DUBLIN, Va. – Governor Glenn Youngkin appointed a member on the Board of Supervisors in Southwest Virginia to lead a state department.
Former Pulaski County Board Member Joe Guthrie will oversee the Virginia Department of Consumer Services.
Guthrie is a farmer who is bringing his experience to Richmond.
“I think it’s a tremendous opportunity. I’m delighted to be a part of Governor Youngkin’s administration,” Guthrie said.
Guthrie’s role as part of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is to promote and enhance agriculture, provide consumer protection and encourage sustainability.
“We want to encourage farms that are productive because we need a good food supply,” he said.
Commissioner Guthrie wants to institute best management practices for farmers in Southwest Virginia by creating a manmade trough so that cows can drink out of it instead of the pond.
The idea is to not have cows gather at the pond because once they gather, they urinate and defecate and if they’re in the pond, that’s not good for the farmer or the consumer.
“Best management practices, a very practical way that’s done on a lot of farms and we’re promoting doing this more, " Guthrie said.
According to Guthrie, the state will help pay for best management practices like water troughs to help ensure farmers are successful to help agriculture grow in Southwest Virginia.
“Agriculture is Virginia’s no.1 industry. Forestry is our no.3 industry. There’s a lot of reasons why we need to be conscientious in state government,” he said.
Pulaski County Administrator Jonathan Sweet feels having Guthrie in Richmond will benefit Southwest Virginia in the long run.
“Many Southwest Virginia communities work closely with VDACS,” Sweet said.