With the Young Farmers, Smith assists
the county with agricultural education and public outreach by participating in various activities and holding an annual meeting to report back to the community about the group’s annual activities and achievements. For instance, the Young Farmers
Summer Expo shows the public how farms have evolved and use new technologies to increase production. T e group also lobbies our elected
representatives to solve problems facing farmers. For example, they worked with representatives to fi nd incentive solutions to close the large animal vet shortage gap. Smith sees green shoots ahead for local
agriculture: “Even though there has been a loss in farmland, you can see these smaller farms popping up across the county. I know a lot of people see importance in 500-1000- acre farms, but it’s there with the smaller farms too. I believe these smaller farms are making just as much of an impact on the community.” With many farms across the county
producing meats and providing fresh, farm- to-table items, there is no lack of availability. Possibly the biggest challenge for the
smaller farms is their ability to and need for marketing. T at is why Choose Culpeper Farms, created by the Culpeper County Department of Economic Development, was created to assist. To learn more about fresh meats,
vegetables and other locally produced items, please visit
chooseculpeperfarms.com.
CFC Farm & Home In the early 1900s, Culpeper farmers
were working hard, directly selling their products to consumers and making a living. If a farmer needed something for their livestock that they didn’t produce themselves, they would have to buy and source those items from diff erent farmers throughout Culpeper and sometimes neighboring counties. So in 1932, a group of farmers got together to establish a place where they could purchase in larger quantities, and sell agricultural products as a group and in larger volumes. What they started 93 years ago was the
Culpeper Farmers’ Cooperative, originally located on Wausau Street in downtown Culpeper. Today’s CFC has seven retail locations in the region, including Culpeper,
Rappahannock, Morrisville, Warrenton, Marshall, Berryville and Clear Brook. Katie Reames has been with the CFC
for more than eight years. As the assistant general manager, she has loved being able to help agriculture producers fi nd profi table solutions for their operations. “Working with an amazing group of
co-workers who share the same passion of helping our customers inspires me every day. I greatly enjoy being able to work with 4-H and FFA youth as well in their livestock projects. CFC has always been big on being part of our community and I enjoy getting to be part of that,” Reames said. Today, CFC’s mission is to preserve the
rural lifestyle through service to the farming and ranching communities throughout Virginia’s Piedmont. T ey adjust to meet the needs of customers, and this model has kept them thriving for nearly a century. CFC annually buys over a million bushels of locally grown corn, wheat, barley and soybeans to convert into livestock feed. T ey continue to source their products locally and employ skilled residents who are knowledgeable in anything you might need around the farm, home and horse barn.
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