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Browsing by Author "Spence, Jessica"

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    Summary Report on the Commonwealth Agriculture Summit
    Kaufman, Eric K.; Seibel, Megan M.; Tyler-Mackey, Crystal; Parrella, Jean; Adebayo, Bolanle; Olowoyo, Olamide; Poudel, Sonika; Spence, Jessica; Zhu, Stephanie (2024-06-10)
    On April 12, 2024, Virginia Cooperative Extension hosted the Commonwealth Agriculture Summit in Richmond VA, with approximately 100 individuals in attendance. The Summit focused on three goals: ➔ Define relevant innovations needed for local producers, ➔ Help producers maintain and grow their operations for positively impacting communities, and ➔ Identify priorities for the agriculture industry we can collectively support. The structure of the event was based on an “Un-Meeting” format, which prioritizes engaging and listening to participants to surface key insights. The structure included three panels (a.k.a., “ignite sessions”), with each key informant allocated four minutes to highlight predetermined areas of focus: (1) “Maintaining Agriculture’s Edge,” featuring Secretary Matt Lohr, Robert Mills, Dr. Kang Xia, and Dr. Joseph Oakes; (2) “Processing and Challenges for Growth,” featuring Jennifer Ligon, Eric Bendfeldt, Jim Saunders, and Melissa King; and (3) “Land Use,” featuring Rachel Henley, Adam Downing, Commissioner Joe Guthrie, Dr. John Fike, and Nadine Jackson. During each panel presentation, participants captured thoughts, questions, and comments on index cards, which were then organized into themes for deeper conversations in breakout discussions. By the end of the Summit, 17 key informants had sparked ideas that yielded 12 general themes, supported by more than 300 data points (i.e., participants’ submitted index cards). This report presents examples of input by thematic area, with brief summaries of the breakout discussions depicting both broad discussion topics and more specific suggestions for Extension research and practice. As participants departed, they were encouraged to continue conversations, helping Virginia maintain its standing as a pacesetter for advancing agriculture technology in ways that value and perpetuate a strong heritage. Innovation, defined in a way that contributes to locally relevant decision-making tools, allows Virginia Cooperative Extension to remain a relevant conduit of research-based, tangible information to stakeholders. Responding to community-based needs with practices, products, and related education and training is further enhanced through collaborative efforts with state and local agencies in executing the Land Grant mission.