFA under Award Number 2018-70027-28585.
Resources
- The Center for Agricultural Trade
- The Kohl Centre
- Center for Economic Education at Virginia Tech
- Virginia Commodity Marketing
- Virginia's Land Use-Value Assessment Program
- Virginia Cooperative Extension Publications
- Virginia Tech Income Tax School
- Virginia Sustainable Farms and Agribusiness Education
- Financial Resources
AAEC Extension and Outreach Committee members:
Purpose: To advance agriculture, the environment, human health and well-being, and communities through the conducting and dissemination of research and educational activities.
- John Bovay (Chair)
- Michael Cary
- Shourish Chakravarty
- Jen Friedel
- Patrick Kayser
- Jonathan van Senten
- Melissa Vidmar
Virginia Cooperative Extension is a partnership of Virginia Tech, Virginia State University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and local governments, and is an equal opportunity employer. For the full non-discrimination statement, please visit ext.vt.edu/accessibility.
