ABOUT VDACS
COMMISSIONER'S MESSAGE
On March 16, 2010, Governor Bob McDonnell appointed Matt Lohr as the 14th Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS). Lohr, a native of Rockingham County, Virginia, represented the 26th District in the Virginia House of Delegates for the previous five years. In his announcement, Governor McDonnell cited Matt's background in farming, his service as a Delegate and his commitment to the citizens of the Commonwealth among the credentials qualifying him for the post of VDACS Commissioner.
Lohr served as Virginia state FFA president in 1990 and as national FFA vice president in 1991. He went on to graduate from Virginia Tech in 1995 with a degree in agricultural education. After graduating, he spent two years teaching Agricultural Science in Shenandoah County before returning to the family farm full time. Matt is a co-owner in his family farm in Rockingham County that is designated as a Virginia Century Farm. The farm has been recognized numerous times for environmental stewardship by the Virginia Poultry Federation, the US Poultry and Egg Association, Pilgrim’s Pride, and the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Chamber of Commerce. The 250 acre operation produces poultry, cattle and grains and has a pick-your-own pumpkin operation and corn maze that attracts over 15,000 visitors annually.
Commissioner Lohr began his duties on May 1, 2010 and will divide his time between the VDACS office in Harrisonburg and the home office in Richmond. His wife Andrea, who passed away July 10, 2011, previously served seven years as a member of the Virginia Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Commissioner Lohr has two young children, three cats, and one Bulldog.
January 11, 2012
Resolved: to Pay More Attention to Food Safety in 2012
December 14, 2011
The Agricultural Nature of Christmas
November 10, 2011
The Season of Thanksgiving
October 5, 2011
Getting Back to the Farm However You Can
September 13, 2011
Hurricane Irene, Getting Ready and Getting Over It
August 2, 2011
Andrea Lohr: A Lasting Legacy
July 1, 2011
Today’s FFA…Making Your Grandfather Proud
June 13, 2011
Virginia is for Holstein Lovers
May 11, 2011
Virginia is for Horse Lovers
April 15, 2011
Spring – the Season When Plants and Optimism Bloom
March 7, 2011
My Favorite Time of the Year
February 10, 2011
What I Learned At The Virginia Agroterrorism Conference
January 15, 2011
Social Media, the Next Ag Frontier