GOOCHLAND COUNTY, Va., — Thomas Henley grew up on a sprawling dairy and grain farm off 250 in Goochland County.
Henley’s family has owned Alvis Farms since 1965 but has farmed the land much longer. Their milk is shipped to Newport News for processing. Soybeans and other grains are sent across the Commonwealth and on boats across the world.
The farm hosts an annual, popular Sunflower Festival.
Thomas, a fourth generation farmer, has committed to continuing the legacy of farming the land where he was raised. He remembers harvesting corn where the Wegman’s and Cabela’s stores currently sit off West Broad Street in Short Pump.
The Virginia Tech graduate talked to CBS 6’s Brendan King about the most rewarding aspect of working long hours on a farm.
“I think it's just getting to wake up every day and do what you love,” he recalled. “Getting to take care of animals and of the land that you're working.”
Thomas met his wife, Rachel, while working with the Virginia Farm Bureau.
The couple were finalists this year for the American Farm Bureau’s “Excellence in Agriculture” Award and came in third place for the entire country.
Rachel is Virginia Farm Bureau’s working lands and state advocacy specialist and a former Virginia Cooperative Extension agent who served Goochland and Powhatan counties.
Both serve on the Virginia Farm Bureau Young Farmers Committee.
The say recognizing the importance of farmers in Virginia is so important. That is why National Agricultural Week is March 17-23.
The week celebrates “all the farmers, farmworkers, ranchers, fishers, foresters, and other agricultural workers who do so much to make our Nation strong, fuel our economy, and steward our lands. America owes them,” according to a proclamation from the American Presidency Project.
Data from the Virginia Farm Bureau showed 97 percent of farms were operated by individuals or families. Virginia’s agriculture and forestry industries contributed an annual $105 billion to the economy and more than 490,000 jobs.
While farmers help feed Virginians and families around the world, the land where they can actual farm is shrinking.
According to the 2010 Census, there were a total of 7.8 million acres of farms across the state.
That land has since shrunk by 500,000 acres, according to the 2020 Census.
Rachel pinpointed some of the causes as land converted to development or used by the solar industry.
“That's a big loss and ability for us to be able to feed Virginians and create a beautiful environment, and habitat for our wildlife,” she stated.
The couple is intentional about teaching the next generation to love and take care of the land. Alvis Farms invites schools to visit their property and learn about farming.
“I think that's important for kids that come out and start at an early age to see what a farm is and how it works and where their food comes from,” Thomas said. “You need to start early to really get an understanding for it.”
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