Forestry Equipment of Virginia (FEVA) has successfully completed its new 42,000 square foot weld shop facility on its 23-acre site in Forest and has hired nearly 60 new employees since it announced the $3 million expansion in 2012.

The Bedford One Program just finished up its sixth successful year of informing local students about career possibilities in our region.

Lindsay Tomlinson has been named Liberty High School’s Teacher of the Year for 2014. For the past six years, she has served as both an Agriculture teacher for Liberty and a Future Farmers of America (FFA) Advisor. During her time there, she has made leaps and bounds with the Agriculture program. Now a two-teacher program,

Livestock producers in 14 Central/Southside Virginia counties, including Bedford, are eligible for matching grants under the Central Virginia Produce, Livestock, and Feed Storage Systems Program.

Jessica Hupp has been appointed Business Programs Coordinator in the Office of Economic Development effective April 21, 2014.

On March 15, 2014, Bedford County’s annual Coyote Lottery closed for the second time and names were drawn for cash prizes. A total of 97 coyotes were brought in and six prizes were awarded with the top prize of $2,000 going to one lucky hunter. According to organizers, this lottery has helped bring down the

Virginia’s farms saw a dramatic increase in both the market value of production and the average value of products sold per farm according to the preliminary results of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 2012 Census of Agriculture.

The 2014 Farm Bill makes the Livestock Indemnity Payments (LIP) a permanent program and provides retroactive authority to cover eligible livestock losses back to Oct. 1, 2011.

There are several opportunities for Bedford Artisan Trail businesses and those considering joining the trail on March 11-12, 2014.

Agricultural associations, industry groups, community-based organizations and producer groups that seek to improve the competitiveness of specialty crops in Virginia are eligible to submit proposals for grants up to $50,000 per project.