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Farm Hopes to Expand, May 14, 2008

Farm hopes to expand, provide more food for Blue Ridge Area Food Bank


Bob Blair, World Foundation for Children chairman and CEO, stands outside this field at the Shenandoah County Farm in Maurertown. Rich Cooley/Daily

By Sally Voth -- Daily Staff Writer

MAURERTOWN — Two Shenandoah County charitable agricultural institutions are talking about joining forces.

Representatives of the Volunteer Farm and the county farm task force have discussed expanding the Volunteer Farm's acreage to include farmland the county owns in Maurertown.

The task force was set up by the Board of Supervisors to come up with a long-range plan for the county farm and alms house. The alms house, which is in a serious state of disrepair, has long housed homeless residents. The task force is recommending that it continue to do so.

Part of the task force's mission is to promote compatible uses and sustain the county's rural character.

The Volunteer Farm was founded in Woodstock four years ago to raise vegetables for the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank and now needs more farmland, said its founder, chairman and CEO, Bob Blair.

Administered by the World Foundation for Children, the farm is on land that Blair once used to grow Christmas trees.

He said Lee Jette, the foundation's chief financial officer, has been meeting with the task force to discuss the possibility of using part of the county farm to raise food for the hungry. He said Jette is out of the country.

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FARM BILL - Budget Cut for Children Abroad, May 14, 2008

Bush vows to veto plan criticized for diverting aid funds 

By MARY CLARE JALONICK
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER

WASHINGTON -- A five-year farm bill in Congress this week does little to address the growing global food crisis. Instead, it diverts money that could be spent feeding poor children abroad to give more subsidies for U.S. farmers now enjoying record high crop prices and incomes.

Food experts, international aid groups and the White House all complain that the $300 billion bill crafted by House and Senate negotiators focuses on the wrong priorities. The bill has widespread bipartisan support in both the House and Senate, but President Bush has promised to veto it.

While the legislation does send some food relief abroad, the amount is less than 1 percent of the bill's total cost. At the same time, the measure maintains subsidies to U.S. farmers at levels that hurt poor countries trying to produce food on their own, critics say.

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Upcoming Events

May 17:  Woodstock Methodist Men hold a Chicken BBQ sale in the parking lot next to Katie's Custard on Woodstock's Main St., starting about 9:30 and proceeding until sold out of 400 chickens--to benefit the Volunteer Farm and other non-profit organizations.

May 17, 18:  Diane Spencer, Volunteer, Linda Buechling, Development Director, and Chrissy Jenkins, Volunteer Coordinator, will represent the Volunteer Farm at the Strasburg Mayfest for both full days at a table on King Street.

May 22:  Lee Jette, CFO, and Lisa Currie, Board Member, speak to Farm Bureau Women's Committee at their Woodstock location at 7:00 pm.

June 4:  Valley Farm Credit of Woodstock hosts their annual Customer Appreciation Day with proceeds from all donations to benefit the Volunteer Farm. 

        Please contact us if you wish to schedule a representative to appear before your group.

 

 
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Please support the Volunteer Farm

Thank you!

John and Betty Wilkins of Woodstock for their donation of a number of round bales to provide cover and mulch for several acres.

 

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Chicago, for  donated of a wonderful $4,000 Domestic Hunger Grant toward the irrigation upgrade.

 

Rupp Seeds of Wauseon, Ohio, for a generous donation of seed.

 

Presbytery of Shenandoah for a wonderful contribution of $1,750.  

 

Community Endowment Fund of Charlottesville Area Community Foundation donated $1,000 toward upgrading of irrigation system.

 

Shenandoah County Thrift Store of Woodstock very kindly contributed $1,000. 

 

Mr. Michael A. Smith and Valley Proteins, Inc. for a wonderful contribution of $2,500.  

 

The Grillo Family of Ashburn for a generous gift of $5,000.

 

Falcon's Landing Chapel for a very kind donation of $1,000.

 

St Paul Lutheran Church of Strasburg for proceeds from their recent special event in the amount of $1,346.

 

Now & Forever Fund & Benjamin A. & Ellen H. Soyars Fund at Northern Piedmont Community Foundation for the wonderful gift of $1,500.

 

Valley Protein Inc. of Winchester for a generous gift of $2,500.

Steven Meyer of Loudoun County, a Costco executive, for the generous contribution of $10,000.

Bill Holtzman, Holtzman Oil, for donating the cost of the winter cover crop, including seed and application.

SYSCO Food Services of Harrisonburg, for a $1,500 contribution.

The Grillo Family of Ashburn, VA for sponsoring an advertising campaign in the Arlington Catholic Herald.

Bobby Grubbs Chevrolet for sponsoring a TV advertising campaign on the local cable, with matching free spots from Comcast.

The Herring-Jones Fund through the Community Foundation of Central Blue Ridge for a $2,000 grant.

The  Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church of Alexandria, VA, for a $1,500 donation.

Winchester Kiwanis for gift of $2,000 for front end loader. 

 

Winchester Rotary for gift of $4,000 for a rototiller.

 

Orville Smoot, Valley Fert. for donating 16 tons of lime, including application.

 

The Covenant Presbyterian Church of Staunton for a $1,600 donation.


 

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