‘It was intimidating at first’ For Flint Hill resident Amanda Frye Bywaters, becoming a farmer meant walking into a world where she often felt she didn’t belong — little experience, plenty of unspoken doubt and a field largely shaped by older men. “It was intimidating...
Orchards hit hard by late frost Rappahannock fruit growers could well look back on the 2025 season as among their least bountiful. First it was the peach crop, with losses of up to 70%, victim of unusually warm temperatures in March, followed by a hard April freeze....
Takeout food and drinks will look different from this week on. A Virginia state ban on single-use styrofoam containers, technically known as expanded polystyrene (EPS), became law July 1. It prohibits food vendors from using styrofoam plates, cups, bowls, trays, to-go...
Tariffs imposed by the Trump administration are causing uncertainties in the global agricultural sector. Once again, local farmers may be affected. Tariffs of at least 10% across all countries are now in effect, with higher rates for those deemed “worst offenders”...
The abrupt elimination of two national food procurement programs by the Trump administration’s DOGE unit is hitting close to home as local farmers and the food-needy communities the programs serve cope with the uncertainties. In February, the Local Food Purchase...