Nominate Your Favorite Loudoun Farmer for a 2020 Trading Card
Loudoun County’s award-winning Farmer Trading Card program is back for its fifth year, and Loudoun Economic Development is crowdsourcing nominations for your favorite farmers.
Whether you are a farmer or just know one, we’re looking for role models who can help Loudoun students understand the importance of farming in the county. In addition to being featured on a trading card, farmers are encouraged to meet students and sign cards at a public school next spring.
“The Farmer Trading Card program is a twofold success in that it helps students understand where food comes from, and it puts a face on the profession of farming,” said Loudoun Economic Development’s Executive Director Buddy Rizer. “When we can serve our kids better food and a better understanding of where that food comes from, that’s a win for Loudoun.”
The farmer trading cards are distributed to elementary school students in Loudoun County Public Schools each spring to coincide with Opening Day for Major League Baseball. In the past, farmers have visited the schools with everything from animals to bee suits, vegetables to tractors.
According to the most recent USDA Ag Census, Loudoun’s 1,259 commercial farms combine to lead Virginia in areas like bee farming and honey production, llamas, alpacas and grape growing.
Loudoun farms also boast tremendous diversity, with more ownership among those who identify as women, Latino, Hispanic and Asian heritage than anywhere else in the Commonwealth.
“Our farmers are All-Star business owners and this program puts them in the spotlight,” said Business Development Officer for Agriculture and Business Services John Magistro. “We’re excited to field a starting lineup that represents the best of Loudoun farms have to offer.”
Last year, farmers from the program were featured in publications like the Washington Post and news outlets including WTOP. School systems in other states have begun replicating the cards for their own communities.
Several dozen Loudoun farmers have been featured on the trading cards in the last four seasons, but there are still thousands to choose from for nominations.
The criteria for eligibility are that the nominee farms are located in Loudoun County. Alcohol-related businesses are not eligible because the trading cards will be distributed to minors.
Please make your nominations here by close of business on Friday, November 15: biz.Loudoun.gov/farmer-cards.
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