July 2025
by Jane W. Graham, Delmarva Farmer
Mike Carpenter
DALEVILLE, Va. — A familiar member in Virginia’s livestock industry, Mike Carpenter, thought he was retiring from state-wide involvement in the industry.
Now he has taken the presidential reins of the Virginia Cattlemen’s Association for a one-year term.
He said he is happy to be leading VCA at a time of growth in the organization, and looking forward to working with Brandon Reeves, association executive director.
In talking of Reeves’ leadership, Carpenter cited three areas that “have come a long way:” Producer services, policy and marketing.
Serving the VCA producer members is a driving goal for Carpenter. He pointed to new programs it is offering.
Livestock Risk Protection (LRP), similar crop insurance, is a tool that protects the farmer’s investment. “Some lenders are requiring it,” he said. “USDA pays part of the premium as an incentive for producers to utilize the program.”
For producers, the state’s new branding initiative is becoming a reality. Announced in April, Virginia Verified Beef is the first logo in the Virginia Verified Meat Branding line. This is an effort to assist consumers in finding meat produced in the state.
“Marketing is my strength,” Carpenter said, adding VCA was founded to market cattle and is the only affiliate member of the national association that markets cattle.
“What can we do to better serve our producers who market with the cattlemen’s association?” is the question Carpenter said they need to keep asking.
One of the efforts underway now is marketing feeder cattle to a group of Ontario, Canada feeders. The Canadians will visit the Central Virginia Cattlemen’s Association the first week of August.
Trips to visit midwestern feeder operations are planned as well.
Carpenter, a native of rural Madison County, said he learned about livestock marketing early in life because his mother ran the restaurant at the Madison Livestock Market for a couple years. It gave him a place to hang out and work.
“My serious introduction to cattle production began at about age 13 when I started working at Edgewood Farm that adjoined us,” he wrote in his introductory column in the association newsletter, The Virginia Cattleman. “They ran 120 cow/calf pairs and sold feeder calves at the Culpeper-Madison graded sale in Culpeper.”
After earning a bachelor’s degree in animal science from Virginia Tech and working in several farms, he decided to go back to the livestock business.
He joined the VDACS Marketing department in Harrisonburg, Va., in 1986 and finished his career there, serving as program manager the last seven years. He retired in 2020.
Reviewing his work at VDACS, Carpenter pointed to the monthly sheep and lamb sale still held at Madison; The Virginia Lamb Cooperative; the Shenandoah Valley Beef Coop and the BBQ Chairmanship at the Rockingham County Fair as some of his accomplishments.
He worked on the 2012 promotion, marketing and sale of Virginia feeder cattle to Canada.
“This began with sales to Quebec and when those buyers stopped feeding cattle, we courted Ontario cattle feeders in 2017,” he wrote.
“This endeavor has undoubtedly put more money in the pockets of Virginia cattle producers than many of the VDACS marketing programs” he said. “I continue to be involved after ‘retirement’ by selling Virginia feeder cattle to Ontario.”
He concluded by noting that he is known for his work in the sheep business but he has been a cattleman all his life.
His retirement opened the door to serving as a VCA board member and president. In that capacity, he said the board has struggled with getting more people to join VCA. To help increase membership he issued a challenge to members.
“Think of someone you know who is not a VCA member: and give them a membership for one year; and then ask that they pay for it after that.”
This article comes from The Delmarva Farmer, an agricultural newspaper for the mid-Atlantic region.