Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no access restrictions.

Use Restrictions

There are no use restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Correspondence (Email) of the Commissioner of the Virginia Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services, 2018-2021. Accession 53373, State government records collection. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Va.

Acquisition Information

Accession 53373 was transferred by the Virginia State Library, 14 July 2021.

Biographical/Historical Information

On March 29, 1877, the General Assembly passed an act creating the Department of Agriculture, Mining, and Manufacturing to compile a geological handbook, analyze soils and fertilizers, dispense information to agriculturists in the state, and distribute seeds provided by the federal government. The Board of Agriculture was established by the General Assembly on March 5, 1888, to manage the department. The name of the department was changed to the Department of Agriculture and Immigration by an act passed on February 25, 1908, and the agency was given the additional mission of promoting the immigration of farmers into the state. On March 27, 1914, the General Assembly made the commissioner of the department a member of the Convict Lime Grinding Board. This board, which supervised the employment of state penitentiary convicts at state lime grinding plants, was abolished by the state government reorganization act passed by the General Assembly on April 18, 1927, and its duties were transferred to the Board of Agriculture and Immigration.

A major shift in focus occurred when, in a statewide referendum held on November 1, 1966, the voters approved a proposed constitutional amendment passed by the General Assembly on March 11 that changed the name of the department to the Department of Agriculture and Commerce. The governor issued a proclamation of the name change on November 30, 1966, and on March 4, 1971, the General Assembly passed an act codifying the change. The name of the department was changed to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services by an act passed by the General Assembly on March 24, 1978.

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) promotes the economic growth and development of Virginia agriculture, provides consumer protection and encourages environmental stewardship. The agency includes divisions for Animal and Food Industry Services (Dairy and Foods, Hemp Enforcement, Laboratory Services, Meat and Poultry, Veterinary Services), Commodity Services (Fruit and Vegetables, Grain, Livestock, Peanut, Poultry and Eggs), Consumer Protection (Charitable and Regulatory Programs, Pesticide Services, Plant Industry Services, Weight and Measures), and Marketing (Agriculture and Forestry Development, Domestic Promotion, Food Distribution, International, Market News), and also includes the State Milk Commission and a department dedicated to Policy, Planning and Research. [2025]

The Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services, which oversees the department, consists of eleven members, one from each congressional district. Seven of the members must be farmers. The members are appointed by the governor for four-year terms and confirmed by the Senate. The presidents of Virginia State University and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University are ex-officio members of the board. The board is responsible for policy formulation on matters of agricultural and consumer concern.

Governor Ralph Northam appointed Dr. Jewel H. Bronaugh as the 16th Commissioner of the Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services in April 2018. Prior to her appointment, Dr. Bronaugh served as the Dean of the College of Agriculture at Virginia State University, the Virginia State Executive Director for the USDA Farm Service Agency, and the Executive Director of the Center for Agriculture Research, Engagement and Outreach (CAREO) at Virginia State University. In January 2021 Dr. Bronaugh was nominted as Deputy Director of the United States Department of Agriculture (UDSA) by President Joe Biden. After confirmation, she resigned from VDACS on May 14, 2021 in order to assume her position. Dr. Bronaugh received her Ph.D. in Career and Technical Education from Virginia Tech.

Scope and Content

Correspondence (Email), 2018-2021, of Commissioner Jewel H. Bronaugh of the Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services consists of 18 .pst files. This correspondence documents the planning, direction, and implementation of agency programs and is evidence of actions and policy decisions. Email includes both incoming and outgoing correspondence as well as calendar and scheduling information. Email attachments include correspondence, agendas, agreements, announcements, articles, audits, briefings, budgets, drafts, financial statements, guidance, guidelines, invitations, legislation, minutes, newsletters, notes, photographs, plans, policies, presentations, press releases, regulations, reports, schedules, statistics, strategic plans, talking points and weekly reports.

Includes correspondence with agency staff, localities, state and federal agencies, Governor's Office, legislators, constituents, associations and universities (Virginia Tech, Virginia State University). Correspondents includes Deputy Commissioner Charles Green, Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Bettina Ring, and Deputy Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Bradley Copenhaver.

General topics include, but are not limited to: Agricultural Stewardship Act, appropriations, beekeeping, broadband, budget, Chesapeake Bay restoration, community gardens, consumer protection, corn, cotton, COVID 19, dairy, disaster relief, distilled spirits, drought, economic development, farm bureaus, farmers, farmer stress, farmers markets, farmland preservation, food banks, food deserts/food access to underserved communities, food safety, flooding, food recalls, funding, grants, hemp farming, hogweed, hurricane preparedness, invasive plant species, legislation, livestock, marijuana legalization, marketing, natural disasters, OnTheSquareVA, organic farming, peanuts, pesticides, pollinators, public relations, resiliency, social media, soybeans, spotted lantern fly, staffing, strategic planning, suicide prevention, tariffs, telework, urban agriculture, veterans, wine industry, and women in agribusiness.

Several specific associations, boards and task forces covered in this collection include: Charitable Gaming Board, Delmarva Chicken Association, Equitable Food Oriented Development Subcommittee, Farmer Stress Task Force, National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA), National Black Farmers Association, National Corn Growers Association, Rural Rehabilitation Trust Fund, Virginia Agribusiness Council, Virginia Agricultural Council, Virginia Distilled Spirits Board, Virginia Economic Crisis Task Force, Virginia Food Access Investment Fund, Virginia Farmers Marketing Association, Virginia Poultry Disease Task Force, Virginia Poultry Federation, Virginia State Fair Board, Virginia Wine Board, Virginia Winery Distribution Board and various Virginia Agricultural Commodity Boards.

Arrangement

This collection is arranged in chronological order. There may be some overlap between .pst files.