Shenandoah County man wins Excellence in Agriculture Award; Westmoreland County man is runner-up

Dana Fisher of Shenandoah County was named this year’s Virginia Farm Bureau Federation Young Farmers Excellence in Agriculture Award winner.

He was honored July 28 at the VFBF Young Farmers Summer Expo in Lynchburg. The award recognizes individuals for involvement in agriculture, leadership ability and involvement and participation in Farm Bureau and other organizations.

Fisher is an agriculture instructor who teaches classes in leadership, horticulture, natural resources and the foundations of agriculture. He also is an FFA advisor and has served on the FFA Foundation board in several roles.

He chairs his county Farm Bureau’s Young Farmers Committee and has served on the VFBF Young Farmers Committee for the past three years.

Fisher will receive a Kubota utility vehicle at cost, courtesy of Kubota Tractor Corp., with up to $5,000 toward the purchase of the vehicle from the Virginia Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Co., $1,000 toward the purchase of the vehicle from the VFB Health Insurance Companies and $750 toward the purchase of the vehicle from the VFBF Young Farmers Program. He also will receive a travel package to the 2012 VFBF Annual Convention in Chantilly, the 2013 American Farm Bureau Federation Annual Convention in Nashville and the 2013 VFBF Young Farmers Winter Expo in Harrisonburg.

Charles “Chip” Jones of Westmoreland County is this year’s runner-up.

Jones works as a commercial loan officer for Union First Market Bank and has served two tours of duty in Iraq as a member of the Virginia National Guard. He grew up on a grain and vegetable farm and serves on the boards for the Northern Neck Farm Museum, Northern Neck Land Conservancy and Northern Neck Soil and Water Conservation District.

He will receive $500 from Farm Bureau and a travel package to the 2013 AFBF convention.

With more than 150,000 members in 88 county Farm Bureaus, VFBF is Virginia’s largest farmers’ advocacy group. Farm Bureau is a non-governmental, nonpartisan, voluntary organization committed to protecting Virginia’s farms and ensuring a safe, fresh and locally grown food supply.