John Howe

Agriculture in Spotsylvania County is livestock based. Beef cattle, dairy cows and horses are the main livestock species raised in Spotsylvania. The county has swine, llamas, alpacas, and poultry too. Crops grown in Spotsylvania include corn, soybeans, wheat, barley, hay, pasture, grapes, vegetables and greenhouse products.

My primary area of work is with the livestock industry. I serve as an educational advisor for the Fredericksburg Area Feeder Calf Association and this group conducts 5 feeder calf sales each year with one sale a Virginia Quality Assured sale. I provide nutritional, reproduction, health and marketing advice and information to livestock producers in Spotsylvania, Stafford, Caroline, and King George Counties.

I work with the Spotsylvania Farmers’ Market to help this farmer group market Virginia Grown farm products to local consumers. There are two market locations in the County. The Holbert Building market is a Wednesday afternoon and Saturday morning market and it opens the last Saturday in April and closes in late October. The Gordon Road Commuter Lot is a Saturday morning market and it is open from the last Saturday in April through the Saturday prior to Christmas.

Master Gardeners and I provide gardening and lawn management information to urban and rural residents of the County. We provide weed, disease and insect identification services to help homeowners manage plant pest problems. Soil analysis services are available to the homeowner and gardener as well as to the farmers.

Education
1974 Virginia Tech, Master of Science, Dairy Science
1969 Penn State, Bachelor of Science, Animal Industries/Dairy Science
1967 Ferrum College, Associates in Arts

Experience
2002 – Present Extension Agent, Animal Science, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Spotsylvania County
1999 - 2002 Extension Agent, Farm Management, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Planning Districts 9 and 16
1977 - 1998 Loan Officer, Vice President of Credit and Chief Auditor, Farm Credit
1975 - 1977 Extension Agent Virginia Cooperative Extension

Memberships
1983 - Fredericksburg Host Lions Club
1999 - Virginia Association of Agricultural Extension Agents
1999 - National Association of County Agents
2006 - 4-H All Star