A highly motivated and active membership, combined with an aggressive and knowledgeable staff, is the recipe for legislative and regulatory success. In fact, Virginia Farm Bureau was named one of Virginia Business magazine's top 10 lobbying organizations statewide in 2002. Over the past several years Farm Bureau's members and governmental relations staff have worked together to bring about the following:

Cabinet-level secretary of agriculture and forestry appointed in December 2004

Virginia license plate created to honor the commonwealth's farming heritage

Establishment of a Center for Rural Virginia to help foster the sustainable well-being of rural areas

Funding restored to Farm Bureau-supported programs like Virginia Cooperative Extension; cost-share programs for best management practices; a cost-share program for timberland reforestation; the state meat inspection system and Coyote Damage Assessment Program; agricultural education specialist positions; and Soil and Water Conservation Districts

Attempts to expand the boundaries of the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area blocked

Legislation passed that protects the rights of landowners in situations where eminent domain is used to acquire land

Virginia Equine Liability Act strengthened by better definition of equine activities and participants

Virginia wineries and farm wineries with proper licensure by state ABC board able to sell and deliver up to two cases of wine per month per consumer for personal use

Peanut growers exempt from state tax on federal quota buyout money

Poultry farmers exempt from income tax on the federal portion of 2003 indemnification payments resulting from avian influenza

Funding secured for Virginia Tech Dairy Center and Livestock Teaching Arena and Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services regional laboratory in Harrisonburg

Funding for the Agriculture and Natural Resources Laboratory at Virginia Tech included in a successful 2002 bond package

Virginia Agricultural Vitality Program established to help keep farming viable as the current generation of producers nears retirement. Model purchase of development rights program developed for use by counties to slow urban sprawl and keep farms in production. Virginia FarmLink database created to help retiring producers and other landowners network with people who want to farm but need land, equipment or experience.

Virginia AgPAC, Farm Bureau's non-partisan political action committee, implemented to help support candidates who support Farm Bureau's issues. As of late 2004, 76 of 88 county Farm Bureaus had chosen to participate.

Legislation stalled that would have provided broader authority for localities to regulate, restrict or prohibit land application of biosolids