A public forum will be hosted by the Bedford Agriculture Economic Development Advisory Board on Sept. 20 at 2:30 p.m. Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services Matt Lohr will be at the forum to discuss  agriculture economy in Virginia. The forum will take place at the Bedford Welcome Center and reservations are not required. For more information, contact the extension office at 586-7675.

Here is the press release from Bedford County.

Bedford, Virginia—The Bedford Agriculture Economic Development Advisory Board
(AEDAB) will host a public forum on Thursday, Sept. 20, 2012, from 2:30 – 4 p.m. at the Bedford Welcome Center, 816 Burks Hill Rd.

Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services Matt Lohr will be in attendance to discuss the many facets of the agriculture economy both locally and throughout the Commonwealth and to answer questions. Agriculture producers, family farmers, and interested individuals from Bedford and the surrounding areas are encouraged to attend.

“We are excited to host this first ever Agriculture Economic Development Forum in Bedford and we are honored to have Commissioner Lohr here for this event,” said Jeff Powers, Chairman of the Bedford AEDAB. “We are looking forward to discussing such issues as Estate Taxes, Ag Education funding and the state’s new Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development Fund.”

Lohr was appointed by Governor Bob McDonnell to serve in this role in 2010. He was raised on a Shenandoah Valley farm and has been passionate about the agricultural industry during his life and career. He was very active in the FFA organization where he served as state president and national vice president in the early 1990’s before graduating from Virginia Tech in 1995. He served several years as his county Farm Bureau president and chaired both the Rockingham County Planning Commission and School Board. From 2005 – 2010, Matt represented the 26th District in the Virginia House of Delegates. He and his family currently operate a 250-acre farm that includes commercial poultry, beef, crops, and a U-Pick pumpkin and corn maze agritourism operation.

Agriculture and Forestry are Virginia’s largest industries, with a combined economic impact of $79 billion annually: $55 billion from agriculture and $24 billion from forestry. The industries also provide approximately 500,000 jobs in the Commonwealth according to the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service at the University of Virginia.

No RSVP is required for the open forum. If you have any questions, please contact the Extension Office at 540-586-7675.

About Bedford AEDAB
The Bedford Agriculture Economic Development Advisory Board is a 12-member board appointed by the Bedford County Board of Supervisors to enhance the county’s agriculture economy and advise them on industry issues of concern. For more information, please visit http://www.bedfordeconomicdevelopment.com/agriculture/.