RICHMOND, Va. — Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger spoke with the Virginia Farm Bureau’s “Real Virginia” TV program about her plans to support Virginia’s agriculture and forestry industries as the next Governor of the Commonwealth.
Agriculture and forestry are Virginia’s number-one and number-three private industries, respectively. As Governor, Spanberger will work to get things done for Virginia’s crop and livestock producers — including addressing trade concerns and expanding their access to domestic and foreign markets. As the Trump Administration’s reckless tariffs put Virginia farmers “in a real bind,” Spanberger will never be afraid to stand up for Virginia’s producers and economy — unlike Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears, who has said that President Trump’s approach to tariffs is “good” and “to our benefit.”
Click here to watch Spanberger’s interview, and read the transcript of the interview below:
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Elijah Griles, Anchor: Democratic nominee Abigail Spanberger emphasizes the importance of agriculture and forestry to Virginia’s economy, and pledges her support to farmers.
Abigail Spanberger: I’m Abigail Spanberger, I’m the Democratic nominee for Governor in the Commonwealth of Virginia. And I’m excited to be speaking to the Farm Bureau today.
As a candidate for Governor, it’s important to notice, and it’s important to uplift the voices of agricultural and rural Virginia. Certainly, given that Virginia’s number-one private industry is agriculture, and number three is forestry, recognizing the value and the history of Virginia agriculture has always been essential to the work that I did when I was a Member of Congress and now as a candidate for Governor.
Certainly, as we look at some of the instability that we’re seeing as it relates to tariffs and as it relates to some of the provisions coming out of Capitol Hill, it’s now more important than ever that we have here in the Commonwealth of Virginia a Governor who recognizes the value of Virginia’s extension programs, the boots on the ground to help farmers and producers across our Commonwealth, that we recognize the value of local research and how that can inform and support the efforts of growers.
And ultimately, as Governor, I want to ensure that I am uplifting the voices of Virginia’s farmers and producers, that we are fully funding our BMPs [best management practices], recognizing the value that they have on farms across Virginia, particularly as we might see changes in federal conservation programs. And ultimately, ensuring that through the AFID [Governor’s Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development Fund] program we are bringing additional investment to communities and farms across Virginia in a way that will meaningfully impact, certainly, Virginia’s agricultural community, but our larger economy.
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BACKGROUND
In Congress, Spanberger served as the only Virginian on the U.S. House Agriculture Committee — and she was ranked the most effective Member of Congress on agriculture issues. Spanberger also served as the Chair of the Subcommittee on Conservation and Forestry.
Spanberger is a proud multi-year recipient of the “Friend of Farm Bureau Award” from the Virginia Farm Bureau. In 2023, Spanberger received the Virginia Cattlemen’s Association’s “Top Hand” Award.
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