Virginia is for Ag Lovers
Here's the latest dispatch.
Good evening,
For you newbies out there, welcome to Outsider on the Inside. I hope this dispatch from in and around the nation’s capital on underreported topics finds you well.
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Quick Thoughts of the Week
It’s been a great, yet busy, start to 2024 for me. How about you?
Tell the grinches at Dept of Energy: hands off our appliances! Take action HERE. Learn more at IWF Center for Energy and Conservation.
I hope to see some of you at this weekend’s 23rd annual Virginia Fly Fishing & Wine Festival in Doswell, VA.
Hertz is trading in 20,000 electric vehicles for, you guessed it, gas-powered cars. Ouch!
BlackRock announced it’s laying off 600 employees- or 3% of its workforce - this year.
25 Attorneys General and the House Natural Resources Committee are joining the fight against the SEC’s natural asset companies rule to list them on the New York Stock Exchange. Submit your comments opposing NACs by January 18th, 2024 HERE.
That’s a wrap for this week. Stay tuned for next week’s update!
52nd Annual Virginia Agribusiness Legislature Banquet - Richmond, VA
This week, the Commonwealth of Virginia kicked another General Assembly session.
Virginia’s legislature, if you weren’t aware, is the oldest lawmaking body in the New World. It’s been operating for over 400 years.
Different events are usually held to coincide with a new legislative term and one such event is the Virginia Agribusiness Council’s Annual Banquet. VABC’s mission is described like this:
The Virginia Agribusiness Council is a non-profit member organization committed to representing the agriculture and forest industries in the Commonwealth with a unified voice through effective government relations efforts.
Last night I drove down to the state capital, Richmond, to attend VAC’s 52nd annual banquet at the Richmond Main Street Station. It’s an Amtrak stop by day, event venue by night.
1,000 Virginians descended to this gorgeous two-storied venue. Vendors offered Virginia-themed treats, goodies, and drinks. Among my favorites: Copper Fox Distillery samples, Virginia peanuts, Devils Backbone Brewery Vienna Lager, and some kettle corn. I opted to not gorge TOO much food and drink ahead of the banquet since we were promised a great dinner.
In addition to pre-dinner sampling, I got to catch up with some longtime political friends - including Delegate Nick Freitas (R-Culpeper) and Julianne Szyper - and see some folks I know in the Youngkin administration. Added bonus: I got to meet our wonderful Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears.
I bumped into Virginia Agriculture and Forestry Secretary Matt Lohr, whom I’ve interviewed before, on the way to my table and said hello. I then joined my friend, Joe Trotter, his lovely girlfriend, and some of Joe’s colleagues at our table to eat some Virginia poultry, beef, chicken, and crab cakes.
Governor Glenn Youngkin (R-VA) was tapped to deliver a keynote address and spoke eloquently about Virginia’s largest private sector industry. And he even said as a conservative, conservation is at the core of his policies to boost our farmers and ranchers. (It was music to my ears - ha!)
Virginia’s agriculture industry employs over 380K people, has an $82.3B annual economic footprint, and $43.8 billion in value-added impact.
VDACS adds, “The industries of agriculture and forestry together have a total economic impact of over $105 billion and provide more than 490,000 jobs in the Commonwealth.”
I’m grateful to my friend, Joe, for including me in last night’s festivities. And to the event organizers - your event will be hard to beat. Congrats on a successful event!
To my fellow Virginians: this 60-day session is going to zip by quickly. Let’s hope Governor Youngkin is ready to veto a lot bad bills this term!
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—Gabriella