VFGC Scholarship Fund

The VFGC Scholarship Fund has been established by the Virginia Forage and Grassland Council and will be used for scholarships, education, research, and other activities related to the promotion and better understanding of the forage industry.  The VFGC Scholarship Fund currently consists of two named funds.  Please continuing reading to learn more about the contributions of these two pioneers in the Virginia Forage Industry and how you can help move our industry forward with your financial contributions.

Honoring Harlan White’s Years of Service

The Virginia Forage and Grassland Council seeks your assistance in honoring the life of Dr. Harlan White.

The Dr. Harlan E. White Legacy Scholarship Fund will be used for scholarship, education, demonstration and other activities related to the promotion and better understanding of forages and the broader forage industry.

Unbeknown to many Virginia travelers, the presence of large round bales, new cross fences for improved grazing, beef cows grazing “stockpiled” grass during the winter, brown fields in spring killed with herbicides in preparation for soil-saving no-till corn planting, and pastures and hay fields seeded with soil-protecting no-till methods are a constant reminder of Harlan’s leadership and dedicated service to the Commonwealth’s Forage Industry. Dr. White was instrumental in founding the Virginia Forage and Grassland Council in 1977, and in helping it to become the organization it is today.

Harlan loved the outdoors, hunting, fishing, gardening, and Virginia Tech Sports. He especially enjoyed raising and training beagles for hunting and field trialing. Harlan and Jean, his wife, very seldom missed a Virginia Tech football or basketball game having been season ticket holders since 1967.

Harlan was a recipient of many state and national awards recognizing his educational programs directed at improving the well-being of forage producers and their support industries. His work was always a cooperative effort partnering with individuals interested in improving forage production and utilization. His dedication to service and education was recognized by the Virginia Forage and Grassland Council (VFGC) when he was awarded the Medallion Award. His dedication to the forage industry continued throughout his retirement years by serving as both treasurer and advisor to VFGC.

White Legacy Scholarship brochure

Honoring David Fiske’s Years of Service

The Virginia Forage and Grassland Council seeks your assistance in honoring the life of David Fiske.

The David Fiske Innovator Scholarship Fund will be used for scholarship, education, demonstration and other activities related to the promotion and better understanding of forages and the broader forage industry.

As superintendent of Virginia Tech’s Shenandoah Valley Agricultural Research and Extension Center (SVAREC) from 2000 to 2018, David Fiske was bound by his vocation to support research and outreach related to forage and beef cattle production. But David took his job to another level; in addition to facilitating university research at SVAREC, the farm became for David a place to develop and perfect many novel solutions to the everyday needs and challenges facing Virginia beef producers.

From fencing and watering systems, to animal handling facilities, to record-keeping and decision aids, David shared a practical, organized approach that many producers learned from. His innovative use and documentation of a planned summer stockpiling system to extend the grazing season is a prime example of how he innovated simple, practical solutions to issues that affect the beef producer’s bottom line. David’s career was long and distinguished. He served as an Extension Agent in Nelson and Augusta Counties, before moving to Florida for a short time to work as ranch manager for Rollins Ranch, where he learned and developed many ideas that he would later put to work for Virginia farmers.

In 2000 he returned to Virginia as the superintendent of the Shenandoah Valley AREC, and also began serving on the Board of Directors for the Virginia Forage and Grassland Council. He took over as Treasurer of VFGC in 2006, and served in that role the rest of his life. During his tenure on the Forage Council, David established many new and innovative ways for VFGC to connect with Virginia farmers. He was also a good steward of the organization’s finances, and left VFGC in a strong position to continue to be a leader in Virginia’s forage industry for many years to come.

David was a recipient of many awards recognizing his dedication to the well-being of forage producers and their support industries. His work was always a cooperative effort partnering with individuals interested in improving forage production and utilization.

His dedication to service and education was recognized by the Virginia Forage and Grassland Council (VFGC) when he was awarded the Harlan White Award. David received a 2019 Alumni Award of Excellence from the Virginia Tech Alumni Association. Most recently, the American Forage and Grassland Council named the David A. Fiske Affiliate Council of the Year Award.

David Fiske dedicated his life to Virginia’s forage industry. It is now time for us, the recipients of these good works, to commit a portion of the great gifts that David bestowed upon us.

Fiske Innovator Scholarship brochure

We are asking for your financial support in this endeavor and welcome all donations in any amount.  The following categories will be recognized.

Platinum Medallion, $10,000 or more;

Gold Medallion, $1,000 – 10,000;

Silver Medallion, $500 – $1000;

Bronze Medallion, $100 – $500;

and Friends of the Fund, under $100.

Your contributions qualify as a charitable contribution because VFGC administers the Fund and is a 501 (c)(3) organization.