“We’ve got a lot of military bases in Virginia, and there’s a lot of farmland around those spaces. We don’t want foreign adversaries purchasing that farmland. And so this was an initiative that the governor [Glenn Youngkin] laid out in the State of the Commonwealth address last January… It’s been great to work for Governor Youngkin and just see his vision for his his slogan is Virginia, to be the best state to live, work and raise a family and that’s what he believes in and practices every day.”– Matthew Lohr, 5th Virginia Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry

In Episode 353 of District of Conservation, Gabriella speaks with Virginia Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Matt Lohr. Secretary Lohr serves as the 5th Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry for the Commonwealth of Virginia. He was raised on a Century family farm in the Shenandoah Valley and has spent his entire life working for the betterment of agriculture. 

Matthew developed his passion for public service while serving as both a state and national FFA officer before graduating from Virginia Tech with a B.S. degree in Agricultural Education. He has more than 30 years of experience as a professional leader and communicator. 

Matthew served as Chief of the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, an agency with more than 10,000 employees across 3,000 offices. He also previously served in the Virginia House of Delegates, as Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, as Director of the Farm Credit Knowledge Center and as a middle school agriscience teacher. 

In addition to serving as Secretary, Matthew along with his two children own and operate Valley Pike Farm, Inc., his family’s farming operation. 

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