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Loudoun County's farmer trading cards program expands adding video

2022-04-22

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Courtesy of Kindel Media

Loudoun County is trying to turn kids into farming fans. To kick off the county’s growing season, trading cards featuring farmers were distributed to elementary students at Loudoun’s public, charter, private and home schools.

Spring 2022 marks the sixth year for the farmer trading card initiative.

“The farmer trading cards are a great reminder for families across the region that fresh products are back in season at Loudoun farms,” said Buddy Rizer, Loudoun Economic Development’s executive director in a post by the Loudoun Virginia Economic Authority.

Farming may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Loudoun, but it’s a notable part of the county’s economy. According to Virginia Farm Bureau, the most recent Census of Agriculture, conducted in 2017, shows the county had 1,259 farms on 121,932 acres, and the market value of all agricultural products sold was more than $43 million.

This year, nine of the county’s farmers are showcased on the trading cards, and the initiative is going further by including video messages from each of the featured farmers showing an educational aspect of farming, the economic authority’s post says.

“It’s important to make sure we promote that you can have your own farm, and that you can produce food for your community,” said Loudoun County Farm Bureau president Tia Walbridge in a press release. “These trading cards really do help show the kids that there are people right here in their community raising sheep, raising cows, and who you can buy your food from.”

“For the farmers, this is a great opportunity to market their products at the start of the growing season and be recognized by the community. For students, it’s an introduction to the profession of farming, featuring heroes they can look up to,” Rizer also said.

The farmer trading card initiative is possible due to a collaboration between the Loudoun Economic Development and the Loudoun County Public Schools’ Nutrition Services office.

“We’re fortunate to live in a climate that supports such a broad array of produce, protein and dairy, and LCPS Nutrition Services Program is committed to buying a portion of our produce from local businesses each year, said school nutrition director Elizabeth B. Mills in the economic authority's press release. "Student consumption of produce appears to increase when they know where it was grown or if they’ve met the person who grew it. The personal connection seems to encourage eating healthy,” she added.

“It’s been a lot of fun to see how much the kids really do enjoy them,” said Tia Walbridge, Loudoun County Farm Bureau president of the trading cards. “It’s a really creative way to get more kids engaged and thinking about agriculture as something they might get involved in.”

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Did You Know: Loudoun County is getting a new state park: Sweet Run?

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