Wednesday, March 22 • 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Hosted by the Virginia State University College of Agriculture, the goal of Spring Ag Fest is to share impactful information to transform perspectives and open opportunities for 300+ attendees.
“Ag Fest Block Party” campus-wide activities for students, faculty and staff. (11 a.m. – 2 p.m.)
- Speaker: Dr. Dionne Toombs, acting director, USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
- Culture House College Tour: sponsors 300 free meals and snacks to students from black-owned vendors: Everything Legendary (plant-based burgers), Rap Snacks chips and Partake (allergen-free cookies).
- College of Agriculture showcases current research, projects, community partnerships, scholarships, and more!
- Food, music, and activities for all.
Minorities in Agriculture Panel Discussion moderated by Dr. Janine Woods. (3:15-3:55 p.m.)
- Topics: The challenges, opportunities, and entry pipeline for minorities in the agriculture industry.
- Networking event enables students to meet professionals, VSU agriculture alumni and peers.
Nationally recognized agricultural experts and industry professionals.
Ag Fest “Block Party”:
- Owners of the vegan food line, Everything Legendary. The company was featured on Shark Tank twice and made a deal with billionaire Mark Cuban. Now, this brand is featured in Target stores and more.
- USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Acting Director Dr. Dionne Toombs
- Community and industry partners
- Government affiliates
Minorities in Agriculture Panelists are as follows:
- Former USDA Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Dr. Jewel Bronaugh
- USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Acting Director Dr. Dionne Toombs
- USDA Farm Service Agency in Virginia Executive Director Dr. Ronald Howell
- VSU Political Science Department Chair and former Vice-Mayor of Charlottesville, Dr. Wes Bellamy
Ag Fest will highlight the importance of agriculture, dispel misconceptions and inform students of industry opportunities.
Agriculture is a vital industry with tremendous impact:
- Agriculture is Virginia’s largest private industry.
- Its economic impact is over $100 billion.
- It provides nearly a half-million jobs.
- Together, agriculture, forestry and value-added industries account for over 9% of the commonwealth’s gross domestic product.
- Every job in agriculture and forestry supports 1.6 jobs elsewhere in Virginia’s economy.
- Agriculture, food, and related industries contributed over $1.26 trillion to U.S. gross domestic product in 2021, a 5.4% share.
There are more agriculture sectors than people realize:
- Food and beverage manufacturing.
- Food and beverage stores.
- Food services and eating/drinking establishments.
- Textiles, apparel and leather products.
- Forestry and fishing.
- Farming and food.
The impact and opportunities in agriculture are greater than people realize:
- In 2021, 21.1 million full- and part-time jobs were related to the agricultural and food sectors—10.5% of total U.S. employment. (USDA)
Wednesday, March 22 at Virginia State University, Ettrick, VA 23806
- 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Foster Hall & University Avenues
- 3 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. L. Douglas Wilder Building Auditorium, 1 Hayden Drive
