Dr. Alex White and Others
How to Get Started in Ag Business...the Right Way! - 12:30 PM 

1. Writing business plan/procuring capital - selecting enterprise and doing research on feasibility
2. Selecting a business model and finding an ag/contract law type attorney to help with the filing/start up -what documents are required (ie - articles of incorp, operating agreement)
   1. tips on selecting SP, LLC, S or C corp etc (tax benefits/income and employee management)
   2.  What is required annually to keep that model going - annual meetings, documentation, etc
   3. How to transition personal assets into farm assets (vehicles have titles, but what about the others) - should one put assets in business or "Rent" to the business 
3. Selecting an accountant to help with the tax strategy - what to look for in a good farm accountant? How to go about setting up business accounts, record keeping and management
   1. Keeping track of assets 
      1. yield in the field doesn't always match yield in the elevator or keeping track of cow numbers and tags on depreciation sheets can get confusing - management tips?
4. Becoming HR
   1. Determining employee roles
   2. Setting salaries and how to handle payroll 
   3. Adding up and comparing benefits - housing, insurance, retirement (what are best options for family operations/small businesses) - what does an employee truly cost?
5. Insurance - protecting assets under specific business types - things to think about on the farm, work comp (at what size operation is it needed).

Jeff Sears, Owner of Hanover Vegetable Farm
7:00 PM

Meet the owners of Hanover Vegetable Farm and learn more about their operation, agritourism activities and how they’ve partnered with the community to become a destination for visitors all over Virginia.

Robert Harper, VFBF Grain Manager
Merchandiser Minute: Live! - 8:30 AM 

Join VFBF Grain Manager Robert Harper for the latest commodity marketing updates. He’ll go over at closing futures prices for corn, wheat and soybeans and give a price range for the week. He’ll also highlight key U.S. Department of Agriculture reports, which assist farmers in decision-making. You’ll also learn more about VFBF’s grain marketing program and how it benefits Farm Bureau members.

Jacob Gilley, Senior Technical Livestock/Grazing Specialist, Eastern U.S., American Farmland Trust
Staking Your Claim with Land Access! - 8:30 AM 

Accessing land is often stated as one of the major barriers to entry for new and beginning farmers and can be prohibitive to scaling operations for sustained profitability. As a first-generation farmer and the Senior Technical Livestock and Grazing Specialist with American Farmland Trust, Jacob Gilley has navigated the maze of land access and will provide insight into analyzing land requirements based on your production and lifestyle goals. In addition, tips and tricks for locating land to lease and or purchase will be shared along with suggestions for developing rock-solid landowner agreements. Several tools for analyzing the quality of land and accessing capital for the purchase of land will be discussed and participants will most certainly leave this workshop empowered to stake their claim through improved access to land!

Bryan Johnson & Brian Walsh, VFBF Field Services
Getting the Most Out of Farm Bureau - 9:15 AM

If you’re curious about what happens with your membership dues, and how they are used to support agriculture, join us for a discussion about the origins of Farm Bureau and our current programs.  We’ll share ways that you can take advantage of our member benefits and make sure that your voice is heard on the local, state, and national levels.

Greg Edwards, Director of Sales- Strategic Export Accounts, Port of Virginia
The Port of Virginia and Virginia’s Agricultural Exports:
Contributing to the Growth of the Commonwealth - 10:00 AM

Greg Edwards is a native Virginian and a lifelong resident of Hampton Roads. He joined The Port of Virginia in July 1992, giving him more than 30 years of maritime and supply chain logistics experience.

Since 2021, Greg has served with the port sales team, as Director of Strategic Export Accounts. He is focused primarily on two key verticals:

1. Agriculture and forest products
2. Chemicals and resins

Greg served on the boards of the Virginia Peninsula Chamber of Commerce and “Future of Hampton Roads.” He also served as chair of the Hampton Roads Transportation and Planning Organization’s Citizen Transportation Advisory Committee.

He is a graduate of Old Dominion University in Norfolk, as well as the Virginia State Chamber’s LEAD Virginia program and the regional LEAD 757 initiative.  Greg lives in Chesapeake and enjoys spending time with his three adult children and two grandchildren.

Panel Discussion: YF State Committee Members & Growing Leaders
What Now?! Lessons Learned in Navigating the Real World - 10:00 AM

So you’ve graduated high school/college…what now?! Hear from members of the state Young Farmers Committee and Growing Leaders about their experiences getting their careers started, on the farm and off the farm, and the lessons they learned from them

Vance Crowe
Changing Minds: Succession, Legacy, and How to Have Better Conversations with Your Elders - 11:00 AM

Many ag families find themselves in intractable situations where the younger members are ready for change, while older members feel like impatience surrounds every decision. The goal-oriented young people want to move tasks forward and become frustrated by the
avoidance of decisions and the unwillingness to talk directly about the issues. How should a young person proceed in these delicate situations?

In this unique presentation, instead of focusing on the technical details of succession, communications expert Vance Crowe will describe how to engage older family members so that they are more willing to open up, feel understood, and are more likely to discuss
sensitive issues like farm succession.

Crowe’s unique perspective is grounded in his work recording Legacy Interviews where he guides older individuals and couples to record their life stories so that future generations can know their family history. Hundreds of guests have shared their hopes and fears about
aging, family, and the significant moments of their lives with Crowe. Through this work, Crowe has learned both how to make people feel comfortable opening up and how minds have changed as they age.

During this presentation, Crowe will demonstrate how an aging parent’s brain is literally changing and teach how to approach conversations so that your elders respond more positively. The audience will leave with tactics that will help you gain value from repetitive stories, ask follow-up questions that lead to deeper conversations, and become more patient with non-linear conversations that can eventually lead to important and sensitive subjects.

Biography

Vance Crowe is a communications expert that has worked for corporations and international organizations around the world. Crowe has spoken before more than 250,000 people, answering questions about some of the most sophisticated and controversial technologies of
the modern age.

Crowe has worked for organizations as varied as the World Bank, Monsanto, the U.S. Peace Corps, and even as a deckhand on an ecotourism ship. His specialty is presenting new ideas in compelling and exciting ways that get audiences talking about how to change, improve, and thrive in the age of acceleration. His time as the Director of Millennial Engagement for Monsanto gave him unique insights into the agricultural community.

Crowe is the founder of Legacy Interviews, a service to video record the life stories of individuals and couples so they can be passed down to future generations. He is the recipient of the 2021 Association of Farm Manager and Rural Appraisers “Meritorious
Communicators Award” and a fellow of the Center for Peace and Conflict Studies at Seton Hall’s School of Diplomacy, where he works on issues around the rural/urban divide in Western culture.

The Vance Crowe Podcast hosts guests from around the world, including artists, scientists, economists, farmers, and heads of state. @VanceCrowe