Agriculture

Tim is a strong advocate for Virginia’s farmers. Agriculture and forestry comprise the largest industry in the Commonwealth, contributing $91 billion to the economy and supporting more than 334,000 jobs. He supports a robust farm safety net, protecting our natural resources, and defending federal nutrition assistance that helps the neediest among us.

Tim was a major proponent of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, which included a Warner-Kaine sponsored measure to legalize industrial hemp production and clearly define hemp as an agricultural commodity. This legislation also included provisions to strengthen crop insurance, maintain the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and other nutrition aid, advance partnerships with farmers to reduce runoff in impaired watersheds like the Chesapeake Bay, expand agricultural export markets, and bolster local food networks to allow more businesses and consumers to buy from local farmers. Tim has stood up for Virginia’s farmers throughout his time in the Senate, working on efforts to lift the unfair Chinese ban on Virginia poultry that has persisted on and off and supporting reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank, which helps small and mid-sized Virginia farmers and agricultural exporters sell their goods abroad. Tim has also worked to secure federal funding for agricultural research, so that top institutions like Virginia Tech and Virginia State University can continue to develop new, effective methods of farming. In 2022, he helped pass the Inflation Reduction Act, which included $20 billion to help farmers and ranchers adopt agriculture conservation practices that improve landscape resilience.

From his time as Governor, Tim has worked to defend the Chesapeake Bay, a cornerstone of Virginia’s economy that supports the tourism, recreation, and seafood aquaculture industries.