Home Background Testimonials Student Programs Adult Programs Video Clips Recent Clients In The News On The Farm Contact Information	Lohr Enthusiastic About Life and Agriculture A Rockingham County, Va., beef and poultry producer has been named to an American Farm Bureau Federation study dubbed “Making American Agriculture Productive and Profitable.” Matt Lohr, 32, is one of 22 representatives who will participate in the two-year study. The group will review economic trends, study foreign and domestic agricultural policy and consider such other policy areas as marketing consumer perspectives and technology. The resulting policy proposals will be aimed at making U.S. agriculture productive and profitable through the year 2019, AFBF's 100th anniversary. “I am so honored and excited to be a part of the MAAPP committee,” Lohr said. “It will be exciting to examine the future challenges of agriculture, as well as discover great opportunities for our industry.” Lohr, with his wife, Andrea, and parents, Gary and Ellen, own and operate Valley Pike Farm Inc. in Broadway, Va., and are exploring opportunities for their own farm. The century-old farm of 250 acres produces 600,000 broiler chickens and 350 head of beef cattle annually. Crops include field corn, wheat, alfalfa and, mostly recently, pumpkins and sweet corn. Even in a telephone interview, it is evident that Lohr is enthusiastic about life and enjoys living it to the fullest. Having developed a passion for public speaking in FFA, Lohr went on to serve as state FFA president and national FFA vice president. His childhood adventures, interactive skits and inspirational words have been crowd pleasers at more than 450 schools, banquets and leadership conferences. After graduating from Virginia Tech in 1995, Lohr founded the company “New Directions” Communications to spread his positive message. A former middle school teacher, he now brings in enough income from speaking, he said, to be able to spend time helping on the farm. Lohr was elected to the Rockingham County School Board in 2001 and is a past member and chairman of the Rockingham County Planning Commission. He also teaches Sunday School in his local Baptist church. According to his Web site, Lohr has traveled more than a million miles across all 50 states and eight countries entertaining both students and adults. He has visited former President George Bush four times, ridden a bull, hiked the Grand Canyon, flown a plane, climbed Mt. Fuji and witnessed the birth of his daughter, Caroline Belle in February 2001. Lohr met his wife-to-be at a national FFA conference in 1990 and were married five years later. Andrea also was active in FFA and has worked with the National FFA Made for Excellence staff, the Washington Leadership Conference staff and the Blast Off training staff. She is currently an official trainer and coach for the national FFA officer team. She taught middle school for four years before becoming a full time mom. In addition to working on the farm and being an important part of “New Directions,” Andrea is currently working on her master's degree and hopes someday to be a school counselor. Lohr will deliver the keynote address at the AFBF convention in Honolulu, Hawaii, in January and will address the Young Farmers and Ranchers Leadership Conference. *Feature Story for DelMarVa Farmer Magazine; October 2003