Administration announces ag, forestry initiatives

Chris Graham

Gov. Bob McDonnell will propose legislation to preserve working farm and forest lands with the goal of preserving 400,000 acres of open space as a key plank to his agriculture and forestry initiatives for 2011. Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Todd Haymore unveiled McDonnell’s ag and forestry initiatives on Friday. In addition to the preservation…

David Reynolds: It’s next year!

David Reynolds

Contrary to last year’s press clippings, fist fights did not break out at this year’s Lexington-Rockbridge-Buena Vista “State of the Community” breakfast. Instead it was the usual sea of harmony sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce, aka the local Pollyanna Society. The breakfast proved once again that there is a media bias. Representatives from our…

Project connects students, farmers, developers to design sustainable strategies for Valley

Chris Graham

Local university professors, farmers, businesses, community development leaders, and students are gathering together this spring for a Permaculture Design Certification Course. Organized by New Community Project and hosted at their new Sustainable Living Center at 715 N. Main in Harrisonburg, the course is bringing together people and talents from all different areas of the Valley…

David Reynolds: Think Virginia

David Reynolds

This column is not for wine lovers. Rather, it is directed to my conservative friends who have no love for government, who think that all governments are nothing more than intrusions into our private lives, who never met a tax they liked and who believe that all public budgets should be filed under fiction. Sorry,…

Obama offshore drilling ban draws bipartisan criticism

Chris Graham

A bipartisan group of Virginia leaders will work to get the Obama administration to reverse its move to block drilling off the coast of Virginia until at least 2017. “As a result of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, we learned a number of lessons, most importantly that we need to proceed with caution and focus…

Conservation rollout

AFP

“Voluntary Stream Fencing Options to Keep Regulations at Bay” will be the theme for this year’s Conservation Programs Rollout Meeting, which will be held Dec. 9 at the Augusta County Government Center in Verona. The meeting will be in the Smith West Room at 7 p.m. Farmers and landowners will learn from conservation agency representatives…