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Virginia Sustainable Farms and Agribusiness Education

An educational on-demand webinar series for farms and agribusinesses

Farmer stands in the middle of a field operating a drone.
September 24, 2019- The Bunn family uses drone technology to monitor crops on their farm in Dublin, Virginia. (Jeff Greenough for Virginia Tech)

“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 portrait

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

Business goals and sustainability webinar Zoom recording

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) as a business strategy

John Bovay

CSR as a business strategy Zoom recording

Profit and cost

John Bovay

Profit and cost Zoom recording

Coming soon

Pricing strategies

Tim Pierce

Pricing strategies Zoom recording

Animal welfare standards and marketing

Leonie Jacobs, John Bovay

Animal welfare standards and marketing Zoom recording

Crop insurance

John Bovay

Crop insurance Zoom recording

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)

Greenhouse horticulture Zoom recording

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)

Business financing Zoom recording

 

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

Food safety regulations Zoom recording

The American Rescue Plan: Farms, Food, and Families

John Bovay

The American Rescue Plan Zoom recording

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

Food insecurity and hunger in Virginia Zoom recording

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)

Conservation incentives for farmers Zoom recording

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)

Futures and price risk management Zoom recording

Managing Post-Pandemic Risk in the Green Industry

Charlie Hall (Texas A&M University)

Green industry post-pandemic risk Zoom recording

Matching SNAP benefits at farmers' markets: Experience from New England

Sara John (Tufts University)

SNAP benefits at farmers markets Zoom recording

Consumer marketing and food sustainability

Brandon McFadden (University of Delaware)

Consumer marketing and food sustainability Zoom recording

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.

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