Agriculture and Forestry News
VDACS
Eat Local for a Day Competition
The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) challenges all Virginians to Eat Local for a Day during Virginia Farmers Market Week, August 3 – 9. Local products, harvested at the peak of freshness, ensure great taste and maximum nutrition. Eating local gives you a chance to know the people who produce your food and reduces energy costs by saving shipping miles.
Here’s the challenge: pick a day during Farmers Market Week and eat only Virginia products for breakfast, lunch, dinner and all those in-between snacks. Make a video of what you ate, where you bought it and how much you enjoyed it. If you Eat Local for a Day and submit a video of your experience, you will be eligible for the chance to win a $200 prize package of Virginia products. Submissions are due by September 2, 2008.
For complete details on the contest including fresh produce locations, produce availability, and recipes, go to www.virginiagrown.com.
Department of Charitable Gaming Merger
On July 1, 2008 the Department of Charitable Gaming merged with the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS). As a result of the merger, it will now be known as the Division of Charitable Gaming and will be the fourth division in VDACS. The merger is a result of HB1280 and SB199 passed by the 2008 Virginia General Assembly.
Virginia Winery Distribution Company
The Virginia Winery Distribution Company (VWDC) was launched on April 17, 2008 with an event at King Family Vineyards in Crozet. VWDC was created in association with VDACS to serve as a wine wholesaler to provide Virginia wineries and farm wineries the ability to market and distribute their products. Wineries that participate in the VWDC program may distribute up to 3,000 cases per year.
The creation of the VWDC is a result of a 2005 federal court ruling self-distribution by Virginia wineries was unconstitutional. On July 1, 2006, a new state law eliminated self-distribution privileges requiring that the only distribution allowed by law be directly to consumers or distributors. VWDC serves around 70 of Virginia’s 135 wineries.
DOF
New Division of Forestland Conservation
On July 1, 2008, the former Office of Forestland Conservation became the Division of Forestland Conservation. The Division of Forestland Conservation provides assistance to landowners and others on conservation easements, ecosystems services, the Forest Legacy program, and marketing and utilization of wood products. The importance of conserving forest land is critical in protecting the long-term economic and environmental health of the Commonwealth since Virginia is projected to lose 1 million acres of forestland in the next 25 years.
The easement and acquisition program will help Governor Kaine work towards achieving his goal of placing an additional 400,000 acres of land into conservation by the end of his administration. Two recent successful efforts in forestland conservation include 4,800 acres at Channels State Forest in southwest Virginia and 1,800 acres at Dragon Run State Forest in Tidewater. Pictured is a Department of Forestry easement in Powhatan County.
DOF Employees Assist in National Firefighting Efforts
Department of Forestry personnel have been assisting in national forest firefighting efforts in recent months. 23 DOF personnel have been assisting the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in firefighting efforts in the Great Dismal Swamp in southeastern Virginia. Twelve personnel have been working to suppress the fire in northeastern North Carolina, four personnel have been assisting firefighters in California, and three personnel have been working to suppress fires in Texas.
More DOF employees may be deployed to Western states in coming months as the fire season progresses. In 2007, DOF personnel assisted in fire suppression efforts in California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, and Washington.
Citizens Urged to Take Precaution to Prevent Forest Fires
Virginia residents are urged to take precaution to help prevent the start of forest fires. In 2008 alone, there have already been 1,109 forest fires in Virginia that have burned 25,153 acres. At this time in 2007, there were 1,033 forest fires that burned 8,379 acres. The acreage that has burned in 2008 is almost three times the amount that burned in 2007. There have not been a higher number of acres burned in an individual year since 1963, 45 years go. Remarkably, 16,000 acres that has burned this year all occurred on one day, February 10, 2008 when a powerful windstorm caused numerous power lines to come down around the Commonwealth.
In Virginia, most forest fires are the result of human actions. Therefore residents are urged to take precaution to help prevent fires by using common sense, following fire safety rules, and obeying fire laws. Please be careful when burning debris, using equipment, and using open-air fires.