The Virginia Forage and Grassland Council give out several awards, one of which is the Harlan White Distinguished Service Award. The Harlan White Award is not awarded every year but is reserved for individuals who have demonstrated exemplary service to the forage industry.

This year’s recipient is a producer, a leader in the industry, and a longtime supporter of the Virginia Forage and Grassland Council.

Leo Tammi grew up in Delaware on a small farm and received his Bachelor of Science degree in agricultural economics from the University of Delaware. He then moved to Augusta County in 1980 to pursue a post graduate education in “endurance” raising cattle, sheep, and goats on the farm he and his wife Judy purchased. Shamoka Run farm is still owned and operated by Leo, Judy, and their son Aaron.

Leo was one of the first in his area to widely use permanent and temporary electric fencing and was an early adopter of rotational grazing. Shamoka Run Farm is a sheep and lamb farm that includes about 240 acres of hay and pasture, along with 60 additional acres of rented land. At one point the farm was lambed as many as 900 ewes each year. Leo’s innovative approach to his forage system included diverse cool-season pastures, stockpiled forages, alfalfa, brassicas, and native warm season grasses. He has worked widely with his local NRCS and SWCD to implement best management practices including riparian buffers and bird and pollinator habitat.

In the early 90’s Leo was a founder of the Virginia Lamb Cooperative, a direct market cooperative for sheep producers, selling at farmers markets and local grocery stores long before it was popular. He has served on the American Sheep Industry Association Board of Directors, the Sheep Industry Improvement Board of Directors, the American Polypay Sheep Association Board, and the American Lamb Board. He taught animal science to vet tech students at Blue Ridge Community College for several years. He has served in so many other capacities in the sheep industry that, as his son Aaron says, “who the hell can remember them all?”

Leo has been a long-time member of the Virginia Forage and Grassland Council. In 1988 he received the VFGC Producer of the Year Award. He was Conservationist of the Year in 1984 and 2012 with Headwaters Soil and Water Conservation District. In 2018 Leo once again joined the VFGC board of directors, where he has served ever since as our treasurer, and he has done a wonderful job helping to guide the organization into a new era.

Leo is truly a servant to the forage industry, and in addition to being an advocate for farming and rural communities, he is one of the most compassionate and gracious people you will ever meet. It brings VFGC great pleasure to present Leo Tammi with the Harlan White Distinguished Service Award.

Article by: By: Matt Booher, Grassland Agronomist, Virginia Tech/ NRCS